Maybe it was wishful thinking, believing Senator John McCain that this was a slam dunk deal. Both the House and Senate approved the resolution to offer a posthumous pardon to the former heavyweight champion Jack Johnson.
But President Barack Obama, having to consider 1,300 other petitions, decided to pass on the late and original African – American heavyweight champion who died in 1946 after a car accident.
Johnson was convicted of violating the Mann Act, which forbade taking a woman across state lines for immoral purposes in 1913. Johnson fled the country and fought throughout Europe in countries friendly to his plight. He served 10 months after negotiating a deal where he would surrender as a way to enter the country after losing his title, under dubious circumstances, in Cuba.
This isn’t about Johnson. This is about image and politics in Washington. Maybe Johnson’s case will be a political pawn the President or maybe a future president will pursue when that person can more benefit from delivering this particular pardon.
The real punch to the gut was that President Obama didn’t utter a word about it. As if it never happened.
Scholars and political people have discussed this case on both sides for a long time throughout previous administrations and many believe Obama thought he would be opening himself up to even worse criticism if he actually granted the pardon.
