Not yet time to give freedom to George Ryan

George Ryan has suffered a great deal since his conviction and imprisonment on federal corruption charges. But before the rest of his 6 1/2-year sentence is commuted, he needs to express remorse and responsibility for his wrongdoing, something the famously stubborn Ryan has so far declined to do.

It's not easy to to feel sorry for George Ryan, even though the former governor has been in federal prison for more than a year, has been publicly humiliated, has lost what would have been a generous government pension and has only minimal weekly personal contact with his wife and other loved ones.