Letter: Pardon probe should end now

All this ranting and raving about Bill Clinton's last-minute pardons is beginning to backfire on the Republicans.

The latest story by CNN correspondent Kelly Wallace describes the last-minute pardon of the son of the Texas millionaire, Edwin L. Cox Sr. Based on the story, and the citing of James Baker's correspondence, it is obvious in the pardon that there was a 'quid pro quo' connected with Cox's contribution to the Republican Party and his belated $100,000 contribution to the Bush library.

Now we hear Trent Lott saying, "It is time to move on in the pardon probe." He is obviously afraid of a deeper probing by the news media uncovering more revelations of wrongdoings by former Republican presidents George Bush and Ronald Reagan.

For awhile one was led to believe that Bush and Reagan were permanently endowed with halos. The Republicans are now afraid that continuing investigation of their heroes will tarnish those "golden halos."

It is time to let history define Clinton's presidency -- let us move on and stop wasting the taxpayers' money on fruitless attempts to future tarnish his legacy.

RAYMOND HARBERT

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