Bush Commutes Libby's Jail term

Hmm, well, the thread right above yours in new posts right this minute was started by oralloy, not exactly my idea of "you libbies".

Anyhoo, I have mixed feelings about this. On the one hand, I'm glad he didn't pardon him. On the other, if he's not going to pardon him I don't really understand the rationale for getting involved in the case at all.

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It is not fair that Bush commuted Libby's jail sentence. After all, Libby did not "commute" reporter Miller's jail sentence by admitting he was the protected source.

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Quote:

Fitz Speaks
by emptywheel

Via email from his spokesperson:

We fully recognize that the Constitution provides that commutation decisions are a matter of presidential prerogative and we do not comment on the exercise of that prerogative.

We comment only on the statement in which the President termed the sentence imposed by the judge as "excessive." The sentence in this case was imposed pursuant to the laws governing sentencings which occur every day throughout this country. In this case, an experienced federal judge considered extensive argument from the parties and then imposed a sentence consistent with the applicable laws. It is fundamental to the rule of law that all citizens stand before the bar of justice as equals. That principle guided the judge during both the trial and the sentencing.

Although the President's decision eliminates Mr. Libby's sentence of imprisonment, Mr. Libby remains convicted by a jury of serious felonies, and we will continue to seek to preserve those convictions through the appeals process.

http://thenexthurrah.typepad.com/the_next_hurrah/2007/07/fitz-speaks.html

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Quote:

Associated Press
Bush Won't Rule Out Pardon
By MATT APUZZO 07.03.07, 12:28 PM ET

President Bush on Tuesday refused to rule out an eventual pardon for former White House aide I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby.

"As to the future, I rule nothing in and nothing out," the president said a day after commuting Libby's 2 1/2-year prison term in the CIA leak case.

Bush said he had weighed his decision carefully to erase Libby's prison time. He said the jury's conviction of Libby should stand but that the 30-month prison term was too severe.

"I made a judgment, a considered judgment," the president said. "I stand by it." At the same time, he left the door open for the possibility of a pardon later.

forbes/bush/pardon

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CLEMENCY FOR LIBBY

Wow! Are the Democrats going to have a field day with this one. Stand by for the outrage.

President Bush has granted executive clemency to Scooter Libby. This is not a pardon. Bush stated that he respected the jury's verdict. He felt, however, that the 30-month sentence was too harsh, so that portion of Libby's sentence was commuted by Bush.

In the Democrat hell-raising that is sure to follow I'm sure the media is going to ignore some of the pardons handed out by Clinton at the end of his term. At least Bush didn't grant clemency as a reward to a community for votes.

The fact is that Libby was prosecuted following an investigation of an action that did not constitute a crime under our laws. The special prosecutor pretended to be looking for the person who had "leaked" Valerie Plame's name to the media ... I say he "pretended" because he knew the identity of that person from the beginning of his investigation. Patrick Fitzgerald packed the Beltway jury with people not exactly in love with George Bush, and then set Libby up as the symbol of the Bush Administration.

Bush has righted a wrong. What's more, he has figuratively flipped off his leftist critics. Gotta love it.

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Yeah, screw the law, as long as your guy comes out on top, right?

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kickycan wrote:

Yeah, screw the law, as long as your guy comes out on top, right?

Bitter?

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kickycan wrote:

Yeah, screw the law, as long as your guy comes out on top, right?

Bush broke no law.

If you would do a little research at all,you would find this...

In Article 2,section 2 of the constitution..

Quote:

and he shall have Power to Grant Reprieves and Pardons for Offenses against the United States, except in Cases of Impeachment.

So the President broke no law,and he did exactly what the law allows.

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Mark my words... Bush will pardon Libby. There is no question.

The "Commutation" has a very convenient side effect. Under a pardon, Libby can not invoke the fifth amendment (since you can't incriminate yourself for crimes that have been pardoned). Since his sentence has only been commuted, and since he will be appealing it, he can invoke the fifth amendment for anything related to the scandal.

This is very convenient, not only for Libby, but also for the White House.

Of course, in a couple of years there will be no need for this shield, and Bush will turn the commutation into a full pardon-- no harm done.

At this point, there will be absolutely no reason for Bush not to pardon him.

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mysteryman wrote:

kickycan wrote:
Yeah, screw the law, as long as your guy comes out on top, right?

Bush broke no law.

No, Libby did.

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nimh wrote:

mysteryman wrote:
kickycan wrote:
Yeah, screw the law, as long as your guy comes out on top, right?

Bush broke no law.

No, Libby did.

And has a conviction, parole and fine for it. It's poltical all the way around, from the case itself, which was nothing but a big game of "gotcha" to Libby's being found guilty to this commuting of his jail term.

It's no surprise the libbies are bitter and it's no surprise the conservatives are happy.

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McGentrix wrote:

It's no surprise the libbies are bitter and it's no surprise the conservatives are happy.

Hhmm.. doesnt seem like all your fellow conservatives are that happy..

Can I just say, btw, that its pretty weird to me that a President can not only issue pardons at some ritual moment (that you seem to have a lot around the world), but actually micro-manage judicial verdicts? As in, "yes, I agree with the verdict, but I would change the sentence into more like this, or that..."? Thats just odd to me.

As for the President relieving or reverting the sentence someone got for committing a perjury that might well have been intended to protect, well, the President.. well, thats as distasteful as pardoning a political donor.

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Bingo, nimh.

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nimh wrote:

McGentrix wrote:
It's no surprise the libbies are bitter and it's no surprise the conservatives are happy.

Hhmm.. doesnt seem like all your fellow conservatives are that happy..

Can I just say, btw, that its pretty weird to me that a President can not only issue pardons at some ritual moment (that you seem to have a lot around the world), but actually micro-manage judicial verdicts? As in, "yes, I agree with the verdict, but I would change the sentence into more like this, or that..."? Thats just odd to me.

As for the President relieving or reverting the sentence someone got for committing a perjury that might well have been intended to protect, well, the President.. well, thats as distasteful as pardoning a political donor.

You and others here act like Bush is the first President to ever do this. Rolling Eyes

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And you act like because it's been done before, it's all perfectly O.K.

But I do understand. You have so little to get excited about these days, what with your president being known worldwide as a complete f*ck up and all. You'd probably stand up and salute if Bush declared all democrats "enemy combatants" and decided to have them executed.

Ethically bankrupt.

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WASHINGTON (AP) - President Bush forced the CIA leak case into uncharted legal territory when he commuted the prison sentence of former White House aide I. Lewis ``Scooter'' Libby, a federal judge said Tuesday.

Quote:

WASHINGTON (AP) - President Bush forced the CIA leak case into uncharted legal territory when he commuted the prison sentence of former White House aide I. Lewis ``Scooter'' Libby, a federal judge said Tuesday.

Bush eliminated Libby's 2-year prison term and left in place his two years of supervised release. But supervised release - a form of probation - is only available to people who have served prison time. Without prison, it's unclear what happens next.

U.S. District Judge Reggie B. Walton posed the question to Libby's attorneys and to Special Prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald: Does this mean Libby won't actually be required to serve supervised release? Should he just have to report to probation officials as if he spent time in prison?

The law, Walton said in court documents, ``does not appear to contemplate a situation in which a defendant may be placed under supervised release without first completing a term of incarceration.''

For now, it appears Libby is in legal limbo. Walton gave both sides until Monday to respond.

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McGentrix wrote:

You and others here act like Bush is the first President to ever do this.

kickycan wrote:

And you act like because it's been done before, it's all perfectly O.K.

Exactly, Kicky's got it.

I thought Clinton pardoning Rich was distasteful, and I think this commuting business is distasteful too.

McGentrix thought it was a scandal when Clinton did it, but when his Prez does it, its apparently A-OK.

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kickycan wrote:

And you act like because it's been done before, it's all perfectly O.K.

But I do understand. You have so little to get excited about these days, what with your president being known worldwide as a complete f*ck up and all. You'd probably stand up and salute if Bush declared all democrats "enemy combatants" and decided to have them executed.

Ethically bankrupt.

Suck it up tough guy. You can whine about it all you want, but it doesn't change anything except give the whiners something else to fret about.

Bush Commutes Libby's Jail term

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