Unlike Pres. Clinton, or perhaps because of the controversy around Clinton’s final pardons, Pres. Bush left office yesterday with only exercising his pardoning powers in one case.  And in that case he did not fully pardon but chose only to commute the sentences of two former Border Patrol agents (see story here).

There had been speculation and some concern that Pres. Bush would use his pardoning powers in a wide variety of cases, specifically those involving his political allies (Scooter Libby, for example) and administration and military and CIA interrogators.  There was and remains considerable controversy around the two Border Patrol agents and whether their sentences should have been commuted, but Bush must be given credit for leaving office with making only sparing use of his pardon powers.

Update 2/17/09: According to this article in the NY Daily News by Thomas DeFrank, Pres. Bush rejected VP Cheney’s repeated urgings to pardon Scooter Libby in the closing days of the Bush administration. As you may remember, Bush commuted Libby’s 30-month prison sentence but his fine of $250,000 and his conviction as a felon (thus disbarring him for law practice and voting) remains. Bush said he “respected the jury’s verdict.”  Something  VP Cheney can’t seem to understand.