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Sure, why the hell not (Libby)

July 2, 2007

President Bush has commuted Scooter Libby’s prison sentence after an appeals court ruled there was “no new legal argument to be made” in any appeal. 

Expect Scooter to get his own show on Fox for this…  Ollie did.

Notes from all over:

  • My son sent me this link: Commute these sentences, Mr. President

  • Think it was a liberal witch hunt?  Read this first
  • And Afarensis notes that the sentence Bush commuted was handed down by his own appointees, within the sentencing guidelines of his own administration
  • Thoughts From Kansas has a little technical background on the sort-of-pardon, along with a comparison of who is still in jail
  • Questionable Authority notes with amazement “what a difference a few years makes” in Perjury and hypocrisy
  • Jim Downey says the president’s in good spirits, though, in This is not comforting, written just before the pardon
  • ***Dave allows as how, anyway, they’re Law And Order party
  • BBC News: Bush Libby move angers Democrats, with many related articles in sidebar.  Democrats have an image problem in which they are often accused of being “whiny” (a deliberate strategy of Republican image specialists, BTW).  This might be a good occasion for sarcasm, for handing Bush enough rope.  “Bush commuted Libby’s sentence?  I am shocked, shocked, I tell you!  Who could possibly have predicted such a thing?” (rolls eyes and walks away from camera)
  • Cajun complains that Clinton did it too, though I persist that, while lying and wink-pardons are wrong, it makes a difference what a person lies about or what a person is pardoned for.
  • Uncertain Principles reports that Bush commutes Pluto’s sentence so I guess Pluto is a planet again.
  • Mike the Mad Biologist (which I understand is a tautology) is seriously ticked in Bush Obstructs Justice
Categories: Politics
  1. July 3, 2007 at 19:48 | #1

    I never believed that Shrub et al stood for justice and democracy.  The “reasoning” for this commutation was that the sentence was “exceesive”.  Excuse me?  Not only were convictions of similar cases in line with this, but HOW THE HECK DOES GEORGE BUSH JUSTIFY SECOND-GUESSING THE CONSIDERED JUDGMENT OF THE JUDICIARY, A SEPARATE AND BALANCING BRANCH OF THE GOVERNMENT?

    Yes, I know that commutations and pardons are the purview of the chief executive of a government, be it state or federal.  In this case, this is ludicrous in light of both Bush’s previous pronouncements that anyone in his administration who was guilty regarding this affair would face justice (where is “justice” now), and in light of his track record of being extremely stingy with commutations and pardons both as president and as governor of Texas.

    But the more important thing is that this is a set-up.  You watch … the 2008 election will be finagled and rigged to produce the result the Cheney branch of government wants.  I’m not sure they will be successful, but the effort will be there.

    And if they clearly lose the election, I would not be surprised if there is a manufactured, overarching “uber-crisis” that will form the foundation for them refusing to relinquish power come January 20, 2009.

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