It took the federal government nearly two years to close the thrift. McDougal couldn't get the governor to call off state Health Department regulators on his subdivision south of Little Rock. About three seconds. At the moment, or at least as of this writing, Clinton has met the pardon issue exactly right. He won't say that he would not grant clemency to someone, although if he did that would end the political issue and create a moral one.
Presidents enjoy one quasi-judicial power, clemency.
Clinton should not declare how he will rule on someone's petition for clemency before it is ever presented. A judge who did so would be declared unfit and removed from the bench. The president actually did better. He said he would rule fairly and by the law on any clemency petition presented to him. The voters may suspect that as well as the McDougals do.