President Bush commuted former White House aide Lewis “Scooter” Libby’s 2.5-year prison sentence but left his perjury conviction intact.
Democrats swiftly condemned Bush’s decision. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada called it “disgraceful” and Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy of Vermont said it was “emblematic of a White House that sees itself as being above the law.”
Conservatives applauded Bush’s decision. “While for a long time I have urged a pardon for Scooter, I respect the president’s decision. This will allow a good a man who has done a lot for his country to resume his life,” said former Tennessee Republican Sen. Fred Thompson, a likely 2008 presidential candidate who helped raise money for Libby’s defense.
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Just because presidents have the right to commute or pardon sentences doesn’t mean they should for political or personal reasons. Bill Clinton pardoned some of his friends for personal reasons. Now Bush is exercising his right for political reasons. It is a sad day in America when cronyism and politics trumps fairness and democracy.
- Posted by Brian SchultzAre there really so many ignorant people out there? Or maybe there are just a lot of people who will say anything, no matter how idiotic, just to bash the President. Bush, and every other US President, has the legal authority to commute a sentence. If you don’t like it, email congress and tell them to ammend the constitution.
- Posted by StevenPersonally, I think Libby did lie. But the prosecution did not prove it beyond a reasonable doubt, because the judge refused to allow the only evidence and witnesseses that supported his defense. Libby will eventually get off on appeal, and Judge Walton will likely lose his job for his conduct during the trial. Any American who doesn’t want to go to jail just because I think he or she is guilty should be solidly on the side of scooter Libby.
- Posted by BobBush is way out of line with this. What is more appalling is how ineffective our system of “checks and balnaces” really is… Bush appears to abuse his office at every turn and our spineless Congressmen and Senators do nothing…
- Posted by Jeff Houck“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.
And he was taken care of. Royally.
- Posted by Bill S.this was a prosecutor out of control and this was a great decision by the president. dicky armitage was the leaker anyway and there was no underlying crime. plame and wilson are blowhards and wilson has been discredited. plame I feel a little sorry for though she was hardly covert; anyway, they should be angry at dicky. all the cheney and libby bashers: TOO BAD! hahahahahahahaha
- Posted by jacksonValerie Plame is an employee of the CIA. But I guess that depends on what your definition of “IS” is…..
- Posted by R. FordScooter does “supposedly” KNOW EVERYTHING Cheney and Bush has done, legal and illegal..I am sure he “probably” told CHENEY and BUSH both if they didnt get him out of this he would TELL EVERYTHING HE KNEW …Isn’t everything thats been happening with this case and all that these 3 men have been doing, TREASON? Are we, is America, safe with these 3 men free and in power?
- Posted by D MailleFor any CIA operative out there, sleep soundly tonight. The US president and his staff will ABSOLUTELY protect your identity to the fullest extent of the law…unless, of course, it gets in the way of his more important political agenda. We should all be thankful that King George is making good on his promise to bring honor and dignity to the White House.
- Posted by Davis WAS far as I am concerned, Scooter Libby is guilty of having a poor memory. If that is treason, then 99.4% of our population is guilty of that high crime.
The special prosecutor should never have been appointed. Ms Plame was NOT a covert agent. You cannot “out” a noncovert agent. Mr. Libby did not “out” her. The only thing that he did wrong in this scenario was to have a faulty memory. He should never have been taken to trial in the fist place. Once the special prosecutor determined that Ms Plame had not been “outed” the investigation was over. But he wanted to make a name for himself, hence the charges against Libby.
- Posted by Joan