Does Bush's lack of Marc Rich-style sketchy pardons earn him a little respek?

[Lunar]

I mean, when that story broke that one of the people his pardons/commutes went to was an RNC contributor, his administration reversed it.

His last second pardons only went to two Hispanic border guards that shot someone in the back that I think just got scared and altered their police report to make it seem like it wasn't so.  I haven't looked into it, but the only thing sketchy about that, on-face, was his early promise to abide by the judicial system's decision.  I mean, these two cats aren't the people who most deserve a pardon, but nothing on the scale of Rich, eh?

This doesn't seem very Bush-like.  I wouldn't mind some sort of Constitutional limit on the number of people a president can give pardons to per-month to limit this last-week flood of pardons, but meh.

[Nixon in '80]

I'm pleasantly surprised by his restraint...

As to Ramos and Compean: While they did undoubtedly break the law in falsifying that report, their prosecution was highly political and as such were punished excessively, in my opinion. I actually agree with Bush 100% on this: no pardon, yes commutation.

[J. J.]

So far, I agree.  Bush has, in a few high profile cases has not issued pardon, but has reduced the sentences.

[Eraserhead]

Not from me.

[Kaine for Senate '18]

I'll give him a little more, yeah.