Perspective from the 19^th Hole is the title I chose for my personal blog, which is meant to give me an outlet for one of my favorite crafts – writing – plus to use an image from my favorite sport, golf.  Out of college, my first job was as a reporter for the Daily Astorian in Astoria, Oregon, and I went on from there to practice writing in all my professional positions, including as press secretary in Washington, D.C. for a Democrat Congressman from Oregon (Les AuCoin), as an Oregon state government manager in Salem and Portland, as press secretary for Oregon’s last Republican governor (Vic Atiyeh), and as a private sector lobbyist.  This blog also allows me to link another favorite pastime – politics and the art of developing public policy – to what I write.  I could have called this blog “Middle Ground,” for that is what I long for in both politics and golf.  The middle ground is often where the best public policy decisions lie.  And it is where you want to be on a golf course.

President Joe Biden’s decision to grant a pardon to his son, Hunger, “might not be politically smart, but it is defensible.”

The quote is from a column in the Washington Post by Eugene Robinson and I repeat it for one basic reason:  I agree with it as it cites what almost any father would do.

Here is more from Robinson:

“If I were President Joe Biden, I would have done the same thing.  I would have pardoned a son who faced possible federal prison time, not because of the crimes he committed, but because of me.

“The president’s decision to absolve his son Hunter reneges on a campaign promise and can certainly be described as hypocritical.  It creates a political problem for the Democrat Party and will be seen by many as a stain on Biden’s legacy.

“Obviously, Biden is prepared to accept those consequences. I would be, too.

“In his statement on Sunday announcing the pardon, Biden got to the heart of the matter:  “No reasonable person who looks at the facts of Hunter’s cases can reach any other conclusion than Hunter was singled out only because he is my son — and that is wrong.”  

“This is clearly true.  If a son of mine were being subjected to selective prosecution, and I had the power to make it all go away, that’s what I would do.”

As I said, Robinson has it right. 

There will be a lot of to’ing and fro-ing over this decision.  But, for Biden, family prevailed again over politics, the so-called “rule of law,” and any other factor you might want to cite.

He is prepared to live with the consequences and, of course, so is Hunter Biden.

As a father, I would be, too.