…or just another mean little coward like George W. Bush, who won’t run the political risk of pardoning a felon unless his name is Libby? You decide:
Privately, Romney also had decided to issue no pardons or commutations as governor. Romney spokesman Eric Fehrnstrom said Romney didn't want to overturn the decision of juries.
One of those denied a pardon was Anthony Circosta, a decorated Iraq war veteran who pleaded guilty at 13 to shooting another boy in the arm with a BB gun. Circosta, who needs a gun license to become a police officer, was twice recommended for a pardon by the state Board of Pardons. He was twice denied one by Romney.
And here’s a longer look at Lieutenant Circona. As you read, remember that Mitt served his country during the Vietnam War as a Mormon missionary in Paris.
Circosta, at 13, shot another boy in the arm with a BB gun. He didn’t even break skin. For that, Circosta was convicted of assault. Since the conviction, Circosta has worked his way through college, then joined the Army National Guard and has become a decorated Iraq war veteran, leading a platoon of 20 through the Sunni triangle. Romney refused the request for Circosta’s pardon twice, even against the suggestion of the state’s Board of Pardons.
Circosta, now 29, dreams of becoming a police officer, a dream that cannot be realized without the pardon. Circosta says, “I’ve done everything I can to give back to my state and my community and my country and to get brushed aside is very frustrating...I’m not some shlub off the street.”
Fortunately for Circosta, Romney is no longer governor. Has he had any luck with Patrick?
Posted by: Joyful Alternative on November 28, 2007 3:45 PM