Tuesday, November 25, 2008
News Bush pardons Georgia food stamp violation from 98,000 years ago
Posted by Thomas Wheatley @thomaswheatley on Tue, Nov 25, 2008 at 5:12 PM
President George W. Bush yesterday issued 14 pardons and commuted two prison sentences in what surely will be one of the lame duck president's most monumental acts in the last eight years. (Yes, I know, every president pardons ne'er-do-wells and scoundrels. Clinton had Marc Rich, Carter had Attila the Hun. Obama will probably pardon Predator.)
As Ken Layne at Wonkette accurately pointed out, a lot of the crimes Bush pardoned are run-of-the-mill — drugs, importing protected wildlife, and killing the nation's majestic feathered symbol.
But with everything involving crime and silliness, there's a Georgia angle. According to the Associated Press, among the folks Bush pardoned yesterday was in the most lotto-happy town in Jawjuh:
Obie Gene Helton of Rossville, Ga., whose offense was unauthorized acquisition of food stamps.
Yep. Food stamps. Is this "compassionate conservatism?"
Obie Gene Helton was sentenced April 1, 1983, to two years probation for unauthorized acquisition of food stamps. He was fined $500 and ordered to pay $875 in restitution, according to information provided by the Justice Department.
No telling what manuevering it took to get the president to consider this request after more than 8,000 he's denied.
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