John Dean on Countdown re Libby Commutation

Joe Wilson on Keith Olbermann's Countdown

BREAKING: Bush Commutes Libby's Sentence

Blog Reactions:


Think Progress:
Bush Commutes Libby Sentence

President Bush has spared Scooter Libby from a 2½-year prison term, issuing an order that commutes his sentence, the AP reports. Libby will never have to go to jail, but his felony conviction will stand, and he will still serve two years probation and owe $250,000 in fines.

The Politico reported on June 17:

White House loyalists have begun arguing that clemency for I. Lewis “Scooter” Libby — either a pardon or a commuted sentence — would be a way for an embattled President Bush to reassert himself, particularly among conservatives.

The White House has not ruled out a pardon for Libby, sources say. But several Republicans, who sense a movement in Libby’s favor, said a more likely possibility might be a presidential commutation — a reduction or elimination of Libby’s 2½-year federal prison sentence. Such a move, they said, would be less divisive for the country.

Talking Points Memo:

As you've no doubt already heard shouted from near every rooftop, President Bush has commuted Scooter Libby's prison sentence. Specifically, the conviction stands -- the fine and probation stand. Libby just doesn't have to spend a day in prison.

Now, here's the key to this.

There is a conceivable argument --- a very poor one but a conceivable one --- for pardoning Scooter Libby, presumably on the argument that the entire prosecution was political and thus illegitimate. But what conceivable argument does the president have for micromanaging the sentence? To decide that the conviction is appropriate, that probation is appropriate, that a substantial fine is appropriate --- just no prison sentence.

This is being treated in the press as splitting the difference, an elegant compromise. But it is the least justifiable approach. The president has decided that the sentencing guidelines and the opinion of judge don't cut it.

The only basis for this decision is that Libby is the vice president's friend, the vice president rules the president and this was the minimum necessary to keep the man silent.

-- Josh Marshall

Americablog:

BREAKING: Bush commutes Scooter Libby's prison sentence
by Joe Sudbay (DC) · 7/02/2007 05:48:00 PM ET

CNN just reported -- via AP -- that Bush commuted Scooter Libby's sentence. Scooter won't go to jail. Apparently, the conviction, probation and fine still stand. So, basically, Bush just said that Libby is guilty but he doesn't have to pay the price because he's a friend of Cheney. Nice. Compare that to the Republicans impeaching Bill Clinton for committing the same crime, and Republicans have always said that Clinton got off easy. Well, Libby just got off easier.

The second thing that Bush just did, he showed that all this talk about letting justice run its course was all a crock. Bush had no intention of letting justice run its course - he was only going to let the courts make the decision IF the courts let Libby go. But once the courts found, unanimously, that this guy isn't just guilty as sin, but that he also doesn't deserve to be set free, Bush set him free anyway.

UPDATE: CNN's Ed Henry read a statement from Bush who thinks the 30-month prison sentence for Libby is "excessive." Really? Then what prison sentence does Bush think is appropriate for Libby? Probation isn't any punishment at all. And paying a fine, that's nice, except we all know that he's going to raise the money to pay the fine. So, what punishment is Libby facing for lying to a federal investigator trying to find out who leaked the identity of a CIA agent for political gain, endangering our national security?

Firedoglake:

Christie Hardin Smith...

President Bush, once again throwing the rule of law out in the trash to cater to his rabid base, has commuted Scooter Libby’s prison sentence. Both MSNBC and CNN are reporting this.

As Jeff Toobin just said on CNN: A pardon is if the conviction had never happened — a pardon is an absolute reversal of fortune. A commutation leaves the conviction, the fine and the two years of probation on the books, but it does remove the prison time from the mix.

The President has an absolute right to do this. But by commuting the sentence of his former Presidential advisor and the former Number 2 to Dick Cheney — the President has put protecting Dick Cheney and his actions above respect for America’s system of justice.

This is a shameful, self-dealing action which will have long-term political ramifications for the Bush Administration. And it should.

The entire case — from betrayal of Valerie Plame Wilson by members of her own government to the inception of the investigation into that betrayal from a referral from the CIA…all the way through to the conviction of I. Lewis Libby of multiple felony counts by a federal jury and the stiff sentence for a convicted felon meted out by a conservative federal judge — all of it has served to highlight the lies on which the invasion of Iraq rested. And how far the members of the Bush Administration were willing to go to keep those lies buried and away from the public’s knowledge.

That George Bush commuted Libby’s sentence just as he returned from a trip to his father’s family compound in Maine, ran into the White House away from the press and refused to answer any questions about his own involvement in the case, his own interview with Patrick Fitzgerald and federal investigators, and any remaining questions that still hang out there about the cloud over Dick Cheney underscores the craven and disrespectful conduct of the Bush Administration from start to finish. There is nothing that these people will not do to protect their own, whatever the cost may be for the long term to the public confidence in the rule of law. This is a slap in the face to the members of the jury and all of the federal judges who have ruled on the substantial amount of evidence of Libby’s guilt and the weakness of his attempts to appeal.

Olberman will definately have something to say and may even have Amb. Wilson on. I will report what he says when it's up.

This was a foolish move that Bush made. This will anger many people. Only 19% thought that Bush should pardon Libby so I think they will feel the same about a commutation. Plus it opens up more possibilities for the Wilson suit. More to come on this!

Will Bush Pardon Libby?

The majority of American people say he should not. Conservative Talk Show hosts and a minority of conservatives are pressing him to pardon.

From Bloomberg:

Bush Faces `No-Win' Pressures to Pardon Convicted Cheney Aide
By Edwin Chen

June 29 (Bloomberg) -- President George W. Bush is likely to pay a political price if he decides to pardon convicted vice presidential aide Lewis ``Scooter'' Libby -- or if he decides not to pardon him.

With the start of Libby's 2 1/2-year prison term looming, Republican stalwarts who are the president's last source of political support may revolt unless he quickly pardons the former chief of staff to Vice President Dick Cheney. If Bush does act, he would violate Justice Department guidelines, alienate much of the public and run the risk of cover-up charges.

``This is a no-win situation for Bush,'' said David Gergen, who advised Presidents Richard Nixon, Ronald Reagan and Bill Clinton.

Libby, 56, was convicted in March of obstructing justice, perjury and making false statements to investigators probing the 2003 leak of Central Intelligence Agency agent Valerie Plame's identity. Unless a federal appeals court delays his sentence, he will be required to report to jail by late July or mid-August.

A Cable News Network/Opinion Research survey conducted after Libby's conviction found that 69 percent of respondents opposed a pardon while 18 percent favored it. At the same time, a pro-Libby firestorm is being fanned by self-described conservative bloggers and talk-radio hosts, and many conservative leaders are asking the president to step in.

`Railroaded'

Libby was ``railroaded,'' said Paul Weyrich, head of the Washington-based Free Congress Foundation, a small-government educational group. David Keene, chairman of the American Conservative Union, based in Alexandria, Virginia, said Libby got a ``raw deal'' and has been left to ``twist in the wind.''

Keene calls on Bush to display the same loyalty to Libby that he's shown to his friend Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, whose handling of the dismissal of eight U.S. prosecutors has prompted lawmakers to call for his resignation.

``It tells you what a deep, dark, dank un-spinnable hole Bush is in when he has to pardon a guy to appease 30 percent of the country,'' said Democratic strategist Chris Lehane, a former aide to Vice President Al Gore.

A pardon might also raise fresh questions about whether Libby had been acting at the request of his superiors. ``I think he sort of took one for the team,'' said Weyrich.

Going Against Guidelines

A quick pardon for Libby would go against Justice Department guidelines, which recommend that a supplicant wait five years after conviction or release from confinement before seeking a pardon. On the other hand, there's no requirement that a president wait; President Gerald Ford pardoned his disgraced predecessor, Richard Nixon, shortly after taking office in 1974, and before Nixon was convicted of anything.

The focus on a Libby pardon is obscuring other options available to Bush, including conditional pardons, commutations, remissions of fines and amnesties, Ruckman said.

One possibility would be to issue a respite directive, which simply delays carrying out a sentence and lets passions cool, he said. George Washington first granted respites in June, 1795, delaying the executions of two men involved in the Whiskey Rebellion; they were later pardoned, Ruckman said.

``Bush can keep Libby out of jail without exercising a pardon,'' Ruckman said.

So will Bush Favor his base and his VP, or will he honor the wishes of 69% of the nation.

Today's News and Links

From Think Progress:

CNN: White House Now Blames Briefer For Going Too Far On Iran Intel

Today, CNN reported that the White House is now blaming the anonymous intelligence briefer who presented the information. According to CNN’s Ed Henry, the White House says the anonymous intelligence briefer went “a little too far” in stating the evidence. But, as Henry said, “that begs the question why the administration has taken so long to clarify those comments.” Watch it Here

And from Raw Story, plenty of news. Here are the headlines and the link:

Exclusive: Top Republican aide says leadership won't force members to vote in favor of Bush 'surge'

2008 candidate looks to revoke Bush's 2002 Iraq authority...

Justice Department leaks own talking points to reporters

Cheney ally blasts Pentagon's report on pre-Iraq war intel

Waas: Cheney's 2002 phone call set stage for CIA leak probe

And here's Raw Story's Link