Presidential Pardons and The Fugees

At the end of every President's term of office, the top executive in the land exercises many unilateral executive powers, inlcuding granting pardons or commutations to Americans charged or convicted with crimes (a person charged with a crime can be pardoned, while a person already convicted of a crime gets his or her sentence commuted). While the pardon/commutation system is ripe for abuse of power (more on that in a minute), it is also a fine executive instrument in certain circumstances, like racist judges sentencing people of color to ridiculous sentences. That being said, the history of the presidency has seen many a controversial pardon. Some notables include: Roger Clinton Jr., George Steinbrenner, Robert E. Lee, Eugen Debs, Brigham Young, Marc Rich, Richard Nixon, and, most recently Mr. John (Grab the Microphone Sway This Way) Forte hisself.

From the Guardian:

Among the 14 pardons and two commutations released yesterday by the White House was John Forte, the Grammy award-winning hip-hop artist known for his collaborations with the Fugees. Forte had served about seven years of a 14-year sentence for transporting a suitcase filled with more than $1m worth of cocaine.

Forte had several powerful allies pressing the White House for a pardon, including Republican senator Orrin Hatch, who moonlights as a successful songwriter, and pop star Carly Simon, whose son was a classmate of Forte's at the elite prep school Philips Exeter. Bush and his father also both attended Exeter

This is just so wild. Where to even begin. Well, how about that John Forte is the man for traveling anywhere with a that much blow. I had forgotten about big John's run in with the law. I can only imagine the scene in Blow where he goes through customs while Black Betty by the Rolling Stones is blasting, except instead of J Depp, its J Forte. White guy 1, Person of Color 0.

Next up, Senator Orrin Hatch. The distinguished gentleman from Utah, graduate of BYU, repubs, and fierce enemy of organized labor...or should I say successful song writer Orrin Hatch. Check this dude out at Hatchmusic.com Dude's song, "Heal Our Land" was played to the crowd gathered on the National Mall for Bush's second inauguration.

Turns out that, now stay with me here, John Forte went to Exeter and is tight with Carly Simon, who's son also went to that preppiest of prep schools. Carly "Youre So Vain" Simon recorded one of Sen. Hatch's songs, "Are You Lonely Here With Me," and called in her favor to get Hatch to lean on Bush to pardon John Forte. Now that, ladies and gentleman, is American politics at its finest. At least this time a rapper actually got off.