By commuting the jail sentence he keeps libby out of jail, but can still appeal his conviction and possibly get it overturned. IF (huge IF) that happens, Bush will look like he kept an innocent man out of jail. If it doesn't happen, he can pardon him on his last day in office...

Its actually a pretty smart move, politically speaking, it appeases his base which have been leaving him, its not an outright pardon so the public won't be as pissed as they would if it were, and if Libby does know something damning to the president the prosecuters can't use decreased jail time as leverage anymore...

Good.

You can't put a price on the entertainment this is providing me.

No need to stop yet. :)

While the Middle CLass work to keep the country afloat, rich and poor rob them. The difference is the poor risk jail while the rich, politically connected, do not.

Clinton pardoned criminals that did far worse.

Bush could put out the fires by pardoning Martha Stewart...

"Yeah, it's improper to be leaking those names," Snow said. Pressed on whether someone in the administration owed the American public an apology, Snow said, "I'll apologize. Done."



far worse than treason?

even the white house admits it was wrong, ie a crime.

even the white house admits it was wrong, ie a crime.

Posted by truthhurts


It would be kind of tough to commute the sentence if there was no crime... what's your point?

leaking the names numbnuts for brains, not the felony of obstructing justice.

seee WHITE HOUSE ADMITS releasing name was wrong and yet they STILL commuted sentance.

god bless america

seee WHITE HOUSE ADMITS releasing name was wrong and yet they STILL commuted sentance

But what does that have to do with Libby?

He commuted Libby's perjury sentence... no one has been convicted of a crime for releasing names.

you stupid mother fucker, the press secretary of the president of the united states stated categorically it was wrong to release valerie plames name. What otehr evidence do you need?

releasing name was wrong, ie a crime.

libby was caught LYING to a grand jury investigating that wrong action, ie that crime.

libby obstructed justice, preventing the investigation of that wrong action, ie that crime.

BUSH's RESPECTS THE JURY's verdict: HERE ARE HIS WORDS: "I respect the jury's verdict."

THerefore, bush acknowledges that libby broke the law, OBSTRUCTED JUSTICE. In other words Libby did enough damage to the investigation to prevent justice being served. Ie everyone got their story straight after he testified.

yep no jail time for him.

Bush's press secretary just apologized for the commission of treason.

you stupid mother fucker, the press secretary of the president of the united states stated categorically it was wrong to release valerie plames name. What otehr evidence do you need?

Posted by truthhurts


LOL... listen priscilla, don't cry, I'm trying to get what you are saying.

Bush commuted Libby's sentence because he thought the prison term was too harsh.

What does that have to do with Tony Snow saying it was wrong for the names to be released?

Oh and wrong doesn't mean crime...

releasing name was wrong, ie a crime.

Wrong does not mean crime big guy...

Bush's press secretary just apologized for the commission of treason.

Posted by truthhurts


No he did not...

He may have apologized, but not for treason... you're an assclown.

yes it does in this case stupid

It is interesting that people keep throwing the Clinton name out there to defend the republicans.
The Clinton's and Bush's are in bed together. They have been for years.
There is some evidence that Bill Clinton was a CIA operative, and that G. Sr. recruired him when Clinton was going to Caimbridge.
It is also known fact that the CIA was flying cocaine into Mena airport Arkansas when Clinton was governor, and G Sr, was president and coordinating the Iran/Contra criminal enterprise.

Republicans don't lie. They just alter the reality they live in.
It's what God would want them to do.

Lobby will get his pardon (and probably a Medal of Fuckedupdom) after November 2008.

It'll be fun watching the Republican candidates explain why perjury and lying to the FBI is a good thing, especially when it is used to advance a war nobody supports anymore.

yes it does in this case stupid

Posted by truthhurts


Then he would have said it was illegal to release her name... he didn't he said it was wrong.

Wrong does not equal illegal.

illegal and provable are two different things made more difficult when justice is obstructed.

wrong with regards to the release of a covert cia agent is equivalent with crime.

Wrong does not equal illegal.
Posted by Rob_The_A_Hole at 2007-07-03 02:40 PM | Reply


YEAH!

Says the Ten Commandments protector!

"I made a judgment, a considered judgment, that I believe was the right decision to make in this case," the president said. "And I stand by it." At the same time, he left the door open for the possibility of a pardon later.

Bush spoke to reporters Tuesday after visiting wounded soldiers at Walter Reed Army Medical Center.



well bush is either the most insensitive/stupid human being or he does have a grand sense of irony

It would have been nice if Bush had just pardoned him before the trial.

Instead Bush just let them waste all that money putting Libby on trial.

He knew he was going to pardon him, no matter what the sentence was.

So who cares?

Were any of you concerned when Clinton and presidents before him pardoned criminals who did more than Libby did? Not a peep. And I can't believe Hillary has the balls (well, maybe lol) to say its worse.

AnalAmerican, get your rubber ducky, Uncle Dick is calling you for bathtime.

My main source of puzzlement - and 'TIS a puzzelement - this morning is the political side of what went into this particular manifestation of bushit.

Karl and Dick must have advised Dub that public opinion no longer matters at all. "You're so far in the toilet, your lordship, that only one hand still sticks out. You might as well let the bastard go."

Now which GOP fund will pay Scooter''s quarter-million-dollar fine? herm

The entire process for a Presidential Pardon needs to be reformed. Like most of the Executive Powers, pardons have morphed into a gross political tool.

Pardons should be a way for a President to right a greater wrong. Only group pardons, where the government has overstepped its' bounds, should apply. The Whiskey Rebels, Confederate citizens, and Vietnam draft dogers are examples where pardons were used in their intended format; to correct a grave injustice perpetrated on its' citizens.

Now pardons are only used to thwart justice (george steinbrenner, marc rich, patty hurst, richard nixon, stewart libby...) instead of uphold it. If our Executives can only use this power to prevent justice from being served, it needs to be abolished.

Bush will pardon Libby at the end of his term. That way he won't have to face the press but will be throwing a bone to his base.

Bush is likely to be the most reclusive expresident ever.

Good.

You can't put a price on the entertainment this is providing me.

No need to stop yet. :)

Posted by Pinche_Mao

And why is this entertaining? Watching the constitution being pissed on must be fun to someone of your moral fiber.


oh thats right.. spineless pontificating blow hards like yourself have no spine and no morals. Life as an invertebrate..now thats living!

Watching the constitution being pissed on must be fun to someone of your moral fiber.


The Consitution allows for the President to pardon or commute the sentences of people in this country.

Just because you don't like it doesn't mean it goes against the Constitution. Bush did nothing wrong, big guy.

"Bush did nothing wrong...."

Turns out there's at least one other person convicted this week of Perjury and Obstruction of Justice that has a long and positive history of public service.

Of course, he's not rich, or connected. And the twenty-seven years of public service he put in was in the military. So he's going to have to serve the sentence guidelines Libby just evaded.

No, Bush did nothing wrong. He's just a low class schmuck. Give the man a near-beer. He's had a hard day.

By his action, Bush has clearly stated that if a member of his administration is found guilty of obstruction of justice and lying to the FBI, they won't do a minute of jail time even if he must step in to prevent it.

Nothing wrong with that.

Right, Rob?

"...if there's a leak out of my administration, I want to know who it is. And if the person has violated the law, the person will be taken care of"
George W. Bush, 09/30/03

Well, I guess now we know what he meant by that.

Nothing wrong with that.

Posted by Boyd


Legio said the Constitution was being "pissed on" by this action. I said that the Constitution allows for the Pardons:

"shall have power to grant reprieves and pardons for offenses against the United States, except in cases of impeachment."

And therefore Bush cannot piss on the constitution.

Except in the cases of Impeachment, the Pardon and Commutation powers of the president are limitless and without restriction.

Well, of course he'll pardon Libby. The guy has to be able to get his pinstripe suit pressed so he gets his law license back and can serve as buttwhipe in another GOPiggie adminisration somewhere down the road, doesn't he? ( A la Elliott Ebrams?) What a bunch of douchebags.

Rob-
You went further. You said that "Bush did nothing wrong"

Big difference. Maybe you'd like to clarify.

And therefore Bush cannot piss on the constitution.

Except in the cases of Impeachment, the Pardon and Commutation powers of the president are limitless and without restriction.

Posted by Rob_The_A_Hole

its a total slight to due process of law..to think otherwise is plainly wrong..this whole country needs a giant enema from the bushies and cronies.