12-04-2008, 08:26 AM
Seems like Dick Durbin, now safely re-elected to the US Senate, has suddenly found 'compassion' for convicted crook George Ryan, and is asking President Bush for either a commutation of sentence or an outright pardon.
What a load of BS! Ryan got a pretty light sentence. He got millions of dollars in free legal help from Jim Thompson, and he was defiant throughout his trial, his appeals, and even as they placed him in a comfy minimum-security prison.
Why the change of heart after the November elections, Dick? This isnât 'compassion'. This is a cynical ploy by Durbin to do further damage to the GOP, especially in Illinois. By having Bush pardon Ryan, he is continuing the myth that the GOP is the only 'corrupt' party. That'll be used repeatedly during the 2010 and 2012 elections. In Illinois, that'd be the kiss of death for anyone wanting to take the Governor's office, or run for Obama's Senate seat.
It'll also hamstring Patrick Fitzgerald and his investigations into Illinois corruption. By making this where a US Attorney was 'politically persecuting' Dem politicians while a GOP crook got off scott free thanks to a Bush pardon, this will give Obama an excuse to fire him after January 20.
Ryan finally got caught after decades of getting away with bribery and political corruption. There are plenty of convicted criminals who are paying a far heavier price for lesser crimes, and at least some of them are sorry they did it. Not like George Ryan who continues to be defiant about his actions.
What a load of BS! Ryan got a pretty light sentence. He got millions of dollars in free legal help from Jim Thompson, and he was defiant throughout his trial, his appeals, and even as they placed him in a comfy minimum-security prison.
Why the change of heart after the November elections, Dick? This isnât 'compassion'. This is a cynical ploy by Durbin to do further damage to the GOP, especially in Illinois. By having Bush pardon Ryan, he is continuing the myth that the GOP is the only 'corrupt' party. That'll be used repeatedly during the 2010 and 2012 elections. In Illinois, that'd be the kiss of death for anyone wanting to take the Governor's office, or run for Obama's Senate seat.
It'll also hamstring Patrick Fitzgerald and his investigations into Illinois corruption. By making this where a US Attorney was 'politically persecuting' Dem politicians while a GOP crook got off scott free thanks to a Bush pardon, this will give Obama an excuse to fire him after January 20.
Ryan finally got caught after decades of getting away with bribery and political corruption. There are plenty of convicted criminals who are paying a far heavier price for lesser crimes, and at least some of them are sorry they did it. Not like George Ryan who continues to be defiant about his actions.