President George W. Bush's decision to commute the prison sentence of vice-presidential aide I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby has made people wonder how President Bush could simply wave his magic wand -- and poof! -- Libby no longer has to set foot inside a prison cell. After all, Libby was tried and convicted of perjury and obstruction of justice.
 Courtesy of Susan Walsh/Associated Press One pardon has become an annual tradition -- the pardoning of the Thanksgiving turkey. President George W. Bush pardons Stars the turkey, saving the bird from a death sentence. See more pictures of the presidents. |
The president isn't required to explain or justify his actions to you, me, Congress or anyone else for that matter.The power to pardon is left solely to the discretion of the president, and cannot be reviewed or overturned by any of the other branches of government. So why do presidential pardons raise so many eyebrows?
Franklin D. Roosevelt was born into the luxurious surroundings of Hyde Park on Jan. 30, 1882. He grew up there in the family home, returned there to raise his own children, and is buried there. It's now the home of the Franklin D. Roosevelt National Historic Site. The Jimmy Carter National Historic Site is dedicated as much to the 39th president as it is to the rural southern community of Plains, Ga., where he was born and raised. |
Perhaps it's because, in our government of separated and balanced branches, this unique power stands out like a sore thumb -- a president in full-pardon swing more resembles a king than an elected official. In fact, the basis of the presidential pardon can be found in the royal Prerogative of English Kings (more on that later).
So where does this power come from? Why did it make it into the Constitution? What does it do and how exactly does it work? In this article, we'll answer these questions and look at some noteworthy presidential pardons.
