Scooter Libby goes free!

[TomAz]

Bush commuted his sentence.


let the bashing begin!

[downingthief]

Just read this. Cronyism lives!

[crazzz2007]

what the fuck has happened to our country?

[marooko]

you know, i didnt even think of it, but im not at all surprised. he could have atleast waited till right before he's out of office like an un-named adminsitration.

[thefunkylama]

Nothing we didn't allow happen.

[Mr.Nipples]

Bush commuted his sentence.


KILL HIM

[amyzzz]

This was expected, although I thought Bush would do it right before he left office. I guess he's trying to prevent Libby from getting any jailtime.

[Alchemy]

http://www.bartcop.com/paris-hilton-celibate.jpg

[J~$$$]

Un-fucking-believable.

[algunz]

Libby took the fall for him. It's the least Bush could do to pay him thanks.

I hate fucking politicians.

[Mr.Nipples]

this is one of the those moments that makes me want to thrust my head right through the front of my fucking computer monitor...

[KenMixtape]

http://uk.gizmodo.com/iphone2.jpg

[hangthedj112]

Rage better play more shows to counteract this injustice.

[sydaud]

Glad he was able to take time out from meeting with Putin today for such important shit. He is quite the multi-tasker.

[full on idle]

Rage better play more shows to counteract this injustice.

hahahaha

[Hannahrain]

Fergatrocious. Ferg. A. Trocious.

[All That I Am]

Where's Delta when we need him?

[Yablonowitz]

The thing I don't get is how most of the GOP contenders are outspoken about wanting him pardoned. Why are they still aligning themselves with an administration that is barely scrapping 30% approval in the country?

Some fucked up shit, I tell you.

[bug on your lip]

they're aligning themselves with someone who outed a covert CIA agent ?

what the fuck ?!!??

[luckyface]

Seriously, what moron would go by the name of "Scooter"?

[thinnerair]

http://www.silverscreentest.com/koala/eucalyptus/scooter.jpg

[TomAz]

The thing I don't get is how most of the GOP contenders are outspoken about wanting him pardoned. Why are they still aligning themselves with an administration that is barely scrapping 30% approval in the country?

Some fucked up shit, I tell you.

The rationale they use is that no one (other than Libby and Judith Miller the NY Times reporter) was convicted of a crime in the Plame scandal, so there was nothing for Libby to have covered up, and therefore it is unreasonable for him to have been found guilty of obstructing justice. This is, of course, complete and utter bullshit: if you lie to a grand jury, if you lie to the FBI, than you have interfered in a criminal investigation and thus obstructed justice; no criminal conviction is necessary.

The political logic, though, I think is quite different. Faced with jail time Libby would have sung like a canary. The White House doesn't want this. And conservative pundits don't want it either. Bush has discredited the conservatives quite a bit, but they still have hope for 08. But to add a Watergate-like scandal on top of it could destroy that possiblity.

[RotationSlimWang]

You really think they'd be afraid of him ratting? How long of a bid was he looking at?

[thinnerair]

You really think they'd be afraid of him ratting? How long of a bid was he looking at?

2 1/2 years!

[Yablonowitz]

2 1/2 years!

Libby's a soldier. I doubt he would give info even if water boarded.

It's just disgusting to me because this administration's bad reputation is almost wholly based on the fact that they are running the executive branch as though it were the only branch of government that matters (and it's hard to argue that these days) so to condone any continuation of their abuses of power seems fucked up. But I get your point. I think a bold GOP candidate would criticize the president for doing that. There are a lot of dismayed Republicans out there who would respond to that. I think. I don't know. It's all bullshit.

[TomAz]

Libby's a soldier. I doubt he would give info even if water boarded.

It's just disgusting to me because this administration's bad reputation is almost wholly based on the fact that they are running the executive branch as though it were the only branch of government that matters (and it's hard to argue that these days) so to condone any continuation of their abuses of power seems fucked up. But I get your point. I think a bold GOP candidate would criticize the president for doing that. There are a lot of dismayed Republicans out there who would respond to that. I think. I don't know. It's all bullshit.

I think to call this an abuse of power is a bit strong. Executive clemency is a presidential priviledge to use at his discretion. Bush was fully within his rights in commuting the sentence.

and yeah I think they were afraid he'd start talking. it's the only reason I can think of that makes sense why Bush would take the flak for doing this.

[marooko]

I think to call this an abuse of power is a bit strong. Executive clemency is a presidential priviledge to use at his discretion. Bush was fully within his rights in commuting the sentence.

and yeah I think they were afraid he'd start talking. it's the only reason I can think of that makes sense why Bush would take the flak for doing this.

other than being a "G" (which hes not) id say that a good assumption.

[RotationSlimWang]

Yeah, I don't see Libby doing two and a half at club fed as being something worrisome enough to pardon him so that he wouldn't talk. I mean, honestly, would you dare snitch on this Administration if you were in a place to? Tony Soprano ain't got shit on Karl Rove.

Wasn't this pardoning to be expected? I don't think presidents ever really let their friends--much less the folks who assisted their illegal doings--serve their sentences.

[TomAz]

A commutation is not a pardon.

Libby was prep school debate team, Yale, Columbia Law. so 'club fed' would be pretty rough time for him.

[bug on your lip]

Fukk this borechella

what's Paris doing today ?

[disgustipated]

last night on the news when they showed the two leaders the headline read




Putin-Bush




I giggled.

[bug on your lip]

yeah i saw Bush sayin sumthin about how Putin "tells it like it is" and Putin's word is his bond

[Yablonowitz]

I think to call this an abuse of power is a bit strong. Executive clemency is a presidential priviledge to use at his discretion. Bush was fully within his rights in commuting the sentence.

and yeah I think they were afraid he'd start talking. it's the only reason I can think of that makes sense why Bush would take the flak for doing this.

Yeah, well in my opinion most cases of "executive privilege" are abuses of power. And, yes, I thought that of Clinton too when he did is round of pardoning (I know this was a commutation). Any interference from the president of the US in the judicial process is a violation of the separation of powers, IN MY OPINION. I realize it is legal, but it shouldn't be, for reasons exactly like this. Libby will probably get a full pardon when Bush leaves, making the entire special investigation into the Plame affair a big waste of time and money.

[crazzz2007]

and yeah I think they were afraid he'd start talking. it's the only reason I can think of that makes sense why Bush would take the flak for doing this.

i don't think they were afraid of him talking. there's no way he would have talked.

the real reason bush pardoned him is that he doesn't give a fuck. he does not have to win another election ever again. his approval rating is at 30% and it can't really get much lower. he has less than 18 months left in office and realistically he's not going to accomplish anything in that period of time. he doesn't need anyone's support. he doesn't control congress and therefore can't pass any major legislation. he's done. all he can do is to continue to erode the power of the other branches of government while strengthening the executive branch. but even then, if a democrat wins the presidency, everything bush worked so hard for will easily be undone (except for all the damn judges he has appointed).

[Yablonowitz]

"Bush has granted fewer pardons -- 113 -- than any president in the past 100 years, while denying more than 1,000 requests, said Margaret Colgate Love, the Justice Department's pardon attorney from 1990 to 1997. In addition, Bush has denied more than 4,000 commutation requests, and hundreds of requests for pardons and commutations are still pending, Love said."

[woogie846]

Here's the real question:

Sure Libby is free, but will he be pardoned?

Discuss.