The boldening (wait, that isn’t a word!) is my doing.

Is the blatantly misleading and probably inaccurate headline-change your doing also?

Clemens apparently lobbying Bush for a pardon

I sure hope that it's true, because I'm a connoisseur of Perfect Storms, and man, that motherf*ck*r would be a Katrina!.

Going through the article, I can't find any mention of Clemens actually seeking a presidential pardon.

There's no evidence whatsoever in this article that Clemens is actually seeking a pardon. Therefore your "re-editing" of the article's headline to reflect facts not in evidence is crazy dishonest. And I hate Clemens.

You blew it, Gamingboy. Big time.

I sure hope that it's true, because I'm a connoisseur of Perfect Storms, and man, that motherf*ck*r would be a Katrina!.

Nah, Bush should pardon Barry Bonds. That thread would be fun to see.

Nah, Bush should pardon Barry Bonds. That thread would be fun to see.

If you can find a way to involve religion in the same thread, then you've got a winner.

Okay, I blew it. I read between the lines too much.

Gamingboy, not entirely your fault. That's some sloppy writing, especially given that it's coming from the AP, which is notorious for stripping anything approaching provocative from its reporters' copy. (three good friends were/are AP reporters, I've been in newspapers for 15++ years).

Couple of things could have happened here. She needed hypothetical examples of people accused but not charged and may be seeking pardons. AG Gonzales' name has been kicked around for weeks in DC circles in that vein. And they threw Clemens in the mix, because he too is accused and not charged. But the problem is, he's not the same level of speculation and is a totally different kind of public figure. Usually that's sort of extraneous stuff AP edits out. Maybe whoever's on the Thanksgiving weekend edit desk had too much turkey.

Other possibility is the reporter had something stronger on Clemens, but botched the writing, or the editors backpedaled halfway (never a good thing). Both are a lot less likely, but why put his name in the mix at all? Someone must have whispered it to her as an example and that gave it life, right or wrong.

Oh, and minor quibble, but Katrina was only a Cat 4/3, and she missed to the south/west. If she really had been a perfect storm, we'd still be bailing water out of N'Awlins.

Boldening is a perfectly cromulent word

(someone had to say it)

The link does have a picture of Clemens. And the White House and DOJ don't issue the names of ANYBODY who has applied for a pardon until they get one.

Nah, Bush should pardon Barry Bonds

no, Barry Bonds should pardon Bush

no, Barry Bonds should pardon Bush

Actually, it should be Sammy Sosa pardons Bush.

former Attorney General Alberto Gonzales or star baseball pitcher Roger Clemens.

Throwing Clemens in with Gonzalez (or Libby) is a little much. Funny and all, but lacking perspective.

Gamingboy, not entirely your fault. That's some sloppy writing, especially given that it's coming from the AP, which is notorious for stripping anything approaching provocative from its reporters' copy.

Sorry, but this defense of Gamingboy doesn't fly. His headline was dishonest. "Clemens apparently lobbying Bush for a pardon," Gamingboy wrote. But there is nothing in the article whatsoever to suggest that Clemens is "apparently" doing that. Not even quotes from an anonymous source. Nothing.

There is no "sloppy writing." The AP reporter doesn't pretend that she is doing anything except speculating:

But with Bush's term ending Jan. 20, some lawyers are lobbying the White House directly to pardon their clients. That raises the possibility that the president could excuse scores of people, including some who have not been charged, to protect them from future accusations, such as former Attorney General Alberto Gonzales or star baseball pitcher Roger Clemens.

Other possibility is the reporter had something stronger on Clemens, but botched the writing, or the editors backpedaled halfway (never a good thing).

How would this excuse Gamingboy's headline, given that none of it is in the story?

Ray, over in another thread just a day or two ago, we had a story where a reporter wrote that Bonds test results could be released, despite the fact that the story actually said that they didn't know if there were any test results and that they wouldn't be released anyway. IOW, Gamingboy was just auditioning for a job as a reporter.

I sure hope that it's true, because I'm a connoisseur of Perfect Storms, and man, that motherf*ck*r would be a Katrina!.

Nah, Bush should pardon Barry Bonds. That thread would be fun to see.

And if I were president (gin & shudders for everyone, on the house) it'd be an even more interesting thread, because I'd pardon Bonds myself.

I predict that Clemens' chances of a pardon are better than those of John Walker Lindh.

What would happen if Obama would say that he'll pardon anyone convicted (or who will be convicted in the future) of merely possessing marijuana? The fallout would be absolutely amazing to see.

First Clemens, never having roided, and therefore, lied about it, don't need no stinkin pardon. And if ol Woopin for Brains ever implied that he did by issuing a pardon, well, ask mcnamee..