Wanted: The Gerald Ford Amendment

2 November 2005

Mark Kleiman and the Anonymous Liberal are asking Democrats to insist on a no-pardons pledge from President Bush. They don’t go far enough. What, after all, is a pledge from this President worth?

We need some spiny jellyfish to introduce a constitutional amendment, something like this:

Section 1

The President may not grant any pardon until the offender to be pardoned has been sentenced by a court of law for the particular offense to be pardoned.

Section 2

The President may not, without the consent of the Congress, grant any pardon for a crime committed while the offender, a co-conspirator of the offender, or an accessory of the offender was an employee or officer of the executive branch.

Section 3

The Congress shall have the power to enforce, by appropriate legislation, the provisions of this article.

Section 4

This article shall take effect immediately upon its ratification.

Let the Republicans try to explain to their constituents why passing this amendment would not be in the best interests of the country. Please.

• Later: A song that could have been written for Judge Alito
• Earlier: Frontiers of food technology