Bush Retracts Pardon for Son of Big GOP Donor

'He seems to go out of his way to deny the high rollers, the prominent people,' source says

(NEWSER) - George Bush formally denied pardons for several prominent politicians and businessmen on his last day in office, the Justice Department told the Los Angeles Times today. Among those whose pleas fell on deaf ears were Michael Milken, a businessman convicted of insider trading and stock evasion, and Randall Cunningham, a Congressman who pleaded guilty to taking bribes in 2006. More»

Scooter Libby? Alberto Gonzales? The entire CIA? Speculation swirls

(NEWSER) - President Bush has shown no inclination to go on a Clinton-esque pardon binge, but that won't stop Josh Gerstein of Politico from speculating. Here are the potential pardon/commutation prospects, and the odds:

• All CIA and military interrogators: Bush could make a big splash with a blanket pardon to anyone who may or may not have tortured suspects in the war on terror. But it’d be legally tricky and enrage many. Odds: 4 to 1

Slate's political wiz doesn't see Libby landing behind bars

(NEWSER) - President Bush will step in and save Scooter Libby for two reasons, argues Slate's John Dickerson. First, to repay Dick Cheney for not throwing Karl Rove under the bus. And second, pardoning Libby could help Bush regain Republican support by appeasing conservatives who opposed the CIA leak investigation from the get-go and are riled up by immigration reform. More»

Friends say former senator would rather clear name through courts anyway

(NEWSER) - Sen. Lisa Murkowski asked President Bush to pardon former Alaska Republican colleague Ted Stevens, the Anchorage Daily News reports. But Stevens would rather fight his corruption conviction in court, friends say, because he felt a pardon would taint his legacy. Murkowski wrote that she did not want to see Stevens, 85, spend the rest of his life involved in litigation. More»

Supporters look to Cheney to sway Bush in final week

(NEWSER) - President Bush has less than a week to pardon Lewis “Scooter” Libby for his role in the CIA leak case, and at this point it’s unclear if he will, writes Byron York for the National Review. Dick Cheney's former chief of staff hasn't applied for one through the Justice Department. Supporters of Libby say they are relying on Cheney to convince the president. More»