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"Pardon people, too, Mr. President"

By Douglas A. Berman

The title of this post is a fitting headline for this potent op-ed by Margaret Colgate Love in today's Washington Post.  It is styled as an open letter to President Obama, and here are excerpts: Dear Mr. President, Media reports suggest that you will soon be engaging again in the ritual pardoning of a turkey.... If past is prologue, a substantial chunk of the news cycle, and your staff's time, will be devoted to this event. Presidential turkey-pardoning is of relatively recent provenance.  Until 1989, presidents were more inclined to make a meal of the annual gift from the National Turkey Federation and the Poultry and Egg National Board.  President George H.W. Bush inaugurated the practice of "pardoning" the turkey, and the tradition has been institutionalized along with the Annual Easter Egg Roll...continue to full post

Full post as published by Sentencing Law and Policy on November 12, 2010 (boomark / email).