Bush Commutes `Scooter' Libby's Prison Term in CIA Leak Case By Edwin Chen July 2 (Bloomberg) -- President George W. Bush commuted Lewis ``Scooter'' Libby's prison term in the CIA leak case, a senior administration official told reporters. Libby, 56, was sentenced to 2 1/2 years in prison after his conviction of lying to investigators probing the 2003 leak of CIA official Valerie Plame's identity. Backers of Libby, former chief of staff to Vice President Dick Cheney, had argued for a pardon. Bush acted after a U.S. appellate court today refused to let Libby stay out of prison during his appeal. AP Bush commutes Libby prison sentence By MATT APUZZO, Associated Press Writer 1 minute ago WASHINGTON - President Bush commuted the sentence of former White House aide I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby on Monday, sparing him from a 2 1/2-year prison term that Bush said was excessive. 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. "I respect the jury's verdict," Bush said in a statement. "But I have concluded that the prison sentence given to Mr. Libby is excessive. Therefore, I am commuting the portion of Mr. Libby's sentence that required him to spend thirty months in prison." Bush left intact a $250,000 fine and two years probation for Libby, and Bush said his action still "leaves in place a harsh punishment for Mr. Libby." Libby was convicted in March of lying to authorities and obstructing the investigation into the 2003 leak of CIA operative's identity. He was the highest-ranking White House official ordered to prison since the Iran-Contra affair. Bush said of Cheney's former aide: "The reputation he gained through his years of public service and professional work in the legal community is forever damaged. His wife and young children have also suffered immensely. He will remain on probation. 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."
What you mean to say is that he was pardoned. I don't understand the difference. There isn't any. D&D. Everybody Wants to Rule the World.
So he was pardoned. You have to be convicted to be pardoned. Bush must be bummed that he can't be self-appointed judge, as well as jury. Oh, wait... D&D. Replicant Disdain.
"And if there is a leak out of my administration, I want to know who it is. And if the person has violated law, the person will be taken care of. " GWB 2003 Yup, well he was certainly taken care of. I wonder if he got free ice cream.
I'm not surprised at all. What did Bush have to lose? The only segment of the population he has any chance improving his standing with are the wingnuts that are pissed at him over immigration. The freepi have all been clamoring for a pardon because they are convinced that a Bush appointed prosecutor and Bush appointed judge and John Ashcroft were at the root of an evil liberal plot that railroaded Libby.
Libby gets out of it, yet we continue to hold American citizens in prisons without charges. **** GEORGE W BUSH !!! DD
If this had happened in 2001 I'd be flipping out and people would be marching on the capital and calling for impeachment. In 2007, the feeling is more along the lines of 'what's new?’ I think I am suffering from 'criminal president fatigue'. Obscene abuse of office seems like business as usual. Did aybody really expect Bush to do the honest and appropriate thing?
Bush realizes he can't sink any lower and the later he waited the more people would remember. Most presidents don't do this kind of stuff until later but Bush is so low in the abyss it doesn't hurt him. It's an admission that his administration is cooked to a crisp with 18 months to go. If Bush and his minions had anything to lose, this wouldn't have happened. He is a dead president walking. Bush to the American public: What are you going to do, shoot me (figurately)? Hah, I'm already dead. Pbbbbbt. Bush stopped driving the car a long time ago and the GOP would love to lock him in the trunk if they could. Another aspect here could have been Libby threatened to squeal and blackmailed Bush into doing this if he got prison time. The Bush administration probably has a trailer load of skeletons. Who knows, history may put Bush Inc. in the same class as Nixon.
Anybody paying attention to this administration over the last 6 years should not be surprised. Just another day in the criminal world of George W Bush. Scooter might have started to name names if he really was going to serve any jail time. Bush couldn't let that happen.
I am only surprised at the timing. Bush's dad pardoned all the Iran Contral guys. Bush Jr. then employed some such as Elliot Abrahams. These guys have no shame. I suppose Bush might also be giving the signal to anybody else in his Administration who might need it to hang tough in Congressional hearings (perjury themselves if necessary) as he will pardon them too.. A $250,000 fine. Give me a break. The rich crowd around the President will pay the fine one way or the other.
