Ernie Fletcher cranks up "last minute" pardon and appointments machine, no different from Paul Patton and others, right?

There has been news (here plus here) that Ernie Fletcher has started cranking up the old pardons and appointments machine, in his waning hours and minutes in office.

No surprises there. Paul Patton and others did the same thing.

But did we NOT hear in 2003 that the administration WASN'T going to be like Paul Patton's and was going to do things differently?

Have we forgotten this outrage when Patton did the same the same thing?