AP has reported the following:
“President Bush commuted the sentence of former aide I. Lewis “Scooter” Libby Monday, sparing him from a 2 1/2-year prison term in the CIA leak case. Bush left intact a $250,000 fine and two years probation for Libby, according to a senior White House official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the decision had not been announced.”
Watch the Republican Prez candidates back away even further from the Bush Administration.
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UPDATED 7-3: THIS JUST IN…It has been announced that Scooter Libby will indeed go to jail since, as it turned out, Bush commuted the sentence in error: He thought he was guaranteeing no jail time for Phil Rizzuto.
UPDATED 7-4: Well, I have to admit, I underestimated the GOP candidates. Thus far, to my knowledge, they’ve lined up behind Bush. In fact, amazingly, they’re even managing to blame Bill Clinton. “Hey, Clinton pardoned people who the public thought shouldn’t have been, so why shouldn’t Bush?” The obvious answer is that because Bush set himself up as being morally superior to Clinton.
It seems that the GOP candidates are simply without shame. Or perhaps they want to preserve the option of extending clemency to their own people when they commit crimes.
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I think you’re underestimating how well this is going to play with the faithful who always thought (if ‘thought’ is the word I’m looking for) that Libby was being railroaded. They’re also going to admire the way the President is loyal to his henchmen and looks after his own. I can’t see how any of that will go down adversely with the conservative base who were whining for a pardon before Libby was even convicted.
Sandro – long time listener, first time caller
Sandro
Elections are won by the undecided. This will help no one who is trying to run.
Someone on Fark nicely summed it up by saying this was WORSE than a pardon, because it’s like “He’s guilty, but I’m letting him out of jail anyway”
I think you’re underestimating how well this is going to play with the faithful who always thought (if ‘thought’ is the word I’m looking for) that Libby was being railroaded. They’re also going to admire the way the President is loyal to his henchmen and looks after his own. I can’t see how any of that will go down adversely with the conservative base who were whining for a pardon before Libby was even convicted.
That base is the 30%> that suffer from BDS — Bush Delusionment Syndrome, an affliction whose victims are poor souls that still believe that Dubya is a competant and good leader. You can’t win an election with just them.
And watch the spin on this. Bush will be hailed as “tough” because he didn’t actually pardon Libby, and so we should all just move along and talk about other things like how Obama is one letter away from Osama (and his middle name’s Hussein too!).
Seeing as at least half the candidates said in one of the debates that they would pardon Libby themselves, I can’t see it ruffling anyone’s feathers too much.
Alas, that assumes that the Republican base sees anything wrong with what Bush is doing. And early reaction seems to imply they’re not concerned enough with little things like ethics to care.
Someone on Fark nicely summed it up by saying this was WORSE than a pardon, because it’s like “He’s guilty, but I’m letting him out of jail anyway”
Perfect description.
At this point, I half expect the GOP to initiate impeachment articles against BushCo themselves in order to get back some credibility. And then they could slam the Dems for being soft on corruption because, despite being the majority party, the Democrats “never really tried to hold the out-of-control executive branch to account.”
Just makes you proud to be an American, doesn’t it?
The current presidential contenders should start the mantra that they’re running to “restore honor and integrity to the White House.”
Ron Paul is pretty much doing that already. He introduces himself at debates as the “Champion of the Constitution,” meaning that he wants the presidency to return to its constitutional limitations.
Clearly, Bush thinks that Scooter was “Paris Hilton’ed”.
That shattering sound you all heard? That was the last imaginable shred of Bush’s credibility hitting the ground and exploding intom i’s most basic component element…hypocrisy.
Manny: That shattering sound you all heard? That was the last imaginable shred of Bush’s credibility hitting the ground and exploding
Nah, his credibility vanished ages ago. And it doesn’t matter how many pieces it exploded into, there are still a scary number of folks out there who will sincerely insist it exists.
Although the president said he “respected” the jury’s verdict, [HA!] he added that he had “concluded that the prison sentence given to Mr. Libby is excessive.”
Oh, so he’s got something shorter (but presumably still greater than zero) in mind that would have been OK and not excessive? He’d have been OK with 20 months? Or 12? [HA!]
And “excessive” based on what? On the idea that holding anyone in this administration responsible is “excessive”?
The president left intact a $250,000 fine and two years probation … Bush said his action still “leaves in place a harsh punishment for Mr. Libby.”
“It’s a great relief,” said former Ambassador Richard Carlson, who helped raise millions for Libby’s defense fund.
So, yeah, coming up with $250k is really going to be difficult for him. That is “harsh”.
Grrrrrrr.
Here we go already, from Fred Thompson:
“While for a long time I have urged a pardon for Scooter, I respect the president’s decision. This will allow a good a man who has done a lot for his country to resume his life.”
I expect both Mitt and Rudy to follow suit. McCain’s camp has already issued a “no comment”, but he’s dead in the water anyway.
Now it only remains to see which medal Libby will be given.
I Just Can Not Wait!!!!
567 days
14 hours
42 minutes.
My Life Will Be Perfect.
No More Problems.
With friends like these, who needs to obey the law?
Seriously, the ONE THING that you can take from a rich/powerful person is his TIME. Money is no problem. Libby got his million$-plus legal fees taken care of…this fine will be a piece of cake. Go ahead, take his money. He can get more.
TIME was the one true punishment here, and Bush admitted as much. Criminal record? No problem. Libby’s got connections aplenty. Fine? No problem. Libby’s got rich friends. Time? Aw HÊLL no! 30 months for treason is WAY too harsh!
Unless you’re an innocent person cooling your heels in Gitmo. Those people deserve to rot forever.
And let us not overlook… Bush pardoned someone who committed a crime WHILE WORKING FOR HIM!
Bush is still a potential suspect in all this Plame mess. And he pardoned a WH employee involved in the investigation?
Clinton did nothing like this. Nixon didn’t even reach this level.
When Bush took office in 2000, he promised a new era of accountability. Too bad none of us realized that he meant *less* accountability. George Tenet provides faulty intel on Iraq? Medal. Horrible treatment of detainees at Abu Ghirav (Sic)? Secretary of Defense stays — until the opposition party takes over. Violating the Constitution by warrantless wiretaps on our citizens? No one did anything wrong! We don’t torture — but Bush retroactively pardoned anyone who did. And after Bush promised to deal harshly with anyone involved in revealing the covert status of a CIA operative whose husband critized the war in Iraq — he prevents the only person sentenced from serving any jail time.
Sigh…
You know, I remember just after the ’01 election, someone said to me that “a man of honor” was now in the White House. I’d be tempted to ask if six years of stuff like this has changed this opinion, but I suspect he’s enough of a True Believer to honestly say, “No.” I believe he also subscribed to the “theory” that Bill Clinton ordered the murder of Vince Foster.
On the other hand, another Bush supporter I know was so disgusted by the last six years that he’s now a hardcore liberal militant atheist. I mean, forget omitting the word “God” from the Pledge of Allegiance, this guy would be in favor of omitting the word “God” from the Lord’s Prayer. Though he does consider his own belief system unfairly persecuted, in a prime example of the ideal, “freedom is everyone having the right to choose as I wish.”
Fanatical support leading to one kind of cognitive dissonance, fanatical rejection leading to another. I believe those are good reasons for me to focus my own fanatical leanings on the designs of imaginary spaceships. Leaves me calm and rational when things of real importance come up.
On an angry note, I finally wrote to the White House and told off Hizzonner. I couldn’t contain the bile any more, politely phrased with the underlying “don’t arrest me” tone. as it read. It took a significant effort not to end the letter by calling him a schmuck.
On a silly note,
Mommy, when I grow up, I wanna be a crony.
I’d be happy to write a meaningful, and insightful comment, but I’m pretty much speechless.
To paraphrase some movie or other, “How does George get his pants on with balls that big?”
Hmmm. Keith Olbermann ended his newscast by stating that his commentary for tomorrow will call for Bush and the Veep to resign.
Remember when Bush said that he wanted to know if there was a leak, and that if there was a leak, and it was found that the person had broken the law, that whoever it was should be taken care of?
Sounds like Libby’s being “taken care of” quite well…
Sandro stated that Libby had been Railroaded, well I for one believe the term is scapegoated… To be scapegoated you have to fall on your sword for a sperior and at his level the list consists of 3 people he could be covering up for, Bush Chenney and Rove…
My money is on Cheney
The following is something I do not know and would like to, if anybody can supply me with the answer:
If the President were so inclined, could he pardon criminal after criminal after criminal until the prisons were empty? Or is there a limit on how many people he can pardon per term? Is there any real check on this guy’s ability to keep his friends out of prison, no matter what they do wrong?
On an angry note, I finally wrote to the White House and told off Hizzonner.
I applaud you taking action, but I’d be surprised if the bášŧárd took the time to read it. Because we all know how much he loves to hear opinions differing from his own.
Here we go already, from Fred Thompson…
I think out of all the Republican candidates this is the one I would least like to see in the White House.
Aside from disliking him as a politician due to his positions and the way he conducts himself, it’s also hard for me to watch Fred Thompson in anything because not only is he a hateful right-wing jërkøff in real life, but he also usually plays one on TV and in movies.
There was the “Law & Order” where a guy was in prison for dealing drugs and was being raped and beaten daily by a gang, a gang who blackmailed the drug dealer’s father into killing somebody on the outside for them using the threat of further harming his son if he chose not to comply. Investigating the murder, McCoy found out what was going on and decided to get this poor bášŧárd transferred to another prison where the gang couldn’t touch him…and Branch’s (Thompson’s) response to this was “We can’t make a deal with a drug dealer! He’s getting exactly what he deserves.” I literally felt ill.
Less disturbing but also noteworthy is this line from “No Way Out”, with him playing “Marshall”:
CIA Director Marshall: Well, spilt milk. And you can forget about Pritchard. He’s homosexual.
Kevin O’Brien: I’ll be dámņëd.
CIA Director Marshall: So will he, if you believe the Old Testament.
I repeat what i said earlier on rec.arts.sf.fandom:
(On a different subject entirel, may i call the readers’ attention to this blog post; i promise you it will be worth your while…)
I wrote the White House, too. Don’t ask me why, since it makes no rational sense, but this makes me madder than anything else these dimwits have done. They truly believe they are UNTOUCHABLE.
And what ticks me off so much is that I fear they are right…
If only impeachment covered “gross incompetence and cronyism” instead of “high crimes and misdemeanors”. Or if only I could support impeachment merely for cynical political ends…
This stupid little straw breaks the camel’s back. Can’t we get an annulment of this “presidency”?
Every time I think the Bush Misadministration has hit its nadir, they manage to dive a little deeper.
I remember back when the Plame scandal first broke, Bush said he’d fire anyone involved. Then he said he’d fire anyone who committed a crime. Then it became anyone convicted of a crime. Now, apparently, there are no crimes…
Ya just gotta love the hypocrisy of the righties who attacked Bill Clinton for pardoning those people at the end of his term, and for supposedly having a corrupt administration, and then electing a guy who stated years ago that he was going to bring honor back to the Oval Office, only to pull stuff like this.
This is just so disgusting (but hardly surprising).
But David Gian-Cursio –
if I know the English translation of the Lord’s Prayer correctly, the word “God” is not used in it. Or is there a special version?
If the President were so inclined, could he pardon criminal after criminal after criminal until the prisons were empty? Or is there a limit on how many people he can pardon per term? Is there any real check on this guy’s ability to keep his friends out of prison, no matter what they do wrong?
As I understand it, the President can pardon anyone involved in a Federal crime (except impeachment–that’s a specific exception in the Constitution). They don’t even have to have been convicted yet. And I don’t know if there’s anything the other branches can do about it, short of impeachment.
There isn’t a built-in numerical limit, at any rate. The exact text is:
and he shall have power to Grant Reprieves and Pardons for Offenses against the United States, except in Cases of Impeachment.
(Until looking this up I’d forgotten how many run-on sentences the Constitution has; that’s from the same compound sentence that makes him Commander in Chief and lets him get opinions in writing from the executive departments.)
Last year, the supreme court did go on record saying Bush approved an illegal war trial by invoking and violating UCMJ Article 36 — which is literally a presidential privilege — and that the illegal war trial constituted a war crime under the Geneva Convention.
“Clearly, Bush thinks that Scooter was “Paris Hilton’ed”.”
Gods, I hope there isn’t a Scooter sex tape out there somewhere. And I’m NEVER going to be able to get THAT particular visual out of my head.
As I understand it, the President can pardon anyone involved in a Federal crime (except impeachment–that’s a specific exception in the Constitution). They don’t even have to have been convicted yet. And I don’t know if there’s anything the other branches can do about it, short of impeachment.
If I recall correctly, Ford pardoned Nixon for crimes that he had not even been indicted for. The power of pardon that the president has is a very powerful one.
For me, I didn’t like it when Clinton lied under oath and don’t like it any better when Libby does it. The lame “he lied about stuff that wasn’t a crime” defense is no better now than it was then. Ditto the political pardons. The New York Times was a-ok with pardoning FALN terrorists but wants Libby to serve his time–so what? They were wrong then and right now.
Both sides of the political spectrum seem more interested in “fairness” and tit for tat than with doing what is right. What a great time this would be for a thrid party candidate, if there were anyone good enough to go for it. Don’t see it happening though.
As revolting as this is, I don’t see what else Bush could have done. If he let’s Libby go to jail, what incentive does Scooter have to keep his mouth shut? Bush and crew would literally have to kill him to guarantee that Libby doesn’t implicate any bigger fish. This way, Bush gets to make some claims…whether you deem them credible or not…that he let the system do it’s work. Libby’s been convicted of a felony, even if doesn’t do time. That’s always going to be on his record. Worse, it’s perjury, which for a public figure is like a death sentence. Or used to be, I guess we’ll find out if that remains true.
And such actions are the perogative of the President. He could pardon every criminal sitting in jail right now if he wanted to, and it would be legal.
Just goes to show you there can be a huge difference between what’s legal and what’s right.
To keep the conversation clear—–
this was not a pardon.
And maybe I should add “yet”.
Well, so far, the most mind-boggling defense I’ve heard for Bush is that he at least had the gall to do this while he’s still in office.
Yeah, that really makes it all better.
I can’t wait to see the pardon list when Bush leaves office. And people complained about Clinton’s pardons…
Well, yes, I “thought” Libby was being railroaded. But beside the point, this commutation of sentence is the very kind of thing that Bush does that demonstrates he goes out of his way to pìšš øff everybody rather than a targeted audience.
Whether he pardoned or commuted, it was a foregone conclusion he’d have pìššëd øff the left.
But if he’d have pardoned, at least the right would think he’d finally found his testicles again, rather than taking another gutless “middle of the road” approach that attempts to please everyone and pleases nobody.
Paris Hilton does time but “Scooter” Libby goes free? I thought Bush cared about national security?
So, Libby’s sentence was “excessive”? So, when is Bush going to commute the sentence of this poor bášŧárd: http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-teensex12jun12,1,1404182.story?track=rss
Or does Bush only care about his rich, white friends. I guess we’re all finally learning what Kanye West knew all along.
Bush’s disregard for the law, human life, and common decency is so blatant these days, I’m surprised that when he has a press conference he doesn’t just — to borrow from Richard Pryor — take his “dìçk out and piss.”
I think this is the touchstone of right wing dickishness concerning the Libby commutation. But then again, Coulter hasn’t chimed in yet.
Jonah Goldberg:
“On the merits I think Bush probably got it about right. On the politics, I think Bush would have been smarter to give Libby an outright pardon. But, having just watched Joe Wilson sputter in pompous rage on the Today Show, I’m tempted to argue that Bush should have used eminent domain to take Wilson’s convertible Jaguar and give it to Scooter Libby.”
See, just when you think a Chief Executive can’t exercise a more blatant misuse of power than the pardon of Marc Rich, along comes this debacle.
It just goes to show there are moments when presidents are given over entirely to self-motivation and partisan politics. Spin in those graves founding fathers! Spin!
I think it emphasizes more than anything else how a different set of laws apply in our country to members of the political caste, disgusting.
It just goes to show there are moments when presidents are given over entirely to self-motivation and partisan politics.
It would appear that in this president’s case, we’re talking about every moment he doesn’t spend sleeping.
As I understand it, the President can pardon anyone involved in a Federal crime (except impeachment–that’s a specific exception in the Constitution). They don’t even have to have been convicted yet. And I don’t know if there’s anything the other branches can do about it, short of impeachment.
Thank you, Doug. I really think there should be a numerical limit placed on this.
So, Libby’s sentence was “excessive”? So, when is Bush going to commute the sentence of this poor bášŧárd: http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-teensex12jun12,1,1404182.story?track=rss
Yeah, I read about that. It’s crazy and sad.
As revolting as this is, I don’t see what else Bush could have done. If he let’s Libby go to jail, what incentive does Scooter have to keep his mouth shut? Bush and crew would literally have to kill him to guarantee that Libby doesn’t implicate any bigger fish.
Thing is, I held out hope that Bush would just let Libby be the fall guy and not stoop to this. We’re talking about him here like he’s an organized crime figure and “if I were in his position, what steps would I have to take to insulate myself?”
If he had any conscience at all, he wouldn’t care about insulating himself. He would own up to the fact that people in his administration did something despicable and he would disown them. As soon as he learned of Rove’s, Cheney’s and Armitage’s involvement he should have gotten rid of them and apologized for their conduct. Even if that meant he himself would have to answer for their conduct in a court of law. Why? Because it’d be *the right thing to do*.
A woman’s career was destroyed. Her contacts were quite likely placed in danger once it became common knowledge that the pretty blonde lady they had previously been seen conversing with was a CIA agent. If this man had even a shred of conscience, he would take responsibility for it and apologize.
I don’t know why I ever expect anything but the worst from this áššhølë. I kept hearing “Oh, Libby’s probably gonna get pardoned,” and yet I kept hoping he wouldn’t go that far. That Libby would make a deal and testify against his bosses and the dominoes would start to fall. I should know better by now.
Sorry, as Alan Coil pointed out, this is in fact not a pardon. Still, Libby got bailed out and he can afford to pay that fine and those in the Bush Administration will continue to go about their dirty business fully confident that they are above the law.
Meanwhile, the Dems are too spineless to do anything about it.
So in Bushworld…
Some people get imprisoned forever without any due process of law, and others who have received full due process of law and are found guilty… get set free.
And I’m to explain this to my kids how?
Meanwhile, the Dems are too spineless to do anything about it.
The question is: what CAN be done, short of a Constitutional Amendment to revoke the president’s ability to issue pardons/commuting of sentences, which just isn’t going to happen?
In the end, I’ve seen others say it accurately that yeah, 30 months is harsh, and yeah, Libby is just a small fish. But Bush is more than willing to take a few yards, even when he’s not being handed an inch.
Gil Scott Heron should be invoked here.
Meanwhile, the Dems are too spineless to do anything about it.
The question is: what CAN be done, short of a Constitutional Amendment to revoke the president’s ability to issue pardons/commuting of sentences, which just isn’t going to happen?
Congress can set its investigative power to “Full Speed Ahead,” not back down when the administration says “no,” play the necessary game of hardball to win, and seriously consider impeachment if the evidence warrants it.
I begin to honestly believe that the threat of impeachment is the only tool left that will bring this administration to heel. Shame certainly won’t. (Gonzalez would have “resigned” a while ago if W. & Friends were susceptable to being shamed into doing the right thing.) BushCo. realizes they have nothing to lose so why not break precedent and decency? Thorough investigations that give the President and VP cold sweats will help keep them in line.
Or they’ll pull a Waco, going down in a ball of fire and taking as much of the nation with them to perdition.
I swear, the Bush administration is going to radicalize me.
So, Libby’s sentence was “excessive”? So, when is Bush going to commute the sentence of this poor bášŧárd: “>http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-teensex12jun12,1,1404182.story?track=rss
IIRC, Bush only has power over Federal crimes. This is out of his jurisdiction.
[insert sarky comment about executive overreach here]
“Clearly, Bush thinks that Scooter was “Paris Hilton’ed”.”
Considering that this is very similar to jail officials releasing a prisoner to house arrest against the wishes of the judge and prosecution, I *know* Libby was “Hiltoned”.
” I believe he also subscribed to the “theory” that Bill Clinton ordered the murder of Vince Foster.”
I’ve encountered this type in forums, but they go *all* the way with it: they insist that the “Clinton Body Count” is REAL — because there are so many instances that “there’s got to be something to it.” Nevermind that the origin of the CBC was a Jerry Falwell production.
I applaud those of you who have written to the White House for taking action, but I’ve been of the mind that doing so will prove fruitless.
Calling Congress, however, will get you better results. Even if you’re talking to Republicans. The number for the Capitol switchboard is (202)224-3121. Ask for your Senators or Representative by name, or tell them your zip code if you don’t *know* the names of your Congressmen. I called earlier, and when I got through to their offices, I told them my name and my city, and then got down to business. Then, ask family and friends to do the same. Pass it on!
Wildcat