THE OUTRAGE – AT 9:56 A.M. ET:  There's been much attention paid to President Obama's commutation of the prison sentence of Chelsea Manning, the man-turned-woman former soldier who gave away national-security secrets by the bucket load.

But here in New York, another act of "clemency" by our last-minute president is generating even more outrage, except on the hard left, which is welcoming it.  From the New York Daily News: 

The last imprisoned member of the Puerto Rican independence group that terrorized New York in the 1970s will be a free man in May — 20 years ahead of schedule.

President Obama granted a commutation Tuesday to FALN mastermind Oscar López Rivera, who’s served 35 years of his 55-year sentence.

During the 1970s and 80s, López Rivera was part of FALN, or Fuerzas Armadas de Liberación Nacional, a group seeking to liberate Puerto Rico from U.S. control.

FALN placed more than 130 bombs in American cities — including one in New York on Jan. 24, 1975. The explosive went off in busy Fraunces Tavern during lunch hour. Four people died, including Frank Connor, a 33-year-old father.

“I faced Lopez six years ago at his parole hearing ... If he had expressed any atonement, any sympathy or empathy ... we’d have recommended he be released. But he didn’t,” said Joe Connor, who was a 9-year-old when his father was killed.

And...

“Freeing a hard core terrorist is inexplicable,” said Michael Palladino, president of the Detectives’ Endowment Association. “The President is insensitive to the life-long injuries sustained by the Detectives who lost eyes, legs and fingers attempting to dismantle the bombs. He is ending his Presidency the way he started, disrespecting law enforcement and embracing criminals.”

COMMENT:  That is exactly right.  Obama's action is more salt in the wounds already suffered by police officers under his reign. 

Oh, by the way, the hard-left mayor of New York, an admirer of Fidel Castro, hailed the release.  No surprise there.  So did the speaker of the New York City Council, who comes from Puerto Rico.  Both the mayor's office and the speaker's office are five blocks from Ground Zero.

January 18,  2017