No Jail Time For Scooter Libby
 

WASHINGTON - President Bush spared former White House aide I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby from a 2 1/2-year prison term in the CIA leak case Monday, stepping into a criminal case with heavy political overtones on grounds that the sentence was just too harsh.

Bush's move came hours after a federal appeals panel ruled Libby could not delay his prison term in the CIA leak case. That meant Libby was likely to have to report to prison soon and put new pressure on the president, who had been sidestepping calls by Libby's allies to pardon the former chief of staff to Vice President Dick Cheney.

Full story: http://www.cnn.com/2007/POLITICS/07/...nce/index.html

I obviously could never serve in government since these guys get convicted because they can't remember every sentance that was discussed in meetings three or four years ago when they have dozens of meetings a day.

I can't remember what I did yesterday! It was a travesty that he was ever indicted in the first place.

With these kinds of witch hunts it is going to be harder and harder to get good people to devote their lives to public service.

Oh, not to mention that Sandy Berger committed real crimes by stealing documents from the National Archives and stuffing them down his pants and socks and hiding them in a nearby construction site, yet he got off scott free with no jail time!!!

It's good to know the right people.

When it turned out that Richard Armitage was the "leaker" (and not someone within the Whitehouse) the prosecuter said he was not going to file charges against Armitage because it turns out that "leaking" Plame's name wasn't a crime after all.

So my question, "How could Libby have 'obstructed a criminal investigation' if the subject of the investigation was not a crime?"

It's all just a failed coup attempt by Clinton appointees within the CIA and State Department who should have been replaced by the President in January 2001.

Well, he was convicted of lying to authorities and obstruction. That just means he got in the way of the investigation.

I agree. I think the Prez made a mistake back in 2001 when he thought he could reach across party lines so he kept some key people from the Clinton admin in power at State and in the CIA.

I'm glad the President had the guts to grant clemency to "Scooter." The prison sentance was ridiculously excessive. I'd even argue that the house arrest or supervised whatever be lessened from 2 years to between 12 and 18 months, depending on good behavior.

Now if the President would do the same for the 3 Border Patrol Agents who have been jailed or imprisoned for doing their job, I may get warm fuzzies for the President again.

But he won't . . . cause he wants an open border and doesn't want the BP to enforce the law.

Yes, however, it was not a criminal investigation as the charge that went to Libby's jury read. Otherwise, why didn't they charge Richard Armitage with a crime? He was they guy everyone was looking for the whole time. Supposedly he was the guy Libby "lied" to "cover up."

Of course, as it turns out even Libby didn't know Armitage was "the source." All Libby did was forget the exact date when he had lunch with Tim Russert two years prior. Remember, in Grand Jury testimony you can't bring in any notes - everything you say has to be just off the top of your head.

It was a game of political "gotcha." People should not be sent to prison for political crimes in the U.S. This whole thing smacks of the gulag system.

... and in the Justice Department. That's also biting the president right now with the Attorneys General firings.

There have to be thousands of excessive sentences all throughout America...it stinks to high places, where the wickness is, that he commute this sentence. Bill Clinton was guilty of the same. This is why so many people don't trust politicians in general

Wrong class. Wrong side of town. Wrong family. Wrong circle of friends. If he was going to do something like that it should have been done long ago

That's the truth Dan....arncha glad at least one admin likes ya and pulls for ya :party

I usually agree with all of your posts, my brother! But...

Clinton lied to subvert a civil lawsuit. For that he got an impeachment warrant that was never even tried. Basically a slap on the wrist.

What did Libby do? He forgot when he had lunch with Tim Russert (NBC) and later with Judith Woodward (NYTimes) two years prior to his testimony.

Going into the Grand Jury he had no idea what range the questions would cover - remember, the only person we knew to be involved in the investigation was Bob Novak. So, maybe Scooter looks at his old calendars to see when he talked to Novak over the last few years... And when he gets to the Grand Jury - whamo - they want to know about Russert! ...

To this we must add - the jury foreman is a neighbor and acquaintance of Tim Russert (a prosecution witness!) and refused to disclose that prior to being impaneled... AND, that same jury foreman got a woman who would not go along with him thrown off the jury; so that the case was decided by just 11 jurors.

There's plenty of legal grounds for appeal here, so why the rush to send Scooter to jail? The case isn't even over yet. The wolves just want innocent blood. Is that what America is about?

Clinton should have gotten jail time. The whole thing is about good ole boy politics and it happens on both sides of the coin

If this is all true, particularly the fact that the foreman is a neighbor and acquantance of Russert, then the trial should never have taken place and should at least be declared a mis-trial. Bush then I think should never have even said what he said about the trial and declared the whole think was wrong and not just say that Scooter was given too excessive a penalty.

The bitter irony here is that 2 of those border agents were prosecuted by an Arizona based Federal Prosecuter that would later be fired by Bush and Alberto Gonzales for "misconduct" and/or "incompetence."

Bush and Cheney are the ones who should be behind bars!

All I've said is info from the standard news sources. As far as the trial "never taking place..." it's too late to unring the bell - but the appeals process is wide open. Usually a defendant gets to put up a bond while his case is on appeal - but not Scooter. Why? He's no flight risk. And he has an excellent chance of getting the case overturned. But no bond? What's going on here?

Bush did and said what he did for 2 reasons: The sentence is commutted, No Pardon - because of the excellent chance Libby has of getting the whole thing thrown out.

Further, about the jury's descision: Bush doesn't want to weaken our faith in "the process" and he doesn't want to raise the hackles of his political enemies.

Basically, the president is a pretty good guy, but he can also be a real ----- sometimes when it comes to standing up for his allies.

What was the misconduct or incompetence? Was it related to the case? If not or even if so, why wasn't there an immediate call for a retrial or mistrial?

Uh, careful with the language.

Anyways, He should get an appeal

Why? Have you people all been drinking the Kool-Aid?

War crimes, lying to the American people.

It's in quotes because honestly, I don't know. The case by case stuff was never released in detail.

It's just that the whole thing reeks of partisan politics and, as you pointed out, it's usually the people of "the wrong class", etc. that get trampled down.

I think those agents got the raw end of the deal. I can't believe the suspect got immunity

"War crimes?" CupCake, what war crimes have Bush and Cheney committed?

Sure, there's enough policy disagreements that someone could make the case that they should not be re-elected or that their policies should be abandoned. But, "war crimes?" Like what? Specifically.

And can you quote one lie for me that Bush told to the American people, and then one lie that Cheney told. I've heard the charge but never seen any specifics.

Cupcake,

You have certainly lived up to your screen name in this post. At what point in time did you leave reality and enter lala land?

You don't get out much, it's all over the new as well as the internet, I have found people who wont seek out info for them self really wont listen anyways and a waist of my time.

Quote:

Originally Posted by CupCake (Post 174449) You don't get out much, it's all over the new as well as the internet, I have found people who wont seek out info for them self really wont listen anyways and a waist of my time.

Surely if the president was guilty of war crimes you could have rattled off a few for us - but no, not one charge. hmmm...

The same for the charge of "lying to the American people..." If that was true, surely you could have rattled off a single - just a single lie that GWB told.

C'mon. Give us one. You're dodging the challenge here and everyone can see it. Please don't be angry with me, I just want to know what it is that has gotten a fellow believer angry enough to make those kinds of charges. I challenged you on this point because I do "seek out info..." I'm just guessing here, but you don't really know of any war crimes or lies that you can charge the President and VP with, do you? You haven't sought out the info, have you?

Or are you deliberately bringing a false accusation against the President and Vice President of the United States?

I remember CupCake for the other forum under a different name, I recognize her radical Anti-Americanism.

I think the president jumped the gun on this one....................

What do you mean? That the president commuted too soon?

I think he should have let the appeals process run it's course.........

Yes, but the court ruled that Libby had to report immediately to prison. No bond. That's only done in extraordinary circumstances or where the defendant is a known flight risk.

All the Dems wanted was to hang Cheney. When it turned out they didn't even have a criminal case at all, they started clamoring for whatever blood they could get. Bush acted to keep Libby from going to jail before the appeals could even be heard. It's for cases like these that presidents and governors have this power. They're supposed to step in when there's a clear miscarriage of justice.

The President did the right thing, IMO.

During his closing arguments, Fitzgerald did what has caused many a prosecutor to get a mistrial: He asked the jury to consider “facts” that had not been placed into evidence or proven in any way.

Bottom line.

Throughout the trial, Fitzgerald insisted that Valerie Plame’s status was irrelevant and that the defense could not use her status in any way. But now that it came time for sentencing, Fitzgerald insisted that her status be considered, and that Mr. Libby be treated as if he’d violated the law he’d never even been charged with.

The judge apparently accepted Fitzgerald’s argument, contrary to all notions of basic fairness.

Bad form!

if it was me, I would have pardoned Libby and given him a presidential medal of freedom, then gotten the Queen on the phone and gotten her to make him a Baron of the Realm.

Then I would announce a special procecutor to investagate Fitzgerald for procecutoral misconduct. this would include finding out if he abuses animals by eating red meat. It would cost him a billion dollars to fight the charges.

I see the title of this thread and I all I can think about is this guy...


http://www.movieprop.com/tvandmovie/...shooter1aa.jpg



SHOOOOTER!!!

Hurrah for Libby and the Prez.

Amen!!

I wonder if President Bush had his mind made up to commute SL's sentence before he was even convicted.

Look I don't mind that Scooter got a prison sentence. But if he was guilty what about a certain President that lied to the Grand Jury and got off Scot free? Politics is a rough game and I care less that a political lackey got pardoned for playing "The Game" then this pardon http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=21595.

The mandate for change was for less Government and we see More Government.

18 months of illegals coming North to all Vote in Nov 2008 and folks like chaotic and BOOMM are disgusted with the Republican Do-Nothing Party. So, we hope a third party emerges and hold our noses voting our conscience. Thousands of others stay home in disgust of GOP and the thought of voting Socialist Democratic.

Easy shoo-in looms for House, Senate, and 1600 Pennsylvania Ave.

:blah