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Story: President
Bush Cancels Libby's Jail Term, 07/09/07
Reading Comprehension Questions: 1. What did President Bush do this week in regards to I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby? What did the president say?
2. What was Libby's full sentence?
3. What was Mr. Libby guilty of doing?
4. What is a presidential pardon? What is the difference between a commutation and a pardon?
5. Is President Bush expected to pardon Libby in the future?
6. What has been the reaction to the commutation?
7. What are some other controversial pardons in U.S. history?
Discussion Activity (more research might be needed): 1. What do you think? Did President Bush do the right thing when he commuted the sentence of Mr. Libby? Should the president grant Mr. Libby a full pardon in the future? Why or why not? 2. Why do you think the founding fathers provided the president with this right to pardon when creating the U.S. system of government during the Constitutional Convention of 1789? Who originally disagreed with this power? Why did they disagree? What did they fear? 3. Research other famous pardons or commutations from U.S. history. Choose one and explain what happened, including reaction from the public and politicians. What impact did the pardon have on the president who gave it? Write a 300-500 word essay on any of these topics providing clear examples. Send your completed editorial to NewsHour Extra (extra@newshour.org). Exceptional essays might be published on our Web site. |