KEITH OLBERMANN: RESIGN NOW, MR. PRESIDENT!

Almost all talking heads missed real reason for cummutation
After watching furious Keith Olbermann's comments about Bush's action, I was astonished that, for the rest of the evening, almost all of the reporters and talking heads missed the real reason Bush commuted Libby's jail sentence. It was to protect Bush and Vice President Cheney! Libby worked for Vice President Cheney, but his title is "Assistant to the President."

Bush's commutation only eliminated Libby's jail time. It didn't eliminate his conviction parole status and his ongoing appeal of the judge's decision. This means that Congress can subpoena Libby to testify, but he can invoke his 5th Amendment rights because of his ongoing appeal of his conviction.

Libby could have told prosecutor Fitzgerald the truth about Bush-Cheney-Rove roles in the Wilson-Plame retaliation and outing of a covert CIA agent. It could still happen if Libby was doing time in prison. But now, Bush has given him cover with the commutation. All of the participants just have to wait for the clock to run out and Libby's reward for his silence will be a Bush pardon the day before he leaves office.

If Bush had pardoned Libby now, Scooter would not have any protection against being forced to testify before Congress, maybe even truthfully, while Bush,Cheney, Rove are still in office---and subject to impeachment.

Shame! on the Press for prattling only about how Bush's action would effect elections, his ratings, his party, etc.

Shame! on the Press for not shouting out to the public that Bush's action continues the coverup of criminal acts.

Shame! on Bush for pretending to care about Libby and his family when he's only trying to protect himself.

SHAME!

BBB

He's a f*cking clueless scumbag. What else can you expect?

It is astonishing that the MSM either doesn't get it or is afraid to address the truth. God bless Keith Olbermann.

BTW if someone has time to find a link to the video, it would be helpful, you really have to see and hear this, the transcript does not convey the impact of this stirring indictment of a criminal administration.

Roxxxanne


http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3036677/

BBB

Libby May Not Even Serve Probation
It was reported a couple of months ago that Bush had hired a bunch of additional lawyers for the Whitehouse. I guess they came in handy when devising his commutation action. Now taxpayers are paying for the coverup continuation. ---BBB


'NYT': Libby May Not Even Serve Probation -- Due to Possible Bush Error
By E&P Staff
Published: July 03, 2007

President Bush, in defending his decision to let "Scooter" Libby escape prison in the CIA leak cases, argued that at least he would have to serve two years of probation.

However, the federal judge who handed down the commuted 30-month sentence, pointed out Tuesday that, technically, this does not hold -- since Libby did not serve any prison time at all he does not have to face probation.

Here's how The New York Times reports it on Wednesday:

"In issuing his commutation order on Monday, Mr. Bush left intact Mr. Libby's conviction, a $250,000 fine and the two years of postprison supervised release that were ordered by Judge Reggie B. Walton of Federal District Court.

"But the details of the president's order raised procedural questions in court.

"Judge Walton said Tuesday that the law did not allow for imposing a period of supervised release on an individual who had not first completed a jail sentence. He asked the lawyers for both sides to submit briefs next week on whether Mr. Libby should have to submit to supervision by the probation office."

At least one journalist thinks outside the box
The Commutation is an Outrage
by Norman Pearlstine
Posted July 3, 2007

Bush's rationale might have had some merit had Libby been convicted solely of perjury. If that were the case, one might argue that he was convicted of a "process crime" and there should be leniency since there was no prosecution under the Espionage Act or the Intelligence Identities Protection Act of 1982.

But that isn't what happened. In addition to perjury, Libby was convicted of obstruction of justice. That was the most important charge against him. Patrick Fitzgerald's summation to the jury and his sentencing recommendation made it clear that Libby's obstruction precluded him from ever determining whether his boss, Vice President Dick Cheney had broken the law and what role the White House had played in outing Plame. "There is a cloud over the vice president," Fitzgerald said in his closing argument. "That could is there because the defendant obstructed justice."

Beyond that, while some think commuting the sentence more onerous than a pardon would have been, I believe it gives Libby important cover in the civil suit that Valerie Plame has filed against him and other White House officials involved in disclosing her identity and her role at the CIA. Since Libby wasn't pardoned, his appeal of the conviction is likely to continue and until it is concluded, he can plead the Fifth Amendment and not testify in the Plame's civil trial against him.

In sum, the commutation of Libby's sentence is a cover-up, pure and simple. The trial judge's sentence may have exceeded federal guidelines by a few months. But Bush's commutation of Libby's sentence totally ignores those guidelines. If Libby deserves a pardon, shouldn't we revisit other sentences that exceed federal guidelines?
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Norman Pearlstine is the author of OFF THE RECORD: The Press, the Government, and the War over Anonymous Sources. He was editor in chief of Time Inc. from 1995 through 2005 and managing editor of The Wall Street Journal, 1983-1991.

Good ol' Keith.

Keith Olbermann was most effective, to me, when he was trying to be JonStewart 'lite' - being topical but sort of funny at the same time. When he started these descend-from-the-mount-and-deliver-the-word special comment pronouncements, my whole impression of him changed. He seems to me to take himself way too seriously now. "Resign now, Mr President!!" Puh-leeze.