If the president can forgive any crime, can he forgive his own?

[StageLeft]

I believe that the president can wipe away any crimes, right? If this is the case, and based on something in another thread, can a VP in theory assinate the president, which then makes him immediately president, and then forgive himself?

If so, imagine if McCain actually won!

 

[retrospooty]

He can do it only on new years day, and must cross the international dateline afterward making it yesterday... Hypothetically speaking =)

 

[Craig234]

Originally posted by: Skoorb
I believe that the president can wipe away any crimes, right? If this is the case, and based on something in another thread, can a VP in theory assinate the president, which then makes him immediately president, and then forgive himself?

If so, imagine if McCain actually won!

The one person the president cannot pardon is himself. As for your scenario, pardoning has no effect on the impeachment process.

 

[StageLeft]

Originally posted by: Craig234

Originally posted by: Skoorb
I believe that the president can wipe away any crimes, right? If this is the case, and based on something in another thread, can a VP in theory assinate the president, which then makes him immediately president, and then forgive himself?

If so, imagine if McCain actually won!

The one person the president cannot pardon is himself. As for your scenario, pardoning has no effect on the impeachment process.

It would if you had the funds to hire a band of murderers to threaten those impeaching you and pardon those murderers, wouldn't it? Also, what's to prevent the VP from hiring somebody to do something to get him into office and then he goes on a pardon spree immediately?

Lastly, if the president briefly is ill and the VP takes his spot, can the VP acting with the powers of office pardon right there and then?

 

[Craig234]

Originally posted by: Skoorb

Originally posted by: Craig234

Originally posted by: Skoorb
I believe that the president can wipe away any crimes, right? If this is the case, and based on something in another thread, can a VP in theory assinate the president, which then makes him immediately president, and then forgive himself?

If so, imagine if McCain actually won!

The one person the president cannot pardon is himself. As for your scenario, pardoning has no effect on the impeachment process.

It would if you had the funds to hire a band of murderers to threaten those impeaching you and pardon those murderers, wouldn't it? Also, what's to prevent the VP from hiring somebody to do something to get him into office and then he goes on a pardon spree immediately?

Lastly, if the president briefly is ill and the VP takes his spot, can the VP acting with the powers of office pardon right there and then?

On the day our nation spends a trillion dollars for its Wall Street masters, you want to discuss the VP hiring and pardoning hit men. OK then, thank you Dick Cheney for your effect on the political culture. In your scenario, if the truth were uncovered, there would still be nothing protecting the VP from impeachment, removal, and criminal prosecution.

 

[jonks]

He can only pardon federal crimes, so he cannot pardon "any person."

 

[CallMeJoe]

Originally posted by: Skoorb
It would if you had the funds to hire a band of murderers to threaten those impeaching you and pardon those murderers, wouldn't it? Also, what's to prevent the VP from hiring somebody to do something to get him into office and then he goes on a pardon spree immediately?
Lastly, if the president briefly is ill and the VP takes his spot, can the VP acting with the powers of office pardon right there and then?

Hiring someone to commit a crime is also a crime; in some cases it's the same as committing the crime yourself.
An acting president has pardon powers.

 

[imported_apocalypse]

Didn't something like this happen in 24, where the president had a former president assassinated ? And they had the president arrested, lol.

 

[Suspicious-Teach8788]

Originally posted by: CallMeJoe

Originally posted by: Skoorb
It would if you had the funds to hire a band of murderers to threaten those impeaching you and pardon those murderers, wouldn't it? Also, what's to prevent the VP from hiring somebody to do something to get him into office and then he goes on a pardon spree immediately?
Lastly, if the president briefly is ill and the VP takes his spot, can the VP acting with the powers of office pardon right there and then?

Hiring someone to commit a crime is also a crime; in some cases it's the same as committing the crime yourself.
An acting president has pardon powers.

So line the world up with a bunch of criminals. You the POTUS gets many hitmen to support your crap. They threaten people so that you can keep doing what you want. When you get somehow thrown out of office, your VP succeeds and then pardons you. Line your VP up to do the shady things you did, and if that fails and he gets thrown out then your speaker of the house comes in to save ass. Basically, you start the spiral downwards, and once you run out of people who will work your game, the person who got thrown out before won't get that pardon, and you are still sitting happy.