Bush Pardons Border Agents

In the first of several possible midnight pardons, Bush commuted the sentences of two U.S. Border Patrol agents jailed for shooting and killing an unarmed Mexican drug smuggler in the back, overcoming the three to one odds Politico laid on the case. With a mere 24 hours of Bush White House to go, the folks at Politico have handicapped prominent pardons that the erstwhile president might issue. Still on the list: pardons for CIA interrogators, Alberto Gonzales, Scooter Libby, Bradley Schlozman (who was investigated for using political considerations to hire at the DOJ) and lobbyists and security personnel who passed secrets to Israel. Additional candidates for commutation include pre-Blagojevich Illinois governor George Ryan, Israeli Spy Jonathan Pollard, and tax-evader Randall "Duke" Cunningham (R-Calif). Politico gives the best odds—one to one and one to two, respectively—to Gonzales and Libby. The worst odds—50 to one—go to Randall "Duke" Cunningham for his $2.4 million bribery scheme.