Interesting things could happen after the election before the new President takes office in January, while Obama is a totally lame duck. For example, Obama could pardon Edward Snowden, make a last-ditch effort to close Gitmo, or could instruct US UN Ambassador Samantha Power to announce that the US will no longer insist that it will veto a vote for Palestinian statehood. http://news.antiwar.com/2016/10/26/us-abstains-from-un-vote-against-cuba-embargo...
Yeah. I, for one, hope he does not do any of those things...although if there were one I ESPECIALLY do not want to see...it would be pardoning Edward Snowden. Edward Snowden deserves a fair trial...back here in the United States. That is what I want to see him get...a fair trial. A pardon would be inappropriate.
After elections, should Trump lose, you will see him shed any and all politics to focus on making himself rich again. As a private citizen, he could work to get various polticians elected, work on lobbying for a wall to be built, organize a political party with legs regardles of who heads it. He will do none of those things. He will take Sarah Palin as hos role model
I posted my thoughts at WendyMcElroy.com and got this reply: "Not holding my breath waiting for any of those --- especially a Snowden pardon, because Mr. "Most Transparent Administration in History" hates, hates, HATES "Whistleblowers," with a truly volcanic passion. The "Mr. Transparency" Administration has prosecuted more "whistleblowers" than every other POTUS in history combined, his Attorneys General have invoked the "Espionage Act" against "whistleblowers" more often than any preceding POTUS, and his Attorneys General have called for longer and harsher prison-sentences for "whistleblowers" than every preceding POTUS --- by a stunning factor of 31 times! So the "Big O" is more likely to order that Snowden be Drone-Assassinated than to Pardon him --- No Smiley!" http://www.politifact.com/punditfac...apper-obama-has-used-espionage-act-more-all-/
Well...I certainly do not want to see a drone strike against Snowden...or an assassination attempt of any kind. I do want to see him get a fair trial. I hope he finally sees the situation for what it is...and comes back to obtain it.
No politician likes whistleblowers, because they would be whistleblowers themselves if they thought whistleblowing was a good thing. I think trumpf threatening to sue the whistleblowers who he sexually assaulted, and saying that SNL needs to be taken off the air because it does not-so-flattering parodies of him is proof of his hate of transparency. Trumpf ran for office thinking that his transgressions--his sexual assaults, his university con, his bankruptcies, his off-shoring, his hiring of illegal aliens, his record of paying most of his employees minimum wage would remain hidden from sight. Now he blames the MSM and a conspiracy for the fact that his exploits have been 'unveiled', and that his true self is showing. He is a predator--a sexual and business predator who now wants to be a political predator.
All could, but very doubtful. That is unless Hillary Clinton wants it to happen. Having Obama do that would take the heat off her.
Obama could really take the heat off by pardoning her for all offenses she may have committed and he probably will, just as Gerald Ford pardoned Richard Nixon.
Well, Nixon was impeached, which is like being charged with a crime, but he wasn't convicted when he resigned, and then Vice President Ford became President and pardoned him. So that, at least, seems like a precedent for a pardon before being found guilty.
OK, I can see where you're going with this, but Hillary hasn't been legally charged with anything. There was hard evidence on Nixon. Everyone would probably like to have a "Get Out of Jail Free Card," just in case something ever happened, but that only works in Monopoly.
Nixon was never impeached. The only President in my lifetime that has been impeached was Bill Clinton.
Sorry to burst your little bubble- only the mostly Republican House impeached Bill Clinton, and he served for his entire 8 years.. From Wikipedia: "The perjury charge arose from Clinton's testimony before a grand jury that had been convened to investigate perjury he may have committed in his sworn deposition during Paula Jones's sexual harassment lawsuit. The obstruction charge was based on his actions to conceal his relationship with Lewinsky before and after that deposition. The Senate later acquitted Clinton on both charges."
You're right about Nixon and about Clinton too, I think. I was wrong. Dictionaries say that "impeachment" means being charged with a crime. Apparently the House was in the process of trying to impeach him when he resigned. I think if Nixon were impeached by the House then the Senate would have decided whether he was guilty or not. Not sure, and I'm not going to bother any further with this . https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Impeachment_process_of_Richard_Nixon
I don't think Obama would pardon Snowden. I think he feels Snowden embarrassed him so I'm pretty sure Snowden shouldn't be expecting a January pardon. As far as the rest of the wish list though, it's possible. I can see him just releasing anyone at Gitmo that he hasn't already gotten rid of.
While I agree with you on Gitmo, IDK about Snowden. I think in Obummer's eyes, Snowden embarrased America.. & in Obummer's eyes, that's OK. I guess it will ultimately depend on who the POTUS Elect is...
Snowden is a traitor to America. He deserves to be locked up, not pardoned. That's one thing Obama need not to worry about. - - - Updated - - - Snowden did embarrass America though. It's not hard to see why.
Well, the US has finally refrained from vetoing a resolution regarding Israeli expansionism: http://news.antiwar.com/2016/12/23/netanyahu-obama-colluded-against-israel-with-un/ But is it too little, too late?
