War crimes, schmar crimes

James Ross of Human Rights Watch has a real saddening piece in Salon, pointing out that Bush could pre-emptively pardon everyone in his administration for future prosecution under US law for having ordered the use of torture.

Constitutionally, neither Congress nor the courts can prevent President Bush from signing such a pardon. It would, however, be the first preemptive pardon in U.S. history for war crimes. And because of his own possible criminal role in approving the torture program, Bush effectively would be granting a self-pardon -- something Nixon seriously considered but no president has ever done.