Still waiting ... and waiting ... and waiting ... on the clemency front

President Obama is about to begin his third month in office still without having made any use (or any mention) of his clemency powers.  As I spotlighted in a post here a few weeks ago, P.S. Ruckman in this post has documented that the new guy "is already among the slowest presidents to tend to this constitutional duty."  As Ruckman has noted, the vast majority of Presidents have used their clemency power within their first month in office.

Disappointingly, President Obama is following the more recent trend of more recent presidents to wait a long time before getting serious about clemencies.  But, as I have said before and will keep on saying, the failure of modern presidents to use their clemency powers actively is especially troubling because the federal criminal justice system in now so much larger (and also so much harsher) than during any other period in American history. 

I am not holding my breath while hoping that President Obama will bring needed change to the modern presidential tendency to ignore clemency concerns.  But I will keep bringing up this issue periodically.  And I also will readily and repeatedly call out others for not calling out President Obama on this front.  As detailed in some prior posts linked below, many were quick to condemn former President Bush for failing to use his clemency power robustly.  These same voices can and should be raised to complain about President Obama's clemency record unless and until he starts doing better on this front.

Some related posts:

• Is it too early to start demanding President Obama use his clemency power?
• Historical evidence that it is NOT too early to start demanding clemencies from President Obama
• Washington Post urges Prez Obama to do better on clemency
• When will President Obama start acting like President Lincoln when it comes to the clemency power?
• Another public and potent call to reinvigorate the pardon power
• Inaugural rhetoric about freedom and liberty in prison nation
• Are the Border Agents the only federal offenders for whom President Bush feels compassion?
• "Compassionate Conservatism, My Ass"
• Few giving the President sentencing thanks
• The sad (unpardonable) state of compassion in the Bush Administration
• Latest FSR issue on "Learning from Libby"
• Taking stock of President George W. Bush's clemency record
• What might 2009 have in store for . . . executive clemency?