Pardon Me

One of the most entertaining discussions in history class last year revolved around the possibility that the president could commit mass murder and then pardon himself.

Sorry to disappoint you, it's just a governor, and all he did was give out taxpayer money to political allies. What else is new?

Kentucky Governor Ernie Fletcher recently pardoned nine members of his administration who had been indicted on various misdemeanors as well as two counts of evidence tampering, which is a felony. Fletcher dismissed the indictments as politically motivated and a "waste of taxpayer dollars". Nevertheless, the Democratic Attorney General, Greg Stumbo, plans to pursue his case against the Republican governor, who has not yet issued a pardon to himself, although Kentucky law allows him to do so.

The allegations against the administration are centered around the issue of government jobs, which Stumbo believes have been given out based on politics rather than merit. Although this accusation seems absurd, as patronage is one of the pillars of modern political success, the state had evidence that showed that top officials in Fletcher's administration had discussed the political allegiances and contributions of job applicants via various emails.

Fletcher can take solace in the fact that he won't be the only Republican in the area getting the boot from the feds or the voters. His neighbor, Governor Bob Taft, in Ohio, recently plead no contest to various misdemeanors relating to illegally accepting gifts.

The Democrats are already licking their lips for 2006. The Ohio GOP is in shambles, as is Kentucky, and Bill Frist is leaving a vacant seat in Tennessee. One place they shouldn't look is the Dakota's. They like their Republican governors there.