Bush: Get Out of Jail Free
Posted on | July 2, 2007
The timing was right. As soon as Dick Cheney’s former chief of staff Lewis “Scooter” Libby’s conviction fell out of the news, we suspected a pardon woul be in the offing. Thankfully, the political climate probably doesn’t allow for such blatant contempt of judicial oversight, but Bush came through today, commuting Libby’s 30-month jail term before it could even begin:
And, Senator Harry Reid, Democratic Majority Leader, called the commutation ‘disgraceful.’
“The President’s decision to commute Mr. Libby’s sentence is disgraceful. Libby’s conviction was the one faint glimmer of accountability for White House efforts to manipulate intelligence and silence critics of the Iraq War. Now, even that small bit of justice has been undone,” Reid said in a statement. “The Constitution gives President Bush the power to commute sentences, but history will judge him harshly for using that power to benefit his own Vice President’s Chief of Staff who was convicted of such a serious violation of law.”
According to a lengthy statement released by the White House, Bush claimed that he had respect for “the jury’s verdict. But I have concluded that the prison sentence given to Mr. Libby is excessive.”
He justified the commutation saying that even without the jail time, Libby faces, “harsh punishment…The reputation he gained through his years of public service and professional work in the legal community is forever damaged….The significant fines imposed by the judge will remain in effect. The consequences of his felony conviction on his former life as a lawyer, public servant, and private citizen will be long-lasting.”
Bush also claimed that the act was an appropriate use of the power he is granted under the US Constitution.
What more confirmation do we need that Libby and the others who exposed CIA agent Valerie Plame’s identity were acting under the direct orders of the Bush Administration? Here’s Da Prez, from 2004:
“If there’s a leak out of my administration, I want to know who it is,” Bush told reporters at an impromptu news conference during a fund-raising stop in Chicago, Illinois. “If the person has violated law, that person will be taken care of.”
So don’t worry—Libby and the rest are being well taken care of. The full pardon is scheduled for January ‘09.
