Here Today... Gone To Hell!

By MATT APUZZO and PETE YOST, Associated Press Writers Tue Jun 5, 11:15 PM ET

WASHINGTON - Vice President
Dick Cheney's former chief of staff was sentenced to 2 1/2 years in prison Tuesday for lying and obstructing the
CIA leak investigation ? the probe that showed a White House obsessed with criticism of its decision to go to war.

I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby, the highest-ranking White House official sentenced to prison since the
Iran-Contra affair, asked for leniency, but a federal judge said he would not reward someone who hindered the investigation into the exposure of a CIA operative. The operative's husband had accused the administration of twisting intelligence to justify the
Iraq war.

No date was set immediately for Libby to report to prison.

"Mr. Libby failed to meet the bar. For whatever reason, he got off course," said U.S. District Judge Reggie B. Walton.

Special Prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald, who spent years investigating the case, said, "We need to make the statement that the truth matters ever so much." He had asked for a sentence of up to three years, while Libby had asked for probation and no time in prison.

Reaction from the White House was still supportive ? but somber.

President Bush, traveling in Europe, said through a spokesman that he "felt terrible for the family," especially Libby's wife and children. Libby and his wife, Harriet Grant, have two school-age children, a son and a daughter.

Cheney said he hoped his former top aide would prevail on appeal.

Libby did not apologize and has maintained his innocence.

"It is respectfully my hope that the court will consider, along with the jury verdict, my whole life," he said in brief remarks in court before the sentencing, his first public statement about the case since his indictment in 2005.

A Republican stalwart, he drew more than 150 letters of support from military commanders and diplomats who praised his government service from the Cold War through the early days of the Iraq war.

Among Libby's supporting letter writers were former Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld; Marine Gen. Peter Pace, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, as well as
Securities and Exchange Commission Chairman Christopher Cox, a former longtime House member from California.

Cox said he gave the judge information on Libby's pro bono work as a private attorney, telling reporters that such letters are common at the sentencing phase. He said he wrote as an individual and not in his official capacity. "I provided to the judge information about Mr. Libby's pro bono work at an earlier point in his career."

Libby was convicted in March of perjury and obstruction of justice for lying to investigators about his conversations with reporters about CIA official
Valerie Plame. Fitzgerald questioned Bush and Cheney in a probe that became a symbol of the administration's deepening problems.

"Mr. Libby was the poster child for all that has gone wrong in this terrible war," defense attorney Theodore Wells said. "He has fallen from public grace. It is a tragic fall, a tragic fall."

Cheney, looking to Libby's appeal, said, "Speaking as friends, we hope that our system will return a final result consistent with what we know of this fine man."

Defense attorneys sought to have the sentence delayed until appeals run out. A delay also would give Bush more time to consider calls from Libby's allies to pardon the longtime aide.

Walton said he saw no reason to put the sentence on hold but agreed to consider it. He scheduled a hearing for a week from Thursday.

Libby and Fitzgerald left court without speaking to reporters.

Among Libby's supporting letter writers were former Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld; Marine Gen. Peter Pace, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger.

Libby's attorneys noted that Fitzgerald never charged anyone with leaking Plame's identity, including former Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage or White House political adviser Karl Rove, the original sources of the leak.

"No one was ever charged. Nobody ever pleaded guilty," attorney William Jeffress said. "The government did not establish the existence of an offense."

But Walton, a Bush nominee who served in the White House as deputy drug director under Bush's father, said public officials in particular had a duty to testify honestly. His voice raising at times, he said the leak investigation was a serious one and obstructing it deserved a serious penalty.

"It's one thing if you obstruct a petty larceny. It's another thing if you obstruct a murder investigation," he said.

He fined Libby $250,000 and placed him on two years probation after his prison sentence expires. There is no parole in the federal system, but Libby would be eligible for release after two years.

Plame and her husband, former Ambassador Joseph Wilson, applauded the sentence, and, though Fitzgerald has said his investigation is complete, they urged Libby to cooperate with authorities.

"As Mr. Fitzgerald has said, a cloud remains over the vice president," Wilson said.

It was Cheney who revealed Plame's identity to Libby in June 2003 after her husband began questioning the administration's prewar intelligence. Several other officials testified that they, too, discussed the CIA operative with Libby as Wilson's criticism mounted.

Libby said he forgot those conversations and was surprised to learn about Plame a month later from NBC newsman Tim Russert. Russert, the government's star witness at trial, testified the two men never discussed Plame. Fitzgerald said Libby concocted the Russert story to shield him from prosecution for improperly handling classified information.

The trial also revealed how the White House strategically leaked information and used journalists to make its case for war and defend itself from criticism, often through the cloak of anonymity.

Though the trial is over, the legal fight over the leak continues. Plame and Wilson are suing Libby, Cheney and other senior Bush administration officials, accusing them of violating their privacy rights. A judge is considering whether to dismiss the lawsuit.

Plame is also suing the CIA for allegedly holding up publication of her memoir, in which she wants to discuss details about her 20-year career at the intelligence agency. CIA officials say the material she wants to publish is classified.

Libby left court to shouts of two or three protesters and a throng of reporters and photographers.

"You should go right to jail!" a protester screamed.

Libby said nothing, stepping into a car and being driven away.

If it was you or me, we would have gotten a hell of alot longer.

There is a law for the rich and a law for the poor.

Pretty sad how he probably wont even serve half this sentence before he's let out for "good behavior."

or a presidential pardon.....

Yeah, I was gunna' add that, but figured someone else would anyways :hihi:

He may not serve any time at all if they decide not to imprison him until after he exhausts his appeals.  That would buy him enough time until the Christmas pardons are doled out in December 2008.

(http://rds.yahoo.com/_ylt=A9iby6KP8ElG7gIBq1SjzbkF;_ylu=X3oDMTA4NDgyNWN0BHNlYwNwcm9m/SIG=12bi1faqj/EXP=1179337231/**http%3A//right-thoughts.us/images/uploads/nelson-haha.gif)

Too bad Cheney can't go to jail, he is the real culprit.

I was gonna post this, but I figured SLC would get much more joy out of it.  :hihi:

Anyway, while he certainly deserves prison time, it's a shame that it's Libby who's going in place of others who are, undoubtedly, more deserving (*cough*ROVE!*cough*). 

A traitor if there ever was one.


 
I'm easy to shop for....

 
Yea...him too.

A year in prison for treason and the destruction of 2 people's lives.

What was it that guy on 60 minutes got for stealing bread 3 times? 20 to life?


This sounds about right.


I'm so glad Georgie boy wants to spread these great democratic values to the rest of the world.

sucks for Mr. Libby

...and Mr. Bush, and Mr. Rumsfeld, etc.

They are all criminals :-X


Its going to be really interesting seeing who Georgie Boy pardons in '08.

I'm not sure how interesting it'll be to watch him recite his '06 christmas card list.

Bush spares Libby from prison

13 minutes ago

WASHINGTON - President Bush spared former White House aide I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby from a 2 1/2-year prison term on Monday, issuing an order that commutes his sentence.

This is a breaking news update. Check back soon for further information. AP's earlier story is below.

How brave, to do it while fishing with Putin in Maine.  ::)

Two-thirds  of Americans thought Libby was guilty and should go to prison. The judge thought it was a serious crime and should  not be  trivialized. I guess  Bush is now trying to get his approval ratings  down to  the low 20s. Otherwise, this move  makes no sense. ;)

^ ratings down to the low 20's....are you talking about Libby or congress?

This isn't really a huge surprise. While the general public may disapprove, Bush is doing this to appease his base. Ultimately, however, I think it was a bad move on his part, even if you are just looking at the interests of the GOP, and I think they are really gonna feel it in November of '08.

Precisely, I think it's great for the Dems in 08.

You already hear cries of "well Clinton pardoned....."

Of course, it always comes back to Clinton when the repugs need to avoid the fuck-up-du-jour.

I love how Bush commented with "It's just too harsh"? waaaaaaaah fucking waaaaaaaah.? Perhaps if that CIA operative would have been given up to the wrong people and killed and tortured as with Cheney's policies then that would have been a fitting punishment??

After fucking so many things up, you'd think Bush couldn't do any worse....yet he makes a huge mockery out of our judicial system by giving Libby the ole Paris Hilton treatment.?

This all brings up that old rhyme Mr. Rose once used:

"It ain't no crime to drop a dime, work for Cheney and you'll be just fine"

I was just about to post "good analogy" (don't get me wrong, it still is) until it dawned on me that Paris Hilton actual did jail time.

Boy is that fucked up or what?

Egggggggxacly!  It's a crockery of shit!

Who said this?

"If there's 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. "

Clearly you and Mr. Bush interpret "taken care of" differently.  :hihi:

I'm going to say the Easter Bunny, because that tale is more fucking believable than anything that would come out of Bushy boy's mouth.

Ahh, now the White House is hinting at a possible pardon in the future.  I can see this as one of Bush's final acts of office. 

what a fucking joke this is.  hes not going to do anytime!?!?!?  i guess its ok to bully people and expose cia agents, after all its ok to illegally wire tap people.

i'm just numb to the bullshit at this point.

My guess is that they won't pardon him until 2009. That was he can continue to use his 5th Amendment rights, and protect Bush.



He's only tapping the terrorists man!

***

And lets not forget why Plame was outed, she was outed because her husband wrote a piece that went against this administrations lies. How treacherous is that?

Wasn't he already pardoned a day or so ago?

He had his sentence commuted - won't do the jailtime but still has the fine and probation.

Can Bush pardon himself, if Congress begins impeachment proceedings?  I can see it two ways:

If yes it's because pardons can be made before conviction (Ford pardons Nixon).  Thus, Bush can pardon himself at any time before conviction.  As soon as he's convicted, he's not President, and cannot pardon himself.

If "No" (as it should be)...well, those arguments are obvious.  Of course, the purpose of Presidential pardons was not to have an administration that takes illegal actions and then pardons itself.  I think we need to amend the Constitution on this one, such that Presidents must recuse themselves from clemency issues when there is a conflict of interest, just as a judge would do in a case that presented a conflict.  Perhaps the President should have the power of clemency, should submit a list of candidates for clemency to a bipartisan (or, better yet, non-partisan) commission that determines whether there is a conflict of interest.  In most cases, the clemency is approved.  In conflict of interest cases, the clemency is decided by the commission.  Seems fair, and it wouldn't affect most Presidential pardons.

 

big deal - thats nothing.  the man is a criminal, he should be doing the time.

LOL, there is nobody left to defend this man. Quite a bit different from just one year ago.

Presidential pardons can't be used in impeachment cases.

United States Constitution, Article II, Section 2:

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

Nixon would have been tried as a private citizen I guess, though it's confusing.

I agree, it's just a technical point but a point nonetheless. Pardoning has an inbuilt admission of guilt by the way, you can refuse a pardon.

Read the original sentence and it is clear: "I guess  Bush is now trying to get his approval ratings  down to  the low 20s."

There probably have been agents tortured and killed. Every contact who met with Plame has been compromised. Her clandestine status provided contacts the ability to meet with her openly. Therefore, anyone whoever met with her, whether in her capacity as an agent, or her cover, is in danger.

Yeah, I know. I guess I could have written it better. My point actually was, that Bush's ratings are extremely low and Congress' ratings are extremely low. Republican or Democrat, neither side seems very popular right now.

Analysis: Libby decision shows worst in politics

WASHINGTON - The hypocrisy is unpardonable. President Bush's decision to commute the sentence of a convicted liar brought out the worst in both parties and politics.

In keeping I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby out of jail, Bush defied his promise to hold wrongdoers accountable and undercut his 2000 campaign pledge to "restore honor and dignity" to the White House. And it might be a cynical first step toward issuing a full pardon at the conclusion of his term.

Democrats responded as if they don't live in glass houses, decrying corruption, favoritism and a lack of justice.

"This commutation sends the clear signal that in this administration, cronyism and ideology trump competence and justice," said Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York, a leading candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination.

It was a brazen statement from a woman entangled in many Clinton White House scandals, including the final one: On his last day in office, President Clinton granted 140 pardons and 36 commutations, many of them controversial.

One of those pardoned was Marc Rich, who had fled the country after being indicted for tax evasion and whose wife had donated more than $1 million to Democratic causes.

Clinton's half brother, Roger, who was convicted of distributing cocaine and lobbied the White House on behalf of others, also received a pardon.

Hillary Clinton's brother, Hugh Rodham, was paid tens of thousands of dollars in his successful bid to win pardons for a businessman under investigation for money laundering and a commutation for a convicted drug trafficker. Her other brother, Tony, lobbied successfully for clemency on behalf of a couple convicted of bank fraud.

It's hard to fathom that those pardons had absolutely nothing to do with cronyism or ideology, but Hillary Clinton defended them. She drew a distinction between her husband's pardons and Bush's commutation.

In an interview with The Associated Press, the senator said Bill Clinton's pardons were simply a routine exercise in the use of the pardon power, and none was aimed at protecting the Clinton presidency or legacy. "This," she said of the Libby commutation, "was clearly an effort to protect the White House."

Indeed, there is ample evidence that Libby's actions were fueled by animosity throughout the White House toward opponents of the president's push to war against Iraq.

But Hillary Clinton will have a hard time convincing most voters that her brother-in-law would have gotten a pardon in 2001 had his name been Smith. Or that Rich's pardon plea would have reached the president's desk had he not been a rich Mr. Rich.

The hypocrisy doesn't stop there.

Bush vowed at the start of the investigation to fire anybody involved in the leak of a CIA agent's identity, but one of the leakers, adviser Karl Rove, still works at the White House. Libby was allowed to keep his job until he was indicted for lying about his role.

The president said Libby's sentence was excessive. But the 2 1/2 years handed Libby was much like the sentences given others convicted in obstruction cases. Three of every four people convicted for obstruction of justice in federal court were sent to prison, for an average term of more than five years.

Want more hypocrisy? Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney praised the commutation for Libby, quite a departure for a guy who brags that he was the first Massachusetts governor to deny every request for a pardon or commutation. Romney even refused a pardon for an Iraq war veteran who, at age 13, was convicted of assault for shooting another boy in the arm with a BB gun.

What about all the Republican politicians who defied public sentiment and insisted that President Clinton be impeached for lying under oath about his affair with Monica Lewinsky? Many of them now minimize Libby's perjury.

What about all those Democrats who thought public shame was punishment enough for Clinton lying under oath, basically the position adopted today by Libby's supporters? Many of those Democrats now think Libby should go to jail for his perjury.

"There appears to be rank hypocrisy at work here on both sides of the political spectrum," said Joe Gaylord, a GOP consultant who worked for House Speaker Newt Gingrich during impeachment. "It causes Americans to shake their heads in disgust at the political system."

The Libby case followed the same pattern of hype and hypocrisy established during Clinton's impeachment scandal. It's as if we're all sentenced to relive the same sad scene:

A powerful man lies or otherwise does wrong.

He gets caught.

His enemies overreach in the name of justice.

His friends minimize the crime in pursuit of self-interest.

And the powerful man hires a lawyer.

Marc Rich had a high-priced attorney for his battles with the justice system. His name was Scooter Libby.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/19603636/

 White House Reacts to Clintons' Comments
 

  WASHINGTON (AP) - The White House on Thursday made fun of former President Clinton and his wife, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, for criticizing President Bush's decision to erase the prison sentence of former aide I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby.
"I don't know what Arkansan is for chutzpah, but this is a gigantic case of it," presidential spokesman Tony Snow said.

Rep. John Conyers, D-Mich., has scheduled hearings on Bush's commutation of Libby's 2 1/2-year sentence.

"Well, fine, knock himself out," Snow said of Conyers. "I mean, perfectly happy. And while he's at it, why doesn't he look at January 20th, 2001?"

In the closing hours of his presidency, Clinton pardoned 140 people, including fugitive financier Marc Rich.

The former president tried to draw a distinction between the pardons he granted, and Bush's decision to commute Libby's 30-month sentence in the CIA leak case.

"I think there are guidelines for what happens when somebody is convicted," Clinton told a radio interviewer Tuesday. "You've got to understand, this is consistent with their philosophy; they believe that they should be able to do what they want to do, and that the law is a minor obstacle."

Sen. Clinton, seeking the Democratic presidential nomination, said the Libby decision "was clearly an effort to protect the White House. ... There isn't any doubt now, what we know is that Libby was carrying out the implicit or explicit wishes of the vice president, or maybe the president as well, in the further effort to stifle dissent."

Former Vice President Al Gore said he found the Bush decision "disappointing" and said he did not think it was comparable to Clinton's pardons.

"It's different because in this case the person involved is charged with activities that involved knowledge of what his superiors in the White House did," Gore said on NBC's "Today" show Thursday.

Snow also tried to clear up confusion about Libby's probation. While commuting Libby's sentence in terms of prison time, Bush 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.

Snow said the White House view was this: "You treat it as if he has already served the 30 months, and probation kicks in. Obviously, the sentencing judge will figure out precisely how that works."

U.S. District Judge Reggie B. Walton, earlier this week, said the law "does not appear to contemplate a situation in which a defendant may be placed under supervised release without first completing a term of incarceration."

He gave Libby's attorneys and Special Prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald until Monday to respond.
 
http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D8Q6I5NG1&show_article=1

Even if Clinton was wrong to pardon so and so, that doesn't make what Bush is doing right. Isn't that obvious?

I completely agree.  I posted the article, simply as evidence that the current way in which Presidential clemency works is faulty, and is constantly, and consistently exploited by both parties to help political allies.  Now, Libby is certainly the most high profile example, but people should be disgusted with the way this is abused, across the board. 

 
How many people did Clinton pardon who could have been witnesses against him in a criminal trial?

Libby was convicted of a felony in a court of law, while Clinton was handed down a verdict by the House of Representatives during impeachment proceedings. Libby lied through his fucking teeth in order to block a criminal investigation of a national security breach. Clinton on the other hand failed to tell the truth during a sworn deposition. The GOP shit heads love to compare the two, but they could not be further apart.

Well...

We knew it was gunna' happen.. :-X