# Bradley Manning verdict is in - 35 years for leaking info; will ask Obama for a pardon **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [August 22, 2013, 4:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bradley-manning-verdict-is-in-35-years-for-leaking-info-will-ask-obama-for-a-pardon/666855 "2013-08-22T04:25:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![lavenderviolet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/cdc98d/32.png) [@lavenderviolet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lavenderviolet)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2013, 4:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bradley-manning-verdict-is-in-35-years-for-leaking-info-will-ask-obama-for-a-pardon/666855/1 "2013-08-22T04:25:47Z")
[Bradley Manning has been sentenced to 35 years in prison for releasing classified info](http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/aug/21/bradley-manning-sentence-birgitta-jonsdottir). He plans to request a pardon from Obama. I would be very surprised if Obama intervenes in this case, but the New Yorker argues [history will pardon Manning even if Obama doesn’t](http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/johncassidy/2013/08/history-will-pardon-manning-even-if-obama-doesnt.html). ---
**Author:** ![Inner\_Stickler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inner_stickler/32/318_2.png) [@Inner\_Stickler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inner_Stickler)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2013, 4:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bradley-manning-verdict-is-in-35-years-for-leaking-info-will-ask-obama-for-a-pardon/666855/2 "2013-08-22T04:47:32Z")
Interesting article, although I imagine it’s a rather cold comfort for Manning. ---
**Author:** ![LawMonkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d6d6ee/32.png) [@LawMonkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LawMonkey)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2013, 4:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bradley-manning-verdict-is-in-35-years-for-leaking-info-will-ask-obama-for-a-pardon/666855/3 "2013-08-22T04:52:31Z")
Obama doesn’t do much pardoning. Only three of his predecessors have made less use of the clemency power in their first term: George Washington, W.H. Harrison (who served a month in office) and James Garfield (who made it through four months). Between this and the Obama administration’s general track-record on anything even vaguely whistle-blowy, I don’t hold much hope for Manning. Cite: [http://pardonresearch.com/prescomp/pardcommTerm.htm](http://pardonresearch.com/prescomp/pardcommTerm.htm) ---
**Author:** ![Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/f04885/32.png) [@Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qin_Shi_Huangdi)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2013, 5:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bradley-manning-verdict-is-in-35-years-for-leaking-info-will-ask-obama-for-a-pardon/666855/4 "2013-08-22T05:02:39Z")
I doubt any pardon will happen although I think Manning’s sentencing will be commuted eventually. More worrying to me is that I hope I don’t see the soldier (forgot his name even though I read about him yesterday) who went on a spree killing pardoned anytime soon like Lt. McCally was. ---
**Author:** ![PSXer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/48db29/32.png) [@PSXer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PSXer)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2013, 5:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bradley-manning-verdict-is-in-35-years-for-leaking-info-will-ask-obama-for-a-pardon/666855/5 "2013-08-22T05:08:07Z")
that traitor got off lucky. he deserves the firing squad ---
**Author:** ![BrokenBriton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4bbf92/32.png) [@BrokenBriton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrokenBriton)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2013, 5:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bradley-manning-verdict-is-in-35-years-for-leaking-info-will-ask-obama-for-a-pardon/666855/6 "2013-08-22T05:59:46Z")
> [@PSXer](#): > > that traitor got off lucky. he deserves the firing squad To stay on theme, would the squad be sitting in an Apache helicopter, and would Manning be minding his own business in civilian clothes? ---
**Author:** ![Ibn\_Warraq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/e19b73/32.png) [@Ibn\_Warraq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ibn_Warraq)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2013, 6:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bradley-manning-verdict-is-in-35-years-for-leaking-info-will-ask-obama-for-a-pardon/666855/7 "2013-08-22T06:48:23Z")
To be honest, I was surprised at how light Manning got off. If he keeps his nose clean in prison he’ll be off in less than nine years. He certainly got a much better deal than Jonathan Pollard. The Jews need to step up their game or people will stop being afraid of them. ---
**Author:** ![Novelty\_Bobble](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Novelty\_Bobble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Novelty_Bobble)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2013, 7:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bradley-manning-verdict-is-in-35-years-for-leaking-info-will-ask-obama-for-a-pardon/666855/8 "2013-08-22T07:24:35Z")
> [@BrokenBriton](#): > > To stay on theme, would the squad be sitting in an Apache helicopter, and would Manning be minding his own business in civilian clothes? I think “drone strike” whilst at a family wedding is the preferred US military option. Personally I think that both Manning and Snowden will be seen as important and brave whistleblowers by history. ---
**Author:** ![cckerberos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f0a364/32.png) [@cckerberos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cckerberos)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2013, 7:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bradley-manning-verdict-is-in-35-years-for-leaking-info-will-ask-obama-for-a-pardon/666855/9 "2013-08-22T07:52:10Z")
> [@Novelty\_Bobble](#): > > Personally I think that both Manning and Snowden will be seen as important and brave whistleblowers by history. Important, no doubt. ---
**Author:** ![Grumman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/43a26b/32.png) [@Grumman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grumman)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2013, 8:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bradley-manning-verdict-is-in-35-years-for-leaking-info-will-ask-obama-for-a-pardon/666855/10 "2013-08-22T08:08:39Z")
Obama hates transparency and whistleblowers, so no. If Obama was the sort of person who would pardon Manning, John Kiriakou would not be the only person associated with the CIA’s torturer program to end up in jail. Personally, I’m hoping that the American people elect someone who is less of an asshole in 2016, and _they’ll_ pardon Manning and Kiriakou. ---
**Author:** ![Novelty\_Bobble](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Novelty\_Bobble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Novelty_Bobble)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2013, 8:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bradley-manning-verdict-is-in-35-years-for-leaking-info-will-ask-obama-for-a-pardon/666855/11 "2013-08-22T08:51:06Z")
> [@cckerberos](#): > > Important, no doubt. well they both knew there would be serious consequences and they did it anyway, and they don’t seem to be personally profiting from it so…brave as well I say. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2013, 9:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bradley-manning-verdict-is-in-35-years-for-leaking-info-will-ask-obama-for-a-pardon/666855/12 "2013-08-22T09:47:01Z")
I don’t consider either of them to be heroic in any way. Both of them leaked a vast amount of data indiscriminately which has negatively affected the US and its war-making ability, and both of them did it for completely selfish reasons. They don’t deserve and shouldn’t receive any clemency, and they’ll both be historical footnotes. ---
**Author:** ![BrokenBriton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4bbf92/32.png) [@BrokenBriton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrokenBriton)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2013, 10:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bradley-manning-verdict-is-in-35-years-for-leaking-info-will-ask-obama-for-a-pardon/666855/13 "2013-08-22T10:52:28Z")
Heaven forbid the “war-making ability” of the USA should be “negatively affected”. Jeez, the whole world relies on it. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2013, 11:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bradley-manning-verdict-is-in-35-years-for-leaking-info-will-ask-obama-for-a-pardon/666855/14 "2013-08-22T11:30:02Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > …they’ll both be historical footnotes. Yeah, I have a hard time believing that in 50 years, people are going to have more privacy than we have now. Trends aren’t too promising in that regard. But it’s clearly not treason, and I’m glad he was not found guilty of that charge, or related charge. I think if he serves 9 years, that will be more than adequate. A guy like this is not really a danger to society since no one is going to give him a job where leaking info is a possibility. AFAIK, he is not a violent person. ---
**Author:** ![Bozuit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/edb3f5/32.png) [@Bozuit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bozuit)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2013, 11:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bradley-manning-verdict-is-in-35-years-for-leaking-info-will-ask-obama-for-a-pardon/666855/15 "2013-08-22T11:36:32Z")
Even if the intelligence Manning released will make the USA harder to defend, perhaps it will help keep it worth defending. ---
**Author:** ![cckerberos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f0a364/32.png) [@cckerberos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cckerberos)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2013, 11:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bradley-manning-verdict-is-in-35-years-for-leaking-info-will-ask-obama-for-a-pardon/666855/16 "2013-08-22T11:37:51Z")
> [@Novelty\_Bobble](#): > > well they both knew there would be serious consequences and they did it anyway, and they don’t seem to be personally profiting from it so…brave as well I say. Well, in comparison to Snowden, who seems to have been much more deliberate in his actions, Manning seems to have been quite a mess while his leaking was going on. I don’t know that he was being brave as much as he was being self-destructive. But in any case, I suspect that his motives will be debated for a long time to come. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2013, 12:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bradley-manning-verdict-is-in-35-years-for-leaking-info-will-ask-obama-for-a-pardon/666855/17 "2013-08-22T12:37:34Z")
> [@Bozuit](#): > > Even if the intelligence Manning released will make the USA harder to defend, perhaps it will help keep it worth defending. Is it your position that the US is not worth defending now, or was not worth defending 2 years ago? ---
**Author:** ![Debaser](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/3da27b/32.png) [@Debaser](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Debaser)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2013, 1:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bradley-manning-verdict-is-in-35-years-for-leaking-info-will-ask-obama-for-a-pardon/666855/18 "2013-08-22T13:03:32Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > But it’s clearly not treason, and I’m glad he was not found guilty of that charge, or related charge. I think if he serves 9 years, that will be more than adequate. A guy like this is not really a danger to society since no one is going to give him a job where leaking info is a possibility. AFAIK, he is not a violent person. Is that all punishment is about? Making sure people can’t repeat their crimes? If a rapist is castrated and cannot rape again should he go free without any prison time? The next traitor needs to know that they’ll spend life in prison, not a mere nine years with fame and a book deal waiting for them when they get out. This encourages the problem. They might as well have given him a medal. ---
**Author:** ![Grumman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/43a26b/32.png) [@Grumman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grumman)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2013, 1:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bradley-manning-verdict-is-in-35-years-for-leaking-info-will-ask-obama-for-a-pardon/666855/19 "2013-08-22T13:31:46Z")
> [@Debaser](#): > > Is that all punishment is about? Making sure people can’t repeat their crimes? If a rapist is castrated and cannot rape again should he go free without any prison time? Manning is not a rapist. He has more in common with the people who report rape - who, I should remind you, your military also threatens with court martials. The rapists themselves - like the ones that made up the entire chain of command at Abu Ghraib - get a slap on the wrist. ---
**Author:** ![BrokenBriton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4bbf92/32.png) [@BrokenBriton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrokenBriton)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2013, 1:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bradley-manning-verdict-is-in-35-years-for-leaking-info-will-ask-obama-for-a-pardon/666855/20 "2013-08-22T13:33:19Z")
Name change: It seems the erstwhile Bradley now wishes to be called Chelsea, and to begin hormone therapy asap. > [@](#): > > Subject: The Next Stage of My Life > > I want to thank everybody who has supported me over the last three years. Throughout this long ordeal, your letters of support and encouragement have helped keep me strong. I am forever indebted to those who wrote to me, made a donation to my defense fund, or came to watch a portion of the trial. I would especially like to thank Courage to Resist and the Bradley Manning Support Network for their tireless efforts in raising awareness for my case and providing for my legal representation. > > As I transition into this next phase of my life, I want everyone to know the real me. I am Chelsea Manning. I am a female. Given the way that I feel, and have felt since childhood, I want to begin hormone therapy as soon as possible. I hope that you will support me in this transition. I also request that, starting today, you refer to me by my new name and use the feminine pronoun (except in official mail to the confinement facility). I look forward to receiving letters from supporters and having the opportunity to write back. > > Thank you, > > Chelsea E. Manning > **['I am Chelsea Manning,' says jailed soldier formerly known as Bradley](https://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/aug/22/bradley-manning-woman-chelsea-gender-reassignment)** > > Manning says she plans to undergo hormone therapy as soon as possible and wishes to be referred to by female pronouns [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bradley-manning-verdict-is-in-35-years-for-leaking-info-will-ask-obama-for-a-pardon/666855.md?page=2)