http://www.cnn.com/2007/POLITICS/07/02/libby.sentence/index.html Spectacular... I love a President that has no regard for the law... WASHINGTON (CNN) -- President Bush commuted Monday the prison term of former White House aide I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby, facing 30 months in prison after a federal court convicted him of perjury, obstruction of justice and lying to investigators. A commutation is distinct from a pardon, which is a complete eradication of a conviction record and makes it the same as if the person has never been convicted. Bush has only commuted the jail term, which means that the conviction remains on Libby's record and he must still pay a $250,000 fine.
Oh, so you mean like how Clinton essentially did the same thing with Mark Rich at the end of his Presidency? But wait, Clinton was the best ever, so it's okay for him to do it, right? Truthfully, I saw this coming, as I'm sure most did. Presidents will always play favorites, whether they be Dems or Republicans.
I would not characterize it as the same thing. Not giving a pardon insures that the conviction stays on his record and he actually has to pay the fine. Mark Rich skipped the country to Switzerland after Rudolph Giuliani got a conviction. Then after the couple paid Hillary's brother $100k, then they got a pardon. But that was a bargain, as Bill got another $400k out of Almon Glenn Braswell and Carlos Vignali, a cocaine trafficker. At least Bill made sure he got paid first. Hillary's brother is now being sued for not repaying the "loan". Funny how the original crime against Valerie Plame was supposedly leaking her name and therefor exposing her covert status. That's what started the investigation. Last time I checked it was proven that Robert Novak did this in his column, not Scooter Libby. So were they really concerned about this women being exposed or was this just an attempt to hang a Bush aid and therefor mar his presidency further? This was nothing more than a political witch hunt. Glad those dems are looking out for me...
The CIA filed the complaint. Bush political appointee James Comey named Bush political appointee and career prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald to investigate the Plame leak. Bush political appointee and career prosecutor Fitzgerald filed an indictment and went to trial before Bush political appointee Reggie Walton. A jury convicted Libby, and Bush political appointee Walton sentenced him. At sentencing, Bush political appointee Judge Walton described the evidence against Libby as "overwhelming" and concluded that a 30-month sentence was appropriate. The appeals court was composed of what I think was a father Bush appointee, a Bush appointee, and a democratic appointee (Clinton?). And yet the claim is that the Libby prosecution was the work of the democrats... You people are ****ing insane.
He is following the law. The law gives him the power to commute and pardon people. Did you complain when Clinton pardoned all those people who committed a crime? Do you even know how many he pardoned?
Let's not get into a Clinton did this vs. Bush did that type thing. All lame duck President's pardon their political allies as they leave office. Its a crock, but it wasn't exclusive to the Clinton administration.
Exactly. There should be no outrage over this since it's done all the time. But I suspect the left will paint a different story today. Just like when the right was outraged with Clinton lying under oath, then defended Libby for doing the same. Hypocrisy...
The only thing Libby was guilty of was perjury. Plame was outed by someone else. I believe Bill Clinton was guilty of the same offense. Where's the outrage? Presidents have commutation powers. If I'm in a bind and my Bud is the President, I'd sure as hell expect to take advantage of my friendship. Insane? You liberals are incredible.
Yes, all presidents issue pardons. Mark Rich was a wealthy tax-evader who should not have been pardoned, probably. The difference here is that this Libby affair was about information leaks in the White House definitely involving the Vice President and possibly involving the President. Libby was prosecuted for federal crimes by a US prosecutor in a US court system by a jury of his peers and sentenced by a judge. For the President to commute this sentence smacks of obstruction of justice. It makes it appear that Libby took the fall for his superiors in return for getting an executive reprieve. History will take a dim view. Trust me, this commutation is just temporary. Libby will recieve a complete pardon when Bush leaves office. Actually, lying to the FBI, perjury before a grand jury, and obstruction of justice. Actually, Armitage, Libby, and Cheney all admitted thay leaked Plame to reporters. Bush himself promised to "find the leaker and punish him." Did he lie or is he stupid? There was plenty of criticism and still is, just ask Limbaugh or Sourdoughman. But this was a case involving the White House, who is protecting one of its own, possibly to protect itself from being betrayed by a bitter Libby in jail. It may be legal, but it's politically damaging, ethically disgraceful . . . and morally outrageous.
