Breaking: Scooter Libby's sentence commuted by Bush...
By John Amato Sunday Jul 01, 2007 4:50pm
It's just hitting CNN and MSNBC. Bush just obstructed justice.
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The official said Bush "has commuted the prison sentence ... leaving intact the probation and fines handed down by the court.""That means he is not going to jail," the official said.
The rule of law Conservatives are a joke..
The Bush Statement:
Mr. Libby was sentenced to thirty months of prison, two years of probation, and a $250,000 fine. In making the sentencing decision, the district court rejected the advice of the probation office, which recommended a lesser sentence and the consideration of factors that could have led to a sentence of home confinement or probation.I respect the jury’s verdict. 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.
My decision to commute his prison sentence leaves in place a harsh punishment for Mr. Libby. 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 crap. Marcy Wheeler:
Well, George did it. Made sure that Scooter wouldn’t flip rather than do jail time. He commuted Libby’s sentence, guaranteeing not only that Libby wouldn’t talk, but retaining Libby’s right to invoke the Fifth.This amounts to nothing less than obstruction of justice.
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This comes as absolutely no surprise. The Bush administration has a well established record of contempt for the law and for the American people. Perhaps this will serve to further outrage and embolden Democrats in Congress who should be embracing impeachment as the solution to ridding our country of this criminal administration.
Crooked.
Absolutely, hands down, the most corrupt motherfvcking president in the history of this country!
IMPEACH!!!
See boys and girls. Crime does pay. Let's all just start following our own rules from here on out.
Crooks and liars to the end.
alright, that's it
DEATH TO BUSH
DEATH TO BUSH
DEATH TO CHENEY
At least they are consistent.
More proof that reich-wingers do not respect the rule of law.
I don't have a problem with this. Libby still has to pay $250,000, no more law license, he's still a convicted felon, and his rep. is tarnished forever.
SON OF A BITCH MOTHER F****AAHHH.
There going to be talking about this all week now. Just in time for 6:30 est news.
That bastard!!!
bush is the law ,hes the judge the law giver ,time for rounding up these criminals includeing the supremes , let them eat china cake!
Wow.
Wasn't that a surprise.
It's Nixon/Agnew all over again...
That is if the Dems have the nerve to do what they should for the good of what remains of our country.
Amazing! No real surprise but still amazing. The same time that this new broke I had on Jarvis Cocker and the song 'Running the World' came on. Very fitting under the circumstances.
bullsh*t
I am so angry and totally disillusioned with this criminal administration and our current justice system that all I want is for the next 18 months to pass quickly so that we have another chance to elect a president! We must do something in order to stop these horrible people from completely overturning everything that we stand for as Americans. Bush, Cheney, Libby, Rove and Wolforwitz all belong in prison.
I'm tired of hearing this crap about what Bush has A RIGHT TO DO!!!
People have the right TO LIE, but should they???
Okay so now will Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi stop being wimps and talk impeachment of Cheney?
Libby was acting on his orders, there is no doubt.
You and I do not get this level of justice, neither should they. I don't care if Bush has that right, it does not make it right.
They keep saying it rarely done (all the right wingers at least) but apparently Bush has done it 113 times so far. There are also hundreds in prison now for similar charges but they have to serve their time.
The Lawless United States of America. Bush style.
How sickening.
Fox will be complaining he didn't get a pardon!
What does the shrub have to do to have Impeachment proceedings started?
This should be the final straw.
herr dubyah makes Nixon look like a honest and decent man.
Waht a crock!
This president once again shows us what this goverment has become.
I am sooooooooooo assamened to be a american,,,,,,,,,!
Ben @ 9:
And how long before he gets the million-dollar + book deal and gig on Fox Noise?
Wow. I guess the law really doesn't matter after all.
So long, America. You were a nice country.
His reputation tarnished? Doubtful. Forgiveness comes easy it seems in politics. We all know he's going to recover his 250,000 dollar fine via some cushy sinecure "consulting" job where in exchange for his silence and roladex, he'll be making lots of money.
So what you have here is Bush and the Republicans saying that no matter what Republicans do, they are not guilty, because if they are prosecuted under the law, it is only a political stunt meant to discredit them. So much for respecting the rule of law. Prison is only for the rest of us who cannot afford lawyers and who don't have conservatives in our law schools writing letters on our behalf. Why not pass an amendment giving the Republicans immunity and the right to commit any crimes?
Madame Speaker...put impeachment back on the table!
We live in the United States of America.
Bush, Libby, and Cheney represent the "UNITED SNAKES OF AMERICA."
BUSH IS A FUKING CRIMINAL!!!HE SHOULDN'T BE IMPEACHED, HE SHOULD BE ARRESTED!!!!
hold on we still got cunningham in prison, oh wait hes next!!!!!
Mateo @ 23:
I guess he will be co-hosting War Stories with Ollie (lover of Iran) North.
Shit piss fuck cunt cocksucker motherfucker and tits.
Shit piss fuck cunt cocksucker motherfucker and tits.
Shit piss fuck cunt cocksucker motherfucker and tits.
Shit piss fuck cunt cocksucker motherfucker and tits.
Shit piss fuck cunt cocksucker motherfucker and tits.
Shit piss fuck cunt cocksucker motherfucker and tits.
Shit piss fuck cunt cocksucker motherfucker and tits.
Boo Hoo. Poor Scooter. His family has already been through too much. This is his first crime blah blah. Only 19% wanted a pardon. Again bush shows his contempt for what the people HE WORKS FOR want.
The GOP-law and order party my ass.
Ben, that's looking on the bright side. Thanks.
Ben @ 9:
That's one of the d****** things that I have ever heard, Ben!
Why is Bush doing this? Because the only thing that would have hurt Libby would have been for him to go to prison, that's why!
Libby, Cheney, and the Bush family are all MULTI-BILLIONAIRES!!!!!!!
Asking Libby to pay a freaking $250,000 fine is the equivalent of asking us to pay a $25 fine!!!
It's not going to hurt him one bit, and if you are rich, what difference doesn't it make if you are a felon or can't practice a law degree! Libby doesn't need to work! He was only in the White House to advance an ideology.
Get some perspective dude and stop looking at it through the prism of your life.
CHENEY and BUSH cannot get out of our White House fast enough. IMPEACH!!! IMPEACH!!! For the love of all that is ethical and right -- get those horrid, evil men out of office NOW!!!!!
I'm republican not conservative and I want my party back. I say do what ever you want just don't make me pay for it. I am mad at the President for many things, but not this. Go back and look at the case. Read both sides and you will see that Libby did not cover up anything. He was not the one that leaked the information. HE LIED and for that he has been punished.
Mind you that Bush has killed a tyrant Saddam Hussein and may have also ordered the death of Fidel Castro and Hugo Chavez, and hold the highest number of death sentence per Governor in the nation.
The underlining Crime that Libby was involve with involve in a wrongful war that Iraq did not attack us. 600,000 civilian casualty of Iraqi, 3,000 of our own. I don't advocate the killing of the Bush Cabal, but I certainly wont stand in front to protect him either. I remember having a friend that I took to the drive-in movies and he would start fight then run inside the car for protection, until I had enough and lock him out. Bush has pick too many fight, and he fighting us, the American people to please the 20% that urge him for a commute of his own staff member. He just in a indirect way just commuted himself of his crime, by invoking a bigger crime in spirit of obstructing justice.
jwrjr @ 50:
Do yourself a favor while you at it.....impeach ALL of them....and let's start over....
Thing Fish @ 356:
One last thought on the "poll" topic:
Even if ya could vote only once the poll is anything but scientific.
My 95 year old grandmother still votes, but she doesn't vote in on-line polls. The same can be said of the residents of the nursin' home I work in.
Never believe a poll that doesn't include a good sample group. Never.
Posted to the White House commentary
"Mr. Bush, I am outraged at your decision to commute the sentence of Lewis 'Scooter' Libby. How reprehensible. How corrupt.
At long last, have you no shame, sir?
At this point, I do not consider you to be my President. I consider you to be nothing less than an outlaw.
Someday, I truly hope to see you impeached, convicted and jailed. You sir, are a coward.
I include my address to inform you where you can find me.
I am a Vietnam veteran, and I gave up being frightened a long time ago."
xoites defends Constitution @ 334:
--------
I was particularly struck by your comment because I see this sort of thing all the time in the polls AOL runs on the news of the day. (Yes, I use AOL, but I've got my reasons.) AOL polls intrigue me because they typically have hundreds of thousands of responders and therefore seem to be a fairly good indicator of 'mainstream' views. The good news is that they almost always reflect what we've already heard: 2/3 believe in doing the right thing and 1/3 will disagree with anything the 2/3 believe.
But to the point of comment: I track the polls on hot-issue items and always, with time, the poll skews conservative. It happens every single time. I've come to the conclusion that the army of people employed by the cons to blog, call radio shows, etc., is also enlisted to vote in these polls.
Since the cons propagandize everything to further their agenda, the question really is, why wouldn't they load the voting?
BB @ 344:
you mean Paris is not upthere with them?....OMG
you idiots @ 360:
Libby Convicted of Perjury, Obstruction of Justice. That's a little bit more than just lying.
you idiots @ 360:
And he wasn't accused of outin' Plame, was he?
He was tried for, and found guilty of by a jury of his peers , and sentenced by a federal judge for perjury and obstruction of justice in an attempt to impede an investigation.
Maybe this will get through to what I'm sure is yer sense of law and order- ya go to ter friends house where said friend is bein' arrested. Ya stand between yer friend and the cop. Ya get yerself arrested. Later, yer friend is let go, no charges filed. But you , my friend, are still gonna be arrested fer obstruction.
"But you , my friend, are still gonna be arrested fer obstruction."
Whoops- that's tried fer obstuction.
As to the online polls; who cares. They don't mean diddly-poo. Never have, never will. The polls could read that 100% of the American public want Bush impeached and it wouldn't mean a damn thing. They are just part of the bread and circuses.
From now on, I'm playing by my own rules. Right wing nut jobs can have this f*cked up country. I'm tired of doing the "right thing."
Anyone else for moving to Canada?
Fucking BS!!!!!!!!!!
Quit bitching on here and start writing/calling your Congressmen and Congresswomen. The articles of impeachment for Bush and Cheney should be drafted by the end of the week. This is the final straw. The only thing left to complete the Nixon/Agnew parallel is to impeach these f-ing criminals. Tell your reps that you demand it.
IMPEACH!! cheney and bush
The Executive branch is officially a criminal cabal.
Commutation Is Not A Lawful Assertion of Presidential Power
This is buried and needs some attention:
Cantor de Mambo @ 274:
That's the point: Bush created this "commutation" power. . .it was not delegated to him. Commutation is different than pardons and reprieves. The the link in the original for an explanation of the difference, and what can be done.
There is no precedent for any President commuting a sentence: It's never been done. Presidents only grant pardons or reprieves; only governors, nor Presidents, can commute sentences.
Bush today illegally asserted non-delegated judicial powers, just as he did with his decision to by pass the FISA Court.
Legality: Doubtful
Any orders this President issued related to "commuting" this sentence are illegal and not enforceable. No US officer, contractor, or anyone may enforce this Presidential order. It is illegal and cannot be enforced. Any one who takes any action to put this illegal order into effect could be subject to Grand Jury review. These commutations decisions are illegal and related to Geneva Convention violations: There is no statute of limitations in re war crimes.
Recall the precedent of Nuremberg: When illegal orders are issued, they cannot be relied upon. You have been given fair notice that the orders are not inherently lawful. You are advised to talk to counsel in re any direction you receive to comply with this illegal Presidential order.
The time is right for Impeachment. Let the proceedings begin. Cheney, Bush and Gonzalas, all three simutaneously. Don’t forget, Libby can be subpeonaed to testify before Congress. If he lies before Congress he can still be charged again. It won’t be a get out of jail free if Bush and Cheney are under impeachment.
I have rewritten an updated version of our Declaration of Independence for 2007. Ihope you all will take a few minutes to read it and pass it on to friends and relatives.
http://myfightfordemocracy.blo.....-2007.html
Anon @ 376:
Don't know where the power comes from, but I just got done reading the long list of President Clinton's commutations. It does have precedence.
Anon @ 376:
I don't know. Found this looking for 'commuted versus pardon':
Begging Bush's pardon
By Margaret Colgate Love,
MARGARET COLGATE LOVE was United States pardon attorney in the Justice Department from 1990 to 1997.
June 7, 2007
First paragraph notes that pardon and commutation are subsets of executive clemency. Later in the article it is noted that
Appears Bush isn't the first. (And not certain Reagan did was on the up and up with his 13 commutations.)
Anon @ 376:
I don't think this is correct. A reprieve is a cancellation or postponement of punnishment and a commutation is a reduction of a punnishment to one that is less severe. If the president has the power to cancel a punnishment, he reasonably has the power to reduce it. It's been done before: http://www.nytimes.com/2001/02/18/opinion/18CLIN.html?ex=1183521600&en=6... and see http://jurist.law.pitt.edu/pardons6b.htm
I only cite Clinton's cases because they were easily found, based on wingnut obsession with him preserved on the net.
By the way, do read the first link where Clinton writes in the NYT about why he granted the pardons.
By the way, do read the first link where Clinton writes in the NYT about why he granted the pardons. The wingers just want to cite numbers, not the facts.
Does it get any more obvious? We are going to find out.
$250,000 fine? Whoopee, that's chump change for these bastards.
yeah.
hate to say i told you so but...
months and months ago, when I said that anyone - Libby, Rove, or the Dark Lord of Wyoming himself - were to be convicted of anything, he would merely be pardoned and martyred, people here tore me a new asshole.
A pardon is guaranfuckingteed!
Tear me a third one.
Anon @ 376:
Might want to check the facts on that one. Clinton did it as well, they all do it. I love it when people don't do their homework. Does anyone in here have a fully functioning brain, or are you all too blinded by hate to realize both Republicans and Democrats are generally rotten to the core?
In your wisdom Sir
I am afraid that
I am skeptical
Mr. Libby lied to us
to the American people
in the face of direct questioning.
I fear his lies were only
so that he could to shield you
or
your vice president
or
your administration
I am not a fool
I am not blind
nor Sir are the majority of the citizens of this great land
He was found guilty of nothing more than lying and deception
I suppose
a small crime in some minds
in some places
But most of us see past this Sir
We see that we are being lied to
We are being deceived.
This man is a traitor to the Constitution
and America as a whole
He is a shallow
lying man
of poor character
who would deny his own God if it fit his plans
or perhaps the plans of his superiors
this is neither noble or admirable
and yet you Sir, will defend him
and commute his sentence
you Sir will let him walk free.
When I read that you said
"I respect the jury’s verdict"
I felt with a heavy heart
That this was a bold faced lie
a cold - calculated - heartless attempt
to again
bend the minds of those you are charged to serve and protect.
Few Sir, if any true Americans
or Christians will respect your thinly concealed "decisions".
I fear that the respect you seek
the adoration you crave
is only for what you hope to find
within the inner circle of your confidants, supporters and friends.
You Sir have turned your back on the American people
You have chosen the gains and adoration of your piers
over your Constitutionally mandated paternal responsibilities
to us the American people
You have allowed deception deceit and depravity to reign in the hallowed halls of the White house.
You have failed in your charge to uphold the Constitution of the United States of America.
I sit here tonight afraid for our future
My future and the future of my children
Afraid because of the total lack of true leadership that I see.
Is there a truth I am failing to see?
Amidst the glaring distortions and lies that confront me daily on the lips of your defenders and supporter?
In the now rapacious, repetitive, worthless, glossy headline news
I try to block out of my life…
am I missing some beautiful undiscovered kernel of Devine inspired wisdom?
I fear not Sir, nay
I know not
You have failed us all Sir
You have chosen personal gain
over your true responsibilities.
History will long remember this betrayal
There will be no glorification of the deceit
and yet still...
even when I feel that it is too late to repair that which has been undone
I hope
I pray
I implore you Sir
on the face of all that is true and just
in the name and Spirit of the teachings of Jesus Christ
face your opposition
face your adversity
face the failures of the past
stand tall
and speak truth to the darkness
do what is just and right
with conviction and purity of purpose
Defend, Protect and Elevate the office that you hold
For those who came before and those to follow
In the spirit of the Founding Fathers
Make you mark upon history
and speak truth to the darkness
Must...not...advocate...violence...on...this...post...man this is hard...I...can...feel...my left eye...twitching...
Calmed down. Man this is sad. I can only shake my head. Where's the justice?
catsagainstbush @ 24:
No words more concise could have been said.
BRAVO!
[...] Crooks and Liars and From the Desk … [...]
everything very legal. local newscasters and national as well were quick to point out that this all very "regular". since all presidents and they mentionreagan, bushI Ford and of course clinton have all pardoned and suffered little consequence. so bush will skate again. When is this crap going to end. when will the american people wake up to the fact that they have a crook in the white house.
Obiwan @ 372:
Obiwan @ 372:
gene214 @ 320:
Thing Fish @ 325:
i'm remembering last 4th of july- wasn't that the beginning israel/lebanon? and weren' there stories (sy hersch?) citing that it was "practice" for the upcoming assault on iran?
hm...
I didn't know the president was above the law in the US.
Man everybody has to commute nowdays!
MULTI-MILLIONAIRES
Yeah, and here's how the news media will cover this story: "Bush commutes Libby's sentence. What an outrage! This is absolutely an abuse of power. It's like the Watergate era all over again and... ohmigod, Paris Hilton just left a restaurant without tipping the waitress! Breaking News! Breaking News! Paris Hilton Doesn't Tip! Tonight on CNN: three full hours of Paris Hilton! Interviews with the waitress! A one-on-one full hour of Larry King with the Maitre D! Anderson Cooper asks "Which is worse? Undertipping or Overtipping? We'll have a full panel on to discuss." etc, etc, etc, and so it will go.
Great, Paris Hilton gets 21 days in jail and this poor guy whose family has suffered so much glides away to retirement with loads of time to SELL his opinion on things conservative. PRIVILEDGE? I'm too angry to ask the very serious question---is there anyway that Bush can be impeached? Conservatives should be outraged too, shouldn't they?
Now I would like to see a mass resignation of prosecutors and judges--oh, wait. I hear Sam Alito and Antonin Scalia have a family full of cousins who would like to be appointed to the federal bench.
I'm not shocked since it comes as no surprise.
I hope that they eventually pay a political price for this, including all the cronies who are backing this up, Guliani, Thompson...
Wake up american people! Damn, Plame was working covert to stop the spread of nuclear weapons. What the hell does it take to start the impeachment.
Republicans, soft on treason...
Well, as far as I know, Libby and Cheney are still being sued by Valerie Plame and Joe Wilson...this will only make a jury more sympathetic to do. If they find a leagal judgement against Cheney and Libby, surely Bush has no say over that, right?
I hope the Plames soak them for millions!
ST @ 33:
We need an amendment to prevent the president from pardoning anyone in the executive branch... or at least this high up in the executive branch.
The time was right for prez numb nuts to expend some political capital while his popularity numbers are still in the 20's........
...and the ongoing rape of the American people continues.
Not like many of them are smart enough to notice. But, this is what happens when the nation is full of morons.
Now, pardon me. I'm off to wipe my ass with the nearest neocon.
What a joke? All our Republic scum bag politicians went APE-SH*T when Clinton pardoned people...
Now, we can see Victoria Tensings ugly mug parroting "no underlying crime" for another month of Faux news.
But, is anyone surprised? Bush's numbers are so low, this will BOOST his numbers with the base...
I hate these guys, every god-damn one of them.
ITMFA
Damn, if only we caught Libby with his first joint!
He'd get 20 years for sure.
Panel 1 -
Congressman 1: "No impeachable offense! No impeachable offense!" How can St.Clair keep babbling that?!
Congressman 2: Especially since the president left no part of the constitution unviolated.
Panel 2 -
1: Obstruction of justice, hush-money payments, secret bombings, 25 top aides convicted or indicted...
2: My Lord, what does it take?! What does it take?!!
Panel 3 -
1: sigh
Panel 4 -
1: If only he'd knock over a bank or something...
2: By George, we'd have him then!
Old Doonesbury comic from years back... those that don't learn from history get to laugh all over again.
397 Thing Fish
Gary Trudeau went with Nixon to the opening of China.
Supposedly he threw a frisbee on the Great Wall.
[...] The right wing apologists are out in force today, attempting to defend Scooter Libby and the President
bobbyjoe @ 36:
Right on the money dude -- democracy for the few -- back to celebs
Worst. President. Ever.
Worst President Ever
Worst President Ever
http://www.freerepublic.com/forum/a3a94a2736a14.htm
Ooh someone was AWOL from the Korean war and got pardoned.
String 'em up!
Of course boosh deserted during the Vietnam war.
Pardon me?
I am about at the end of my rope when it comes to bush. I can't believe Bush had the nerve to cummute his sentence with no time served. Even Paris Hilton served more time. But I suppose this is what we should expect from a white house that has no respect for the American people, their jury's, or any other branch of government. More and more I am becoming a suporter of those that are calling for his impeachment. On this fourth of July especially I am reminded of other despotic rulers that we the american people so nobly overthrew.
Libby Liberated!
"Commutation" is
another word for "Thank You?"
What the fuck King George?!?
Obviously the fix was already in from the get go. There shoulld have ben no trial because bush had obviously already made a deal with Scooter Libby and with Cheney. And this kind of corruptions is allowed? The good old boy network carries on as usual. What a hypocrite! Bush should be impeached for this and then maybe we could get out of his ridiculous war in Iraq. I am a Texan and I am ashamed of him!
We are a nation of laws!!!
SevenString @ 3:
Give bush the same saddam treatment.
He deserves it.:(
Two people should be impeached - either bush and cheney, or Pelosi and Reid.
Impeach!!!!!!
Dem's new slogan: If you support Bush, you support outing CIA agents.
All of congress should be seeing red and DOING SOMETHING. This scumbag who calls himself President is in contempt of the American people and law.
how many more days till the end of Fredo's term and the pardon is issued? then he will be a felon no more...
2+2=5
"...The significant fines imposed by the judge will remain in effect..."
"...Bush left intact a $250,000 fine..."
"...Ambassador Richard Carlson... helped raise millions for Libby’s defense fund..."
CRIMINALS TO THE VERY CORE OF THEIR BEING!!!!
IMPEACH!!
AG,VP,P
IN THAT ORDER!!!
Danny @ 42:
How about Cheney? Does he qualify?
Wow. Just when I think Bush has run out of middle fingers to stick up in the air ... here comes another, "Fuck you, America!"
Sickening. This is absolutely sickening.
The title of this article should has been-
King George Protects his own AGAIN.
Dang. I was hoping we'd at least get a perp walk out of it...in orange. Guess we'll have to wait for Cheney's.
And you and I – measly criminals en masse – have to pay our parking tickets on time… in full… or else. It’s a great country isn’t it?
Fitzgerald is probably saying, “Why fucking bother?” as he begins calling headhunters to offer up his resume to be distributed to private law firms.
The only surprise is that people are actually shocked by this. Why wouldn't Chimpy pardon him? Chimpy's approval rating is already in the toilet...and he doesn't have the mental capacity to really care if it is. This shithead has already checked out of the White House...he's just killing time until January, 2009. There's no down side to this...no legacy to tarnish. He simply stops Scooter from spilling his guts.
I heard that the order came directly from Cheney.
Its Official ... Bush declares the United States a Banana Republic.
Bush, Cheney, Pelosi, Reid, etc. are just symptoms.
WE are the problem. Nine eleven was a false-flag terror event.
I'm not surprised, but this is a sad day for "the rule of law."
With Republicans, it's "the rule of politics."
Surely no one is surprised by this. Considering the War Pigs lack of consideration and respect for the law, I'm surprised he didn't grant a full blown pardon. I am going to continue to have faith that this sad little excuse for a president, this waste of human flesh named George Bush, this servant of the Devil himself will one day be held accountable.
IMPEACH
Where are the Law and Order Conservatives? Speak up!!! You want us to respect the law don't you? Come on say something that supports an administration that sticks it in your face too.
In the immortal words of Kermit the frog "That's it I'm outta here."
grrrrrr
well, just in time for the 4 July holiday!
Libby's 'rep' is only tarnished with sane, responsible, law-respecting and law-abiding citizens. With the neocon zionists and this administration, his 'rep' is enhanced, for 'beating the rap' while supporting Israel Uber Alles.
The fact that he has to serve no jail time means that he can immediately accept a high position with AEI, AIPAC, or even as 'consultant' under contract to the US government (or Halliburton, it's alter ego), with a 'signing bonus' some multiple of his $250K fine.
And a bush with his name on it will be planted in the 'Hero' garden in Tel Aviv.
Alberto Gonzalez gave Bush a memo that prison time for Libby would violate the Geneva Convention. Cheney's office drafted the memo for Gonzo to sign.
"If this were a dictatorship, it'd be a heck of a lot easier, just so long as I'm the dictator." - George W. Bush
This is not a surprise. The Rule of law means nothing to this administration and is yet another example of why Cheney and then Bush should be impeached.
The legal issue was that he lied to a Grand Jury. It’s what he was convicted of and Bush saying the sentence was too harsh is nothing but the height of hypocrisy. Radical Right wingers will crow about this and with the same breath consider themselves the “Law And Order” party.
This is yet another example of Republican corruption in the White House.
Republican elites can do anything they want and get away with it. The Vice President shot an old man in the face. None of them are going to jail until the Dems in charge grow a pair of balls. Somebody, please, make your mark, be remembered in history, go after these bastards!
Up is Down, Down is Up and if you have an "R" next to your name, you can do no wrong.
Welcome to the United States of Bush. Here is your pillow, your blanket and your toilet in the corner. I hope you enjoy your stay.
The Great Experiment is over.
next up.....................medal of honor.
I'd like to hear from Speaker Nancy "Impeachment is off the Table" Poll-Looser now!!
What do you say now to these criminal bastards!!!!
Grow a set of ovaries for GAWDS sake!!
And start impeachment proceedings now...!!!!!#$#$%#$$
Ben @ 9:
He's had many times that amount raised for his legal defense by the same right-wing operations that are heavily subsidized by you and I. Not to mention the Bush aristocrat tax cuts.
As to the other items, Bush will give him a full pardon on his way out the door- count on it. He'll be clean as a whistle, and you and I will get to cough up a nice fat refund check for Scooter.
Dave @ 61:
Hell freezing over will happen before Cheney does the walk.
He's heading for Martha's Vineyard with this Halliburton Millions. There is no justice coming for the most singularly reprehensible criminal ever to darken the WH.
Every see the movie Time Bandits? In it, they blow up Satan, but ONE TINY SPECK of him is such concentrated Evil that it can contaminate the world.
That's how I view Cheney...
jwrjr @ 50:
Exactly. If this doesn't show them they've got to grow a set and fight back then nothing will.
Yeah, we can all lie to prosecutors now...right?
This is so sick, especially when you consider the fate of hundreds of 'unlawful enemy combattants' who have been held indefinitely in prison, many of them tortured, some to death - all without ever being formally charged with any crime. The contrast is gut-wrenching.
Justice has been replaced with 'just us.'
Bastards!!!
I think its actually great. Any former doubts what Bush was about are gone. He cares only for an elite, not the people. In the nest election any former vestiges of neoconism must be squashed like the rotting anathema to democracy that it is.
“If this were a dictatorship, it’d be a heck of a lot easier, just so long as I’m the decider... uh... I mean dictator.” - George W. Bush
Bush got elected on the platform of national security, and pardons that man that threaten our national security.
I can't think of a broader sense of evidence that the criminal activities are in the White House.
JohnSmo @ 85:
JohnSmo @ 84:
In other words, nothing will.
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!! This news actually made me sick. How much more are we going to take??
Honestly... This president is just completely out of bounds... The Founders may have been referring to a different King George when they wrote:
"...when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such government, and to provide new guards for their future security."
But the sentiment is equally valid today. Bush is a criminal, a despot and a fool.
Ben @ 9:
Quarter mil is nothing: Becoming part of the Bush money machine starts with a pledge card and a commitment to raise a specific amount, from $20,000 to $250,000 or more. -- http://www.commondreams.org/headlines03/0714-05.htm
And his reputation is as tarnished as Oliver North.
This is nothing but amnesty for Libby.
The only way to save this country is to impeach W and Dick.
Bush commutation of Libby Sentence violates Geneva Conventions: The President has rewarded those who retaliated against those reporting evidence of war crimes.
bobbyjoe - I think you nailed it. Sadly, you nailed it.
Republicans are all about the rule of law unless its about them.... There are a bunch of quotes at this link.
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2005/12/28/164530/31
Tom Delay (R-TX):
"This nation sits at a crossroads. One direction points to the higher road of the rule of law. Sometimes hard, sometimes unpleasant, this path relies on truth, justice and the rigorous application of the principle that no man is above the law. Now, the other road is the path of least resistance. This is where we start making exceptions to our laws based on poll numbers and spin control. This is when we pitch the law completely overboard when the mood fits us, when we ignore the facts in order to cover up the truth.
No man is above the law, and no man is below the law. That's the principle that we all hold very dear in this country."
Do we all get to lie under oath now? Next, Bush will give him a Medal of Honor. Our government is a farce and we are all fools to put up with it! We need to take action now.
We are powerless. This corrupt administration does whatever the hell they want to do. The Constitution, the Bill of rights, the courts, the Senate and the Congress don't have any power over them. I suggest that we all walk away from this bull$hit for awhile and regroup. I'm going on a long bike ride to clear my mind. This is totally disgusting!
Well, time to change the engraving on the USSC.
Equal Justice before Law
Now should read
Equal Justice for White Rich Elites..All others need not apply!
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