Clemency has not been a hallmark of George W. Bush’s political career, as governor of Texas or President of the War on Terror. But apparently the prospect of Dick Cheney’s former Chief of Staffspending 30 months in jail caused Junior to actualize his kinder, gentler side. As long as he is feeling soft on crime, I have three pardons the President should consider.

1. John McCain. No one has been more loyal recently–from the surge to immigration reform–or suffered more for it. With his campaign’s finances on the brink, Bush should consider unleashing his Rangers to help put the Straight Talk Express back on the fast track, especially now that the Roberts Court has torpedoed McCain’s campaign finance law (quelle irony).

2. Senate Republicans. They twist and turn and one-by-one break rank as they await Gen. David H. Petraeus’s report in September and their electoral fate next November. If not for his country then for the sake of hisparty, Bush should commute their sentence by re-declaring "mission accomplished" and bringing the troops home.

3. Himself. As W. reminded us repeatedly during his first debate with John Kerry being president is ""hard work." It is especially hard work when you put your Vice President in charge of all operational control and then have to account for his misdeeds. But no matter how wrong-tracked he will have left the nation after he leaves office, Jesus will still love him and this he knows, because the Bible tells him so.