Addendum: What About Pardons?

Typically, I do not change columns after posting them, other than edits for clarity, grammar, and so on. After I wrote today's column, however, I had a "d'oh!" moment that compelled me to add a substantive sentence to what I had posted.

Specifically, today's column challenged a certain purportedly liberal Washington Post editor/columnist's blithe dismissal of Fulton County DA Fani Willis's indictment of Donald Trump and his co-conspirators.  Responding to her claim that Special Prosecutor Jack Smith's supposedly overlapping federal indictment in Washington last month left Georgia with no interests that had not been "demonstrably vindicated," I argued that states should be free to prosecute the other, broader crimes that Smith had strategically left on the cutting room floor.

About an hour later, I had that sinking "How did I miss that?" moment.  I have now added to today's column: "Oh, and by the way, the Georgia case (as well as any other state cases that she is worried will be mere 'piling on') is not subject to future presidential pardons. What a concept."

More broadly, it is fair to say that my reaction to that pundit's column has moved from mildly bemused to annoyed to concerned to incensed, which means that I will revisit this issue at length in my first column next week.  But I could not allow at least this fundamental omission to stand without amending it immediately.