Pardon Me.

The new round of White House pardons are Bush's first since March and come less than two months before he will end his presidency. The crimes committed by those on the list include drug offenses, income tax evasion, bank embezzlement and violation of the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act.

Including these actions, the president has granted a total of 171 and eight commutations. That's less than half as many as Presidents Clinton or Reagan issued during their time in office. Both were two-term presidents.

On the latest pardon list were:

--Leslie Owen Collier of Charleston, Mo.
--Milton Kirk Cordes of Rapid City, S.D.
--Richard Micheal Culpepper of Mahomet, Ill.
--Brenda Jean Dolenz-Helmer of Fort Worth, Texas.
--Andrew Foster Harley of Falls Church, Va.
--Obie Gene Helton of Rossville, Ga.
--Carey C. Hice Sr. of Travelers Rest, S.C.
--Geneva Yvonne Hogg of Jacksonville, Fla.
--William Hoyle McCright Jr. of Midland, Texas.
--Paul Julian McCurdy of Sulphur, Okla.
--Robert Earl Mohon Jr. of Grant, Ala.
--Ronald Alan Mohrhoff of Los Angeles.
--Daniel Figh Pue III of Conroe, Texas
--Orion Lynn Vick of White Hall, Ark.

Bush also commuted the prison sentences of John Edward Forte of North Brunswick, N.J., and James Russell Harris of Detroit.Under the Constitution, the president's power to issue pardons is absolute and cannot be overruled.