Maybe the most surprising outcome of the Bush presidency was the lack of pardons toward the end of his term. Conspiracy theorists and critics were ready for inevitable pardons of various Bush officials, including Cheney and Rumsfeld for any real or potential legal problems that might ensue in the coming years.
Not that there weren't advocates for pardons. The NYT reports that Cheney tried repeatedly to get Bush to pardon Scooter Libby to no avail.
