Presidential Pardons

* I strongly disagree with “Many a U.S. President Pays the Pardon Piper” (Commentary, March 6), in which it’s argued that while it was wrong for Bill Clinton to sell pardons, we shouldn’t criticize him because the Republicans did it too. The fact that others have done wrong things should not excuse current wrongdoers. Not only should Clinton be severely criticized, but The Times should urge him to make sure that the DNC and his library return the donations from donors who contributed in hopes of buying favors. Only by taking the profit out of misdeeds can we hope to keep them from happening in the future.

MIKE FOSSIER

Newport Beach

*

* Robert Scheer is one of the very few journalists to put the matter of Clinton’s pardons in proper perspective. If Clinton’s pardons were questionable and represented an abuse of power, they cannot hold a candle to those of George Bush. Clinton at least pardoned out of perhaps misguided compassion and/or out of personal appreciation for support to himself and his party. Bush pardoned the Iran-Contra bunch to save his own skin in an investigation of a matter of national importance.

Why, when many others sin more egregiously than Clinton, are their transgressions lightly passed over and soon forgotten, whereas when Clinton errs in any way it becomes a major moral outrage and a cause for congressional investigation, special prosecutors, media frenzy and calls for impeachment?

LOUISE D. LILLARD

Los Angeles