BEG YOUR PARDON

As the NY Times said, Biden “dishonored” his presidency in unconditionally pardoning his son Hunter. Contrary to his previous statements a lame- duck president who will never face the voters again chose a path perilous to the nation and an unnecessary gift to Trump who has already said he would free the January 6th insurrectionists.

Hunter Biden was pardoned for his  conviction by a jury in Delaware and a guilty plea in California. He was also pardoned for federal crimes "he committed or may have committed" between Jan. 1, 2014 through Dec. 1, 2024. That is quite a rap sheet; prison time is now fully off the table.

The decision to pardon had to be supremely agonizing for Biden; as a father, I can empathize. If my son or daughter were in serious trouble I have no doubt that I’d try to ameliorate any way I could. Maybe I too would cave.

Candor in political life has long been bleeding out, impaled on the horns of both parties; ethics in politics has always been wanting. From Trump’s three US Supreme Court appointees down to the many mediocre, if not totally nutty cabinet choices as well as most of the other top government officials he’s picked — we can see how low the limbo bar really is.

The presidential pardon, political damage aside, was a craven act, nothing less. Biden had said he would be a transitional president. His failure to step down when he should have — right after the 2022 elections — set a losing trajectory for Harris.

Biden is known for his gaffes. This lapse in judgment is the biggest stumble of his political life. It leaves an indelible stain on his legacy, a sad ending for his presidency, a broken promise to his supporters -- a plot line for a tragic opera.