I just run out of words

[sigma7]

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.

And here I thought the administration couldn't get more brazen. Wow. You do have to give them points for their sheer contempt for the rule of law.

Comments

[iamstillthemoon.livejournal.com]

Didn't Clinton do that a bunch before he was taken out of the White House?

[dvandom.livejournal.com]

A pardon may be coming later. For now, the commutation is kinda like a signing statement on the verdict...he isn't contradicting the jury, just the judge. He's letting the guilty verdict stand, Scooter is still a conviced felon (which means losing his law license, among other fallout). He's also letting the quarter million dollar fine stand. He's just editing out the prison time.

So, basically, he's saying, "The jury was right, but Scooter got Paris Hilton'ed by the judge!"

Give it a year or so for people to forget, and you can expect a pardon to follow, on the grounds that Scooter has "shown appropriate remorse" or some such horsehockey. It'll definitely be one of his leaving-office deals.

BTW, most Presidential pardons come after time has been served. The idea is that they help wipe a slate clean after the person has paid their debt to society. They're not generally supposed to be a "get off scot-free" card.

[foenix.livejournal.com]

Ahhh, I remember how Bush said the person responsible for leaking the info would be punished...

[jerrygarciuh.livejournal.com]

And every press conference over there is a Snow job.