One of the President’s greatest powers is that of pardons and commutations.
In his final days in office, Obama is exercising that power like never before.
And it’s leading to some head-scratching decisions.
With just days left in office, Obama commuted the sentence of Bradley Manning.
Manning was convicted under the Espionage Act for leaking 700,000 classified and secret documents to WikiLeaks.
Included in the dump were videos of U.S. airstrikes and hundreds of thousands of documents and cables about the war in Iraq.
When Manning stood trial, many argued his leak had put lives at risk.
He was convicted and sentenced to 35 years in prison.
During his time in prison, he became a transsexual and “transitioned” into being a woman.
Obama commuted his sentence after he served just seven years.
Many were outraged at the decision, believing Bradley Manning was a traitor.
No American who's ever taken a secrecy oath can look kindly on a narcissist traitor like Manning or Obama's inexplicable coddling of that.
— John Schindler (@20committee) January 18, 2017
Other critics note the irony that the Obama administration has just spent the last two months arguing that WikiLeaks is a front organization for the Russian government to destabilize Western democracies, and had colluded with Russian-backed hackers to cost Hillary Clinton the election.
If that is the case – and since the Obama administration has been arguing for an increasingly hawkish response towards Russia – then why would Obama reward a Kremlin-backed organization’s leaker?
Still, others were outraged Manning was given a commutation while Obama still refuses to pardon Edward Snowden.
Snowden was the former National Security Agency contractor who exposed Obama’s illegal scheme to spy on every American by intercepting all phone and electronic communications.
Snowden has been living in Russia ever since 2013.
And the Obama administration uses this as evidence Snowden was working with our enemies to harm American interests.
But Snowden argues it was the government who stranded him in Russia to make him look like a traitor.
Snowden pointed out he had a flight booked out of Moscow when the U.S. government revoked his passport, thereby leaving him unable to leave Moscow.
Millions of Americans view Snowden as a hero who exposed illegal U.S. government conduct.
Obama’s Press Secretary Josh Earnest was asked about why Manning’s sentence was commuted and Snowden was left in legal limbo.
He responded that Manning had expressed remorse for his crime and went through the military justice process, whereas Snowden fled to an “adversary”.
McClatchy reports:
“White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest noted recently the “stark differences” between Manning and Snowden, whose supporters who have been pushing for clemency.
“Chelsea Manning is somebody who went through the military criminal justice process, was exposed to due process, was found guilty, was sentenced for her crimes, and she acknowledged wrongdoing,” Earnest said. “Mr. Snowden fled into the arms of an adversary, and has sought refuge in a country that most recently made a concerted effort to undermine confidence in our democracy.”
“So I think the situation of these two individuals is quite different. I can’t speculate at this point about to what degree that will have an impact on the President’s consideration of clemency requests. But I know that there’s a temptation because the crimes were relatively similar to lump the two cases together. But there are some important differences, including the scale of the crimes that were committed and the consequences of their crimes.”
Earnest said the “disclosures by Edward Snowden were far more serious and far more dangerous” than those of Manning.”
When Earnest said Snowden’s crimes were more serious, many took that to mean it was because Snowden had exposed Obama’s illegal activity, whereas Manning leaked documents which damaged the Bush administration since they pertained to the Iraq War.
Others continued to question that if Russia was in fact behind WikiLeaks, and if they truly are an adversary, why would Obama commute Manning’s sentence?
Some argued it was because Bradley Manning now claims he is a woman and has become a transsexual.
CNN’s Jeff Zeleny speculated that was exactly the reason why.
Mediaite reports:
“Following the news, CNN gathered a panel to discuss and senior Washington correspondent Jeff Zeleny wondered if Manning’s status as a transsexual woman who is in the middle of transitioning had an impact on Obama’s decision.
“I think the question this president — the White House — will have to answer here, and I think it’s an important one,” Zeleny stated. “How much was the personal story of Chelsea Manning involved in this?”
Explaining that there was outcry from the left on her situation and that Manning was having a tough time in prison, Zeleny asked if the “outcome would be the same” if that wasn’t in play.
“Without that, it’s hard to imagine, I think, this president would have done that, he added.”
Is it January 20, 2017, yet?
Be patient. Only a few more hours left, and it’s getting closer each millisecond.
He will give every body that has ever done a wicked thing against America freedom before it is up!
Manning’s statement of “remorse” for his “‘crime” was a plea for mercy after months of deliberate, malicious, psychological stress put on him by unethical and immoral monsters that were running the government and military at that time. They took an already mentally unstable young man and did their best to turn him inside out. Well, they did a good job of that. Our government excels at psych torture.
As for Manning taking his punishment while Snowden ran away. What a horrible mischaracterization. Manning was in a military unit overseas with nowhere to go. Snowden was a freelance contractor able to go anywhere until the U.S. government revoked his passport stranding him in Russia.
Both were whistleblowers who should have been protected. And I guarantee that if either had gone through normal channels to make a report; it would have been covered up, and they probably would have been subjected to punishment worse than what they’ve gotten so far.
You have obviously never been in the military in any capacity. No such thing as a “military whistleblower”.
Why do we have to allow unlimited pardons and commutations from ANY President? Is there no way to curb or eliminate this Presidential exercise? Given that all these criminals have gone through the judicial system and been sentenced according to what justice demands, they should serve out their sentences and those sentences should not be subject to arbitrary whims of any one man! Obviously, such power allows for misuse, as can be seen during the terms of bill Clinton and Barrack Obama in particular! This is not to say that other Presidents have not misused the pardon/commutation privilege, it’s just that B.O.’s recent splurge of this power brings up the past and I remember thinking about what seemed to be pay for privilege during the Clinton years, and now what seems to be injustice during the final weeks of the Obama fiasco!
All Governors have the same power for state law violators. The President has that plus federal law violators. If we take that from the President, can we leave the Governors alone?
If all legal channels have been exhausted (and there are many steps in the process) no one man should have the power to override the system be he President or Governor!
Actually, yes we can, because states, by virtue of the constitution and the founding of this country have sovereignty, and enjoy more powers than the enumerated ones given to the federal government.
I, too, would like to know why unlimited pardons and commutations from any President. Sentences already rendered by the governing parties be put aside by a President.
That makes two traitors into two peas in a pot.
Many if us have been flatly stating since 2007 that he had ABSOLUTELY NO LOYALTY foir the United States. To all those now realizing that he has none, welcome aboard. It would have helped if you had started thinking for yourselves early enough to help.
Damn, never seen a bunch of paranoid people! Don’t worry your savior in chief will save you…..
Why do they suddenly feel shocked ? His behavior even a moron could pick up on He’s stood beside and given millions of our dollars to those who call for the death of us !He has brought the worlds worst terrorist (Syrians) and placed them among us to kill us ! Invaded us with millions of illegals ! Wow ! what’s there to be shocked about letting a traitor who put all our lives in danger out of jail ! Wow ! Wow !
I have said from the beginning BHO is a Muslim, anti American , son of a bitch. I will never forgive the imbeciles that put this crepe into power and kept him there. It is beyond anything I ever could have imagined in the America i grew up in, served and loved!!
We are a nation of two kinds of Americans those that bully and those who set back ! Democrats have been on the attack for years . And Republicans behave like scared little cats ! They have lied so much we are not one America but two !Obama is responsible for the division of our people ! And the communists have taken over the deranged ,diluted ,misguided and the dumb down ! These people believe they can bully us into submission and are so ignorant of the world they live in and this is why Obama appealed to them ! What surprises me is how easy they can protest for illegals who rape and kill our people ! You are right this is not the America we grew up in !
That boggles the mind does it not? There will be nothing done to the HNIC muslim!!!!!
There is so much that calls for charges to be filed against obama. File them, give him his day in court. But pull his passport and travel capabilities for sure. We have had treason afoot. Provable on hundreds of counts. obama is not a NATIONAL TREASURE. HE IS A NATIONAL DISGRACE.~
Trump, do not turn your back on Obama, Clinton’s, liberal press, or the DNC…….. Secret is wait for the smell and you’ll know they are lurking….
Oh please, when was obama ever a loyal American. That is an oxymoron.
I still remember the Marc Rich pardon and the wife’s gift to the Clinton Foundation that had nothing to do with the decision to pardon the creep!!!
His only loyalty is to his socialist agenda.
would you expect anything less from this a hole traitor commie muslim p***k
Obama never had loyalty toward America; his loyalty is with the radical Muslims.
The “traitors” to America are all of the ones that commit war without responding to direct attack on the US Mainland including the soldiers that unthinkingly “serve” at the POTUS’s pleasure instead of refusing unlawful “orders”. Manning’s actions nor Snowden’s were treason in any sense. oBOMBer’s, on the other hand (Bush, Bush, Klinton, Carter, LBJ, Nixon, Truman, FDR, ………) ARE treason for which I would opine for death by hanging a la Il Duce and his wife.
. Those responding here calling for foreign wars are committing evil for which God will hold accountable at Judgement. Poor you, I say.
MANNING WAS TREATED BETTER THAN SNOWDEN BECAUSE MANNING IS A MENTALLY ILL TRANNIE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
AND OBAMA IS A CLOSET HOMO/CHILD MOLESTER, WHO HAS A CROSS DRESSING MAN FOR A “WIFE”!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
This is the ACTUAL WAY SPOILED ROTTEN OBAMA HAS ALWAYS THOUGHT/BEHAVED, THROUGHOUT HIS LIFE!!!!!!
Where is his other daughter? We only see one lately.
In the past … throughout our country’s history, presidents used restraint in use of the considerable powers granted them. They contemplated long and hard before making decisions and using their “superpowers” (in millenial-speak). But Obutthead in particular (but starting slowly with Jimmy Carter) has totally thrown the wise precedents set by the example of all past presidents into the toilet. His bad-mouthing of the in-coming president, pardoning of HUGE numbers of outright dangerous, this pardon, the eleventh-hour appointments of every position he can as well as last-minute writing of thousands of new presidential mandates and implementation of thousands more bureaucratic mandates, and his grabbing of tens of thousands of acres of land from the states via last-minute misuse of his power to declare national “treasures” and other technical abuses.
I do know that some of these things cannot really be reversed (ie: pardons and releases of criminals into the populace at large), and much of it takes a lot longer to reverse than his thoughtless tantrum-motivated actions took to do their damage. But it should ALL be attempted to be undone as best as the new administration can, with our help in backing it up and putting severe pressure on any of our representatives and senators who try to obstruct.
Obama’s actions have desecrated the peoples’ dignified office of President, and he should be run out of the country on a rail or with a post up his butt, like Ambassador Stephens … the guy who made the fatal mistake of thinking BO and HC had his back. A lot of dumb people have made that same mistake, and it should be stopped for good.
Obuma is a traitor, plain and simple! His outrageous acts during his tenure, proves it! Well boys and girls, he isn’t the President any longer, time to bring the hammer down!
Well, lessons should be learned from this despicable Obuma administration. Lessons we should never forget. I think it is clear we must limit the Presidents powers after we clean the swamp and use every vehicle to do it. We must condemn and pursue the anarchists that have stole our money…like the $500 million Obuma just gave away to his globalist cronies. And Russia just delivered 130 tons of uranium to Iran…probably came from the uranium mines, which were once ours! Given over by Hellery “Rotton” Clinton.
Gimme a break. Snowden won’t be pardoned bc he threatened obama’s legacy. Manning was bc he’s “transitioning,” and the gay agenda is part of obama’s legacy.
OBAMA IS ALL ABOUT OBAMA. He doesn’t care what hurts or threatens us as individuals or as a country.
This man’s gavel should be burned, his pens should be taken and he should be locked away until after Friday 20 Jan 2017. He should not be allowed to do another thing and that includes open his big lying mouth. This is the most asinine thing he has done yet. This was for a price, someone is paying him for this. He thinks once he is no longer president he can’t be touched, but treason is treason and he can still be prosecuted, if anyone has the guts. If Trump does nothing else, he needs to go after all these crooks from the top down.
Do You Folks Really Seem Surprised At This??? “HE HAS BEEN A WORSE TRAITOR TO THE U.S.A. SINCE THE ROSENBURGS & BENEDICT ARNOLD”!!! WE ALL KNOW WHAT HAPPENED TO THEM!!!
Jim
The pardoning power of the President is designed to allow reversal of unreasonable sentences or sentences later determined to be unjust. It has come to be, and certainly was under Bill Clinton, a way to set free donors and family members after Bill was out from under the will of the voters. Obama seems to be doing the same type corrupt practice. Maybe the law should be changed to discontinue pardons, commutations, and administrative appointments subsequent to one month before elections.
When do we get rid of that piece of crap Josh Ernest ,another worthless jerk with his head up Obama’s A — !
Two Presidents have served unconstitutionally:
Chester Arthur – 1881-1885 – While Arthur himself was “native” born on American soil, he neglected to mention that his natural birth father was not an American citizen at the time of Chester’s birth. Arthur was elected as Vice President and almost immediately became President when Garfield passed away shortly after being elected President. It was not learned that Arthur was not a natural born citizen until after he left office.
Barack Hussein Obama II – 2009 – 2016 Obama is the second individual to serve as President in violation of the US Constitution. Obama did not conceal the fact that he was not a natural born citizen, claiming throughout his life to be the natural born biological son of a foreign father from Kenya. His father was at no time in his life, a citizen of the united states. Obama has stated this repeatedly.Based in natural law, the laws of nature and the laws of nature and the Law of Nations treaty, only the biological father can confer natural born citizenship rights. Without a U.S. citizen father at the time of birth, the son (or daughter) cannot be a natural born citizen in the united states.
Without being a natural born citizen of the united states, you cannot serve as President or Vice President, according to the Constitution.
Hell he let Hillary off too.He would pardon any enemy of the United States because he hates this country.
Fact of the matter is, both Manning and Snowden are whistleblowers. Fact is, neither of them had a safe, foolproof means of reporting illegal activities they saw in the course of their work.
The Army IG wasn’t trustworthy in Manning’s case, nor was his chain of command, he probably couldn’t get a letter with proof through to a Congress person’s office without being intercepted, and even the big news organizations in the U.S. turned him down; leaving WikiLeaks as his best option. Manning is mentally ill, has been most of his life, and the Army was dumb enough to take him anyway, and criminally negligent to put him in contact with top classified material in the first place. The commanders of the unit he was with deserves to be in prison with him for gross incompetence.
Snowden didn’t even have the UCMJ as an excuse for protection. He was old enough and smart enough to realize he was sitting on a powder keg. The U.S. government had already demonstrated that they would never give a fair shake to a whistleblower, so he jumped over them to go directly to the people.
Yes, both of them suffer from narcissistic tendencies, but neither of them to the extent of any of our politicians; who by the way, leak with impunity and self-enrichment in mind at all times. At least Manning and Snowden did it out of a sense of patriotism.
Perverts of a feather, stick together!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Just ask Cross dresser Michael/Michele!!!!!!!!
There should never been anyone questioning his Loyalty to the US! The Obama’s hate the US and everything it stands for. If Hillary had been elected, she would have continued the destruction of America!
Now I see information stating that the Clinton Crime Family may be trying for a Come Back Tour! I hope not!
Why can’t these people just crawl off someplace and DIE! Once all these DISLOYAL Criminals are gone, America will be a better place!
I don’t understand that every time I go to this site to read/hear the article I only see the picture. I have no idea of Obama’s latest whatever??!!??!
It’s spelled Bradley, barry. His God given name. Maybe you did not get the memo.