# What will the Bush Admin do in its time remaining? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [November 5, 2008, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-will-the-bush-admin-do-in-its-time-remaining/471347 "2008-11-05T20:55:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2008, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-will-the-bush-admin-do-in-its-time-remaining/471347/1 "2008-11-05T20:55:00Z")
Any guesses? ---
**Author:** ![Cisco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Cisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cisco)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2008, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-will-the-bush-admin-do-in-its-time-remaining/471347/2 "2008-11-05T21:07:53Z")
Pardon a bunch of people. Try to get wolves off the endangered species list. ---
**Author:** ![Prelude\_to\_Fascination](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a183cd/32.png) [@Prelude\_to\_Fascination](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Prelude_to_Fascination)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2008, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-will-the-bush-admin-do-in-its-time-remaining/471347/3 "2008-11-05T21:18:45Z")
As much slash and burn as possible. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2008, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-will-the-bush-admin-do-in-its-time-remaining/471347/4 "2008-11-05T21:23:51Z")
Looting you forgot looting. Cheney will try to steal a few more million for himself and his closest business associates. (only half kidding) Bush is already in process of passing a slew of executive statements that will probably take months for Obama’s administration to track down and reverse. I believe it was on NPR yesterday. You might be able to find some details there. Jim ---
**Author:** ![Sitnam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Sitnam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sitnam)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2008, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-will-the-bush-admin-do-in-its-time-remaining/471347/5 "2008-11-05T21:24:40Z")
One more war for the road. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2008, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-will-the-bush-admin-do-in-its-time-remaining/471347/6 "2008-11-05T21:29:43Z")
> [@Sitnam](#): > > One more war for the road. One of my worst nightmares is the sudden escalation with Iran and bombing before Bush gets out. I don’t think he is really that bad of a person though and I don’t see where Cheney can make more money on it so he won’t push for it. ---
**Author:** ![zamboniracer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/e9a140/32.png) [@zamboniracer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zamboniracer)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2008, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-will-the-bush-admin-do-in-its-time-remaining/471347/7 "2008-11-05T21:37:24Z")
They’ll lock down the files and records concerning the last eight years so that no one can can a look at them during the lifetimes of anyone, ever. Bush will pardon himself and Cheney. ---
**Author:** ![Amp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Amp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amp)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2008, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-will-the-bush-admin-do-in-its-time-remaining/471347/8 "2008-11-05T21:38:21Z")
Steal all the O’s off of all the keyboards in the White House. ---
**Author:** ![malkavia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/malkavia/32/5621_2.png) [@malkavia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/malkavia)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2008, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-will-the-bush-admin-do-in-its-time-remaining/471347/9 "2008-11-05T21:38:50Z")
Fucking apologize, I hope. ---
**Author:** ![chacoguy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/50afbb/32.png) [@chacoguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chacoguy)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2008, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-will-the-bush-admin-do-in-its-time-remaining/471347/10 "2008-11-05T21:55:32Z")
Murder the entire supreme court and appoint a new one. ---
**Author:** ![Kimstu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecd19e/32.png) [@Kimstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimstu)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2008, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-will-the-bush-admin-do-in-its-time-remaining/471347/11 "2008-11-05T21:56:54Z")
[NYT editorial](http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/04/opinion/04tue1.html?_r=1&oref=slogin) sez: > [@](#): > > Last month, Attorney General Michael Mukasey rushed out new guidelines for the F.B.I. that permit agents to use chillingly intrusive techniques to collect information on Americans even where there is no evidence of wrongdoing. > > Agents will be allowed to use informants to infiltrate lawful groups, engage in prolonged physical surveillance and lie about their identity while questioning a subject’s neighbors, relatives, co-workers and friends. The changes also give the F.B.I. — which has a long history of spying on civil rights groups and others — expanded latitude to use these techniques on people identified by racial, ethnic and religious background. > > The administration showed further disdain for Americans’ privacy rights and for Congress’s power by making clear that it will ignore a provision in the legislation that established the Department of Homeland Security. The law requires the department’s privacy officer to account annually for any activity that could affect Americans’ privacy — and clearly stipulates that the report cannot be edited by any other officials at the department or the White House. > > The Justice Department’s Office of Legal Counsel has now released a memo asserting that the law “does not prohibit” officials from homeland security or the White House from reviewing the report. The memo then argues that since the law allows the officials to review the report, it would be unconstitutional to stop them from changing it. […] > > In coming weeks, we expect the Environmental Protection Agency to issue a final rule that would weaken a program created by the Clean Air Act, which requires utilities to install modern pollution controls when they upgrade their plants to produce more power. […] > > Interior also is awaiting E.P.A.’s concurrence on a proposal that would make it easier for mining companies to dump toxic mine wastes in valleys and streams. […] > > Soon after the election, Michael Leavitt, the secretary of health and human services, is expected to issue new regulations aimed at further limiting women’s access to abortion, contraceptives and information about their reproductive health care options. […] > > While Mr. Bush leaves office on Jan. 20, 2009, he has only until Nov. 20 to issue “economically significant” rule changes and until Dec. 20 to issue other changes. Anything after that is merely a draft and can be easily withdrawn by the next president. > > Unfortunately, the White House is well aware of those deadlines. ---
**Author:** ![alphaboi867](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alphaboi867/32/3898_2.png) [@alphaboi867](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alphaboi867)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2008, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-will-the-bush-admin-do-in-its-time-remaining/471347/12 "2008-11-05T22:03:04Z")
> [@zamboniracer](#): > > They’ll lock down the files and records concerning the last eight years so that no one can can a look at them during the lifetimes of anyone, ever. Bush will pardon himself and Cheney. Obama can make any record he pleases public no matter what Bush does. Pardons however are forever.☹ ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2008, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-will-the-bush-admin-do-in-its-time-remaining/471347/13 "2008-11-05T22:10:13Z")
[Some of Bush’s political appointees are quickly finagling their way into civil-service positions,](http://www.motherjones.com/news/outfront/2008/11/outfront-bushies-dig-in.html) so the new Admin can’t fire them. (It’s a time-honored D.C. tradition known as “burrowing.”) Don’t suppose anything can be done to put a stop to that? ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2008, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-will-the-bush-admin-do-in-its-time-remaining/471347/14 "2008-11-05T23:49:44Z")
Pardon [Ted Stevens](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=488823)? ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2008, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-will-the-bush-admin-do-in-its-time-remaining/471347/15 "2008-11-06T00:07:53Z")
I’m expecting some sort of action on one of my pet peeves, the embargoing of the Reagan Papers, keeping them out of public review for the last eight years. Now, I haven’t seen them either, but its a damn good bet that there’s stuff there that the Pubbies don’t want seen. Stuff about the Reagan policies and actions relative to Central and South America. They were due to be released at the beginning of the Bush Horror, but he managed to find some sort of legalistic mumbo-jumbo to keep them out of our hands. I can’t think of any good reason for Obama to support that, and lots of good reasons not to. So I expect them to be released, unless Bush can find some grounds to destroy them. I’m betting there is some really ugly shit in there. _Really_ ugly. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2008, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-will-the-bush-admin-do-in-its-time-remaining/471347/16 "2008-11-06T00:28:11Z")
> [@elucidator](#): > > So I expect them to be released, unless Bush can find some grounds to destroy them. He needs grounds? ---
**Author:** ![BarnOwl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e95f7d/32.png) [@BarnOwl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BarnOwl)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2008, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-will-the-bush-admin-do-in-its-time-remaining/471347/17 "2008-11-06T01:16:13Z")
If Stevens is granted a new trial (as I think he’s asked for), and the trial is set to begin Jan 22, would a Bush pardon still work for that Alaskan peckerhead? I.e., could he be pardoned with his retrial still pending? ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2008, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-will-the-bush-admin-do-in-its-time-remaining/471347/18 "2008-11-06T01:26:42Z")
> [@BarnOwl](#): > > If Stevens is granted a new trial (as I think he’s asked for), and the trial is set to begin Jan 22, would a Bush pardon still work for that Alaskan peckerhead? > > I.e., could he be pardoned with his retrial still pending? Sure. Ford pardoned Nixon, and he hadn’t even been indicted. ---
**Author:** ![XT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xt/32/456_2.png) [@XT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XT)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2008, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-will-the-bush-admin-do-in-its-time-remaining/471347/19 "2008-11-06T01:36:34Z")
No doubt attack Iran, outlaw abortion, shoot all the gays, mandate prayer in schools and then declare himself god king of the US… Something along those lines anyway. -XT ---
**Author:** ![vison](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/e47774/32.png) [@vison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vison)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2008, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-will-the-bush-admin-do-in-its-time-remaining/471347/20 "2008-11-06T01:38:32Z")
Is that why there is now a Great Lidless Eye above the Capitol? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-will-the-bush-admin-do-in-its-time-remaining/471347.md?page=2)