Blago Jumps on Ryan Clemency Bandwagon

Gov. Rod Blagojevich joined the ranks of Former Gov. Jim Thompson and Sen. Dick Durbin yesterday by stating that he, too, feels that Pres. Bush should grant former Gov. George Ryan clemency. Ryan has currently served one year of a six-and-a-half year prison sentence for multiple federal corruption charges. Blago thinks that the past year represents a "significant amount of time behind bars."

"I think people make mistakes. George Ryan has paid a significant price for those mistakes. And if President Bush makes that decision, I think it would be a fine decision," Blagojevich explained. "He's a man well into his 70s. Mrs. Ryan is in her 70s and in frail health."

But as Eric Zorn points out, Ryan has never admitted that he made those mistakes:

But instead of taking this opportunity to come clean, Ryan has doubled down on denial: "His conscience is as clear as his mind," his wife, Lura Lynn, told the Sun-Times Tuesday. "If he had it to do over—and I've heard him say this—he would govern the same way as he did before."

A year in prison has apparently erased Ryan's vague sense of regret and shame, not deepened and clarified it.

So the question is, does someone that clearly has no remorse for his actions deserve any kind of leniency? Blago probably thinks so, as he may be counting on people to come forward with clemency requests on his behalf in the not-so-distant future. The former federal prosecutors that helped send Ryan to prison disagree, saying in a joint statement that it "would send a message to Illinois taxpayers and public servants that the consequences for public corruption in Illinois are less severe and would further fuel cynicism of our important institutions."