* Has everyone had their say about George Ryan yet? Probably not, which is why we have another thread on this topic today…
When Sen. Dick Durbin first floated the idea that he might ask President Bush to commute former Gov. George Ryan’s 6 1/2 year prison sentence, we thought that he simply was sending up a trial balloon.
Politicians sometimes do that. Put out an idea, see what the public reaction is, but leave yourself room to back out. Dutifully, we put forth an editorial explaining why a commutation was a bad idea as did many Illinois newspapers, columnists and pundits. Even our letter writers fired up their pens and expressed their displeasure.
To say that we were disappointed when Durbin decided to follow through and write Bush a letter, pleading for mercy for Ryan, would be an understatement. Durbin’s decision permanently stains his credibility.
* More…
We cannot figure out why U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin, a Springfield Democrat, believes that commuting the sentence of our corrupt former governor, George Ryan, is an idea worthy of ignoring overwhelming public sentiment against it. […]
We consider Durbin an honorable public servant with a sterling record. His decision to write this letter is a profoundly disappointing deviation from it.
* More…
His willful criminal behavior perpetuated Illinois’ worldwide infamy for corrupt elected officials, no doubt inhibiting many good women and men who might have considered public office.
* Obama defers to Bush…
President-elect Barack Obama’s office said Wednesday that he doesn’t feel it’s “appropriate” to get involved in the controversy about whether former Republican Illinois Gov. George Ryan should get executive clemency from President George W. Bush.
* Kass pounces…
But the Combine wouldn’t like it. So he punted, probably sending a tingle up the leg of Tony Rezko, the convicted influence peddler and Obama’s personal real estate fairy, now facing years in federal prison.
You can almost hear Rezko shriek, from solitary confinement, in his orange jumpsuit:
“At this time! At this time? See? He didn’t rule it out! Maybe next time is my time! Next time! Oh thank you, Barack. Next time, yeah baby!”
* I told you about this yesterday…
Democratic Illinois Atty. Gen. Lisa Madigan said today that she does not agree with Democratic U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin’s decision to send a letter to President George W. Bush asking him to commute the federal corruption sentence of former Republican Gov. George Ryan.
* This piece is the only real news of the day, and I’m probably excerpting too much, but it’s worth it…
“When it comes to the law, there should not be two sets of rules - one for President Bush and Vice President Cheney and another for the rest of America,” Durbin said after Bush commuted the 30-month prison sentence of Cheney aide Scooter Libby. “Even Paris Hilton had to go to jail. No one in this administration should be above the law.”
Earlier in the summer of 2007 when talk of a Libby commutation was rampant, Durbin said, “It sends a terrible message at a time when we are demanding accountability from the generals at Walter Reed … to suggest anyone in our government is above the law.”
In commuting the sentence, Bush noted that Libby already paid a price by losing his respect and government positions. Likewise, Durbin said Monday Ryan will always have a “cloud” over him because of the conviction. […]
Durbin said Monday he always seeks to right injustice, though he said Ryan was not the victim of injustice. He portrayed his decision to help Ryan as one that sprouted routinely as any other problem brought by a constituent — but he couldn’t identify one previous time when he wrote a letter asking a president for commutation.
After the press conference, Durbin’s staff revealed there was one other time. Though it wasn’t made public at the time, it was likely when he urged for the commutation of another high profile politician, former U.S. Rep. Mel Reynolds. […]
Much like with Ryan, Durbin invoked the criminal politician’s wife as reason enough to open the prison doors.
“His wife has been in a homeless shelter,” Durbin said of Reynold’s wife at the time. “She’s been on Welfare. This has torn them apart.”
At the time, Durbin also praised Clinton’s pardoning of U.S. Rep. Dan Rostenkowski.