| 00:00:00 |
HOST, -
AN ASSISTANT PROFESSOR AT AMERICAN UNIVERSITY AND IS HERE TO TALK ABOUT THE HISTORY OF PRESIDENTIAL PARDONS. HE IS THE AUTHOR OF "THE PRESIDENTIAL PARDON...
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| 00:00:22 |
GUEST, -
A PARDON IS OFFICIAL RECOGNITION THAT AN OFFENSE HAS BEEN FORGIVEN BY THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT. IT IS THE POWER OF THE PRESIDENT'S TO SAY -- PRESIDENT...
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| 00:01:24 |
HOST, -
TO GET THIS PROCESS STARTED, A PERSON HAVE TO APPLY FOR A PARDON. DO THEY GO DIRECTLY TO THE WHITE HOUSE OR THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT? GUEST:
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| 00:01:38 |
GUEST, -
TBOTH. THERE IS AN ATTORNEY WEBSITE AND AN APPLICATION THAT NEEDS TO BE FILLED OUT. USUALLY, YOU ARE NOT ELIGIBLE UNTIL FIVE YEARS HAVE PASSED. IF YOU'RE...
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| 00:02:36 |
HOST, -
ABOUT THE AUTHORITY OF PRESIDENTS TO GRANT PARDONS AND THE HISTORY OF THIS POWER AS IT HAS BEEN USED BY PAST PRESIDENT. OUR GUEST IS GEOFFREY GROUT,...
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| 00:03:22 |
GUEST, -
IS THE MOST COMPLETE FORM OF RELIEF THAT THE PRESIDENT CAN OFFER. IT DOES NOT ALLOW YOU TO EXPUNGE RECORDS OF YOUR CONVICTION, BUT IT IS A RECOGNITION...
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| 00:04:18 |
GUEST, -
SOME PEOPLE ARE TRYING TO REGAIN THEIR RIGHT TO VOTE, TO SERVE ON A JURY, AND, IN SOME CASES, EVEN TO OWN A HANDGUN. THERE WAS A CASE WHERE SOMEONE ...
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| 00:04:37 |
HOST, -
FOR PROFESSOR CROUCHE, AUTHOR OF "THE PRESIDENTIAL PARDON POWER," COMES FROM MARYLAND. YOU ARE ON THE "WASHINGTON JOURNAL." CALLER: GOOD
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| 00:04:53 |
CALLER, -
MORNING. MY QUESTION WAS IN REGARDS TO PASTAS PRESIDENTIAL PARDONS. I KNOW THERE WAS A BILL BEFORE CONGRESS -- IN REGARDS TO POSTHUMOUS PRESIDENTIAL...
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| 00:05:35 |
GUEST, -
GUEST: THAT IS AN INTERESTING QUESTION. YOU CITED THE RECENT POSTHUMOUS PARDONS BY GEORGE W. BUSH AND BILL CLINTON. AS FAR AS SCHOLARS ARE AWARE, THOSE...
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| 00:07:08 |
HOST, -
ONLINE FOR INDEPENDENTS. -- JEFF BONN OUR LINE FOR INDEPENDENTS. CALLER: MY QUESTION
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| 00:07:20 |
CALLER, -
IS ABOUT MILITARY COURT MARSHALS THAT RESULT IN DISHONORABLE DISCHARGES -- COURT MARTIALS THAT RESULT IN THIS HONORABLE DISCHARGES. COULD A PRESIDENTIAL...
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| 00:07:37 |
GUEST, -
UNDERSTANDING IS THAT IS A DIFFERENT PROCESS. IF YOU GO TO THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE, THERE IS A SEPARATE APPLICATION FOR MILITARY CLEMENCY. HOST:...
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| 00:07:47 |
HOST, -
WE WANT TO SHOW YOU. IT IS THE HISTORY OF PRESIDENTIAL PARDONS. IT TALKS ABOUT WHO WAS DOING THE MOST HEARTENING. AT THE TOP OF THE LIST, FRANKLIN...
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| 00:08:32 |
GUEST, -
CLEMENCY HAS DISAPPEARED FROM THE PRESIDENT'S REPERTOIRE IS UNUSUAL. PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA HAS PARDONED 22 FOLKS AND COMMITTED ONE SENTENCE IN HIS...
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| 00:09:51 |
HOST, -
HOST: YOU ARE ON THE "WASHINGTON JOURNAL" WITH JEFFREY CROUCH. CALLER: THEY ASKED
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| 00:09:58 |
CALLER, -
HIM, "HOW MANY PEOPLE IN THE GOVERNMENT ARE YOU PAYING OFF?" HE SAID, OVER 10-0. WHY AREN'T THOSE PEOPLE BEING SEPARATED OUT AND PUT IN JAIL? GUEST: I...
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| 00:10:21 |
GUEST, -
IS REFERRING TO JACK ABRAMOFF. HE IS TOUCHING ON AN IMPORTANT POINT. IF YOU CANNOT TRUST PEOPLE IN HIGH POSITIONS, OUT UNION HAVE A SYSTEM OF GOVERNMENT,...
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| 00:11:00 |
HOST, -
TWEET. TALK ABOUT SOME OF THE MILITARY PARDONS, THE MITCHELL PARDON, THE PARDONED BY PRESIDENT CARTER OF THE VIETNAM-ERROA DRAFT DODGERS. GUEST: THE MOST
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| 00:11:32 |
GUEST, -
IMPORTANT ERROR IS LESS VIETNAM ERA AND MORE CIVIL WAR --ER IMPORTANT ERA IS LESS VIETNAM ERA AND MORE VICIL CIVIL WAR ERA. IN TERMS OF MILITARY PARDON,...
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| 00:13:11 |
GUEST, -
30 YEARS AND LOOK AT THE MOST INFAMOUS PARDON OF ALL TIME, THE PARDON OF RICHARD NIXON BY GERALD FORD, THAT CERTAINLY HAD A POLITICAL ANGLE TO IT. A...
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| 00:14:52 |
CALLER, -
CALLER: GOOD MORNING. WOULD YOU PUT A PERCENTAGE ON THE POSSIBILITY OF A PERSON WITH NO MONEY, NO POLITICAL CONTACTS, WHO PUTS IN A LETTER AND MAILS...
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| 00:15:16 |
GUEST, -
THAT IS A GREAT QUESTION. YOUR ODDS ARE ABYSMAL. I THINK THE PERCENTAGE DURING THE BUSH YEARS WERE ALWAYS ABOUT 7%. IT IS A PROCESS THAT NEEDS SOME REFORM....
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| 00:15:32 |
HOST, -
IS JOHN IN ST. PETERSBURG, FLORIDA, ON OUR LINE FOR DEMOCRATS. CALLER: HOW
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| 00:15:40 |
CALLER, -
ARE YOU THIS MORNING? HAPPY HOLIDAYS TO YOU. I DO NOT KNOW WHETHER IT IS A QUESTION OR COMMENT. MANY OF US OUT HERE WERE INCREDIBLY MYSTIFIED THAT BILL...
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| 00:16:23 |
GUEST, -
OF FOLKS WHO POP UP AND HAVE A CONSTITUENCY THAT BACK THEM AND TRIES TO GET THE PRESIDENT'S EAR. TODAY, ALL OF THOSE FOLKS HAVE NOT RECEIVED CLEMENCY....
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| 00:16:42 |
HOST, -
FROM "THE WASHINGTON POST," FROM THEIR WEBSITE. DOES THIS DISPARITY SHOCKED ANYBODY BESIDES THE PEOPLE WHO ARE DOING THIS POLL -- SHOCK ANYBODY BESIDES...
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| 00:17:45 |
GUEST, -
GUEST: FIRST, LET ME SAY THEY ARE MAKING A VERY IMPORTANT CONTRIBUTION. THEY WENT ABOVE AND BEYOND IN TERMS OF TRACKING DOWN ADMINISTRATION OFFICIALS...
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| 00:18:40 |
HOST, -
IS DIFFICULT TO GET THE INFORMATION. ARE THESE PARDONS NOT A MATTER OF A PUBLIC RECORD? IS THERE A SPECIAL PROCESS? IS THERE A FREEDOM OF INFORMATION...
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| 00:18:55 |
GUEST, -
NOT LIKE TO RECEIVE -- RELEASE ANY INFORMATION ABOUT ANY ONE-DAY ARE CONSIDERING. A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO -- ABOUT ANYONE THEY ARE CONSIDERING. A COUPLE...
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| 00:19:29 |
HOST, -
HOST: YOU ARE ON THE "WASHINGTON JOURNAL" WITH AUTHOR JEFFREY CROUCH.
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| 00:19:36 |
CALLER, -
CALLER: GOOD MORNING. CLINTON PARDONED MARC RICH, WHICH WAS TERRIBLY PUZZLING, AND THEN HE PARDONED A GAGGLE OF CROOKED RABBIS. I WAS WONDERING IF HE...
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| 00:20:00 |
GUEST, -
IS AN INTERESTING POINT. WHY DID CLINTON PARDON WHO HE DID? HIS DECISION TO OFFER CONVENTIONAL CLEMENCY TO THE MEMBERS OF THE PUERTO RICO AND NATIONAL...
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| 00:21:06 |
HOST, -
CONDITIONS WAS THE ADMINISTRATION GOING TO PUT ON THIS CLEMENCY? GUEST: THEY WERE TOLD THEY
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| 00:21:13 |
GUEST, -
HAD TO REFRAIN FROM THE TIDES OF ADVOCACY THEY HAD BEEN INVOLVED IN IN THE PAST. HOST: OUR NEXT
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| 00:21:19 |
HOST, -
CALLER IS FROM JULIE ON AIRLINE FOR DEMOCRATS -- ON OUR LINE FOR DEMOCRATS. CALLER: THANK YOU FOR TAKING
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| 00:21:29 |
CALLER, -
MY CALL. I THINK YOU TOUCHED ON THE ISSUE. I HEARD SOMETHING ON NPR REGARDING THE ISSUE OF RACE, AS FAR AS THE APPLICATIONS FOR CLEMENCY AND PARDONS...
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| 00:22:31 |
GUEST, -
CALLER MAKES A COUPLE OF IMPORTANT POINTS. WHAT IS THE ROLE OF RACE? DO THE FOLKS MAKING THE DECISIONS HAVE ACCESS TO RACIAL DATA? I THINK EVIDENCE IS...
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| 00:23:35 |
HOST, -
THE AIR. GO AHEAD. CALLER: AND
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| 00:23:41 |
CALLER, -
PRESIDENT PARDONS SOMEONE CONVICTED -- CAN A PRESIDENT PARDON SOMEONE CONVICTED OF A NON-FEDERAL CRIME, OR IS THAT UP TO JUST GOVERNORS? GUEST:
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| 00:23:57 |
GUEST, -
GREAT QUESTION. PRESIDENT IS LIMITED TO PARDONING FEDERAL CRIMES ONLY. IF SOMEONE IS CONVICTED OF A STATE CRIME, THEY NEED TO GO TO THE JURISDICTION...
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| 00:24:51 |
HOST, -
TO SHOW OUR VIEWERS SOME OF HISTORICAL PRESIDENTIAL PARDONS OF NOTE. 1869, AND JOHNSON PARDONED AND THE DOCTOR WHO TREATED JOHN WILKES BOOTH -- ANDREW...
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| 00:26:06 |
GUEST, -
GUEST: STEINBERGER IS A UNIVERSALLY BELOVED FIGURE. HE WAS A BIG REPUBLICAN -- STEINBRENNER IS A UNIVERSALLY BELOVED FIGURE. HE WAS A BIG REPUBLICAN DONOR....
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| 00:26:30 |
HOST, -
THE BONES AND OUR LINE FOR -- HOST: BACK TO THE PHONES. GO AHEAD. CALLER: FROM THE
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| 00:26:47 |
CALLER, -
QUANTITATIVE STANDPOINT, HOW HAS THE PRESIDENT'S -- AFFECTED THEIR RANKING AMONG PRESIDENTS OVER TIME? I AM THINKING OF LINCOLN AND HIS PARDONING OF...
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| 00:27:16 |
GUEST, -
YOU FOR THE QUESTION. IT IS HARD TO SAY. THERE ARE ONLY A FEW BARGAINS THAT HAVE HELPED THE PRESIDENT'S STANDING. THE CIVIL WAR PARDONS' HELPED PRESIDENT...
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| 00:27:59 |
HOST, -
JIM, YOU ARE ON THE "WASHINGTON JOURNAL." CALLER: WHAT WERE THE
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| 00:28:05 |
CALLER, -
PARDONS THAT GEORGE WALKER BUSH GAVE TO HIS FATHER, GEORGE HERBERT BUSH, BEFORE HE LEFT OFFICE? GUEST: I AM NOT SURE THERE
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| 00:28:15 |
GUEST, -
WERE ANY PARDONS BETWEEN THEM. THE ONLY PARTY THAT HAS GONE TO A U.S. PRESIDENT WAS THE FORD PARDONED -- THE ONLY PARDON THAT HAS GONE TO U.S. PRESIDENT...
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| 00:28:34 |
HOST, -
AHEAD. I THINK WE LOST JOHN. LET'S GO TO OUR LINE FOR INDEPENDENTS. CALLER: I WOULD
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| 00:28:46 |
CALLER, -
LIKE TO MAKE A COMMENT. I JUST WONDER WHO OBAMA IS GOING TO PARDON. ALSO JUST LIKE TO MAKE A COMMENT -- WHERE IS THE COUNTRY HAD TOEADED TO? HOST: HOW...
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| 00:29:06 |
HOST, -
OF THE PUBLIC FIND OUT ABOUT SOMEONE BEING CONSIDERED FOR PARDON? GUEST: WE
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| 00:29:13 |
GUEST, -
REALLY HAVE NO WAY OF KNOWING. THERE ARE PROBABLY SEVERAL HUNDRED APPLICATIONS PENDING. WHEN THE PRESIDENT IS READY TO ISSUE SOME PARDONS, THERE WILL...
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| 00:29:35 |
HOST, -
AHEAD. CALLER: MR. CROUCHER,
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| 00:29:38 |
CALLER, -
YOU DROPPED HINTS OF WHAT YOUR RESEARCH -- THE CONCLUSIONS OF YOUR RESEARCH. HOW ABOUT STEPPING BACK JUST A BIT MORE AND TAKING A MACRO VIEW INSTEAD...
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| 00:30:04 |
GUEST, -
GREAT POINT. CONTEXT MATTERS A LOT. WHEN YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT A PRESIDENT WHO MADE DOZENS OF DECISIONS, WHAT ARE THE ONES THAT PEOPLE TALK ABOUT? WHAT...
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| 00:30:42 |
HOST, -
HOST: DURING THE CLINTON ADMINISTRATION, THERE WAS A PART OF A GENTLEMAN WHO HAD BEEN IN THE NAVY -- AN AFRICAN-AMERICAN GENTLEMAN WHO HAD BEEN IN THE...
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| 00:30:56 |
GUEST, -
FAMILIAR WITH A COUPLE OF PARDONED THAT PRESIDENT CLINTON MADE TO ADDRESS PAST INCIDENTS OF RACISM. ONE OF THE THINGS HE TRIED TO DO WITH CLUMSY PAR WAS...
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| 00:31:46 |
HOST, -
I WAS REFERRING TO. WHAT WAS THE OFFENSE THAT -- HAD BEEN CONVICTED OF? GUEST: THAT IS A GOOD
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| 00:31:55 |
GUEST, -
QUESTION. I DO NOT REMEMBER EXACTLY. I THINK IT HAD TO DO WITH STEALING MONEY. IT WAS CONCOCTED BY PEOPLE DID NOT LIKE HIM. THERE WAS A RECENT CASE...
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| 00:32:34 |
HOST, -
YOUR QUESTION OR COMMENT FOR JEFFREY CROUCH? CALLER: MY QUESTION IS ABOUT
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| 00:32:43 |
CALLER, -
THE BORDER PATROL AGENT THAT WAS PARDONED. I WAS WONDERING IF YOU COULD GIVE US A LITTLE MORE INFORMATION ON THAT, THE ONE THAT WAS PARDONED BY GEORGE...
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| 00:33:15 |
GUEST, -
IS A GREAT POINT. I SAY THAT THIS WAS ONE OF THOSE PARDONED THAT HAD BEEN PERCOLATING BELOW -- I THINK THAT THIS WAS ONE OF THOSE PARDONS THAT HAD BEEN...
|
| 00:33:56 |
HOST, -
MENTIONED THE SIX COMMUTATIONS DURING THE IRAN- CONTRA INVESTIGATION. IS THERE ANYTHING THAT DEALS WITH THE APPEARANCE OF A CONFLICT OF INTEREST? YOU...
|
| 00:34:28 |
GUEST, -
PROCESS -- THERE IS NO PROCESS. THIS POWER IS VIRTUALLY UNLIMITED. CAN CONGRESS MAKE NOISE IF IT DISAGREES? CAN IT HOLD HEARINGS? CAN IT HAVE INITIATIVES?...
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| 00:35:08 |
HOST, -
ON OUR LINE FOR INDEPENDENTS -- KEVIN ON OUR LINE FOR INDEPENDENTS. CALLER: HELLO AND GOD
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| 00:35:17 |
CALLER, -
BLESS. I HAVE -- I AM CONFUSED, IN A SENSE, WHERE -- OK. YOU HAVE ONE PRESIDENT PARDONING ANOTHER PRESIDENT, FORD PARDONED NIXON WHEN HE WAS ABSOLUTELY...
|
| 00:35:54 |
HOST, -
AM SORRY TO HAVE CUT HIM OFF. THE TREASON QUESTION?
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| 00:36:00 |
GUEST, -
GUEST: THAT IS A REALLY INTERESTING POINT. ONE WOULD THINK, IF THEY WERE GOING TO LIMIT THE PARDON POWER IN ANY WAY, IT WOULD BE LIMITED IN REGARD TO...
|
| 00:36:27 |
HOST, -
FEDERALIST PAPERS, NUMBER 74, ALEXANDER HAMILTON WROTE ABOUT THE PROCESS. ALSO, ON TOP OF THAT, THIS TWEET FROM MATT SMITH. HE WRITES -- GUEST: THAT IS...
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| 00:36:59 |
GUEST, -
WHY THE PARDON POWER WAS INCLUDED IN THE CONSTITUTION. IT IS A SYSTEM OF CHECKS AND BALANCES. THIS IS ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT CHECKS THAT THE PRESIDENT...
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| 00:37:13 |
HOST, -
NEXT CALL FOR JEFFREY CROUCH COMES FROM QUEENS, NEW YORK. YOU ARE ON "WASHINGTON JOURNAL." CALLER: HAPPY CHRISTMAS
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| 00:37:25 |
CALLER, -
TO ALL AMERICA. HELLO? HOST: YOUR QUESTION
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| 00:37:33 |
HOST, -
OR COMMENT? CALLER: IN THE SPIRIT
|
| 00:37:36 |
CALLER, -
OF CHRISTMAS, A REALISTIC QUESTION -- [UNINTELLIGIBLE] IS THIS PARDON [UNINTELLIGIBLE] GUEST: I THINK THE
|
| 00:37:56 |
GUEST, -
CALLER WAS TALKING ABOUT THE CHRISTMAS SEASON. IF YOU LOOK BACK OVER THE LAST FOUR DECADES, THIS IS A TIME WHEN ROUGHLY HALF OF CLEMENCY DECISIONS ARE...
|
| 00:38:22 |
HOST, -
THE COMMUTATIONS COME AT THE END OF THE PRESIDENT'S TENURE? GUEST:
|
| 00:38:27 |
GUEST, -
THE MORE CONTROVERSIAL ONES. GENERALLY SPEAKING, THEY ARE SPREAD OUT THROUGH A PRESIDENT'S TERM. HOST: WE HAVE
|
| 00:38:36 |
HOST, -
BEEN SPEAKING WITH JEFFREY CROUCH, AUTHOR OF "THE PRESIDENTIAL PARDON POWER." THANK YOU FOR BEING ON THE "WASHINGTON JOURNAL." TOMORROW, WE WILL BE...
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NOTE: The transcript for this program was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.