lord_casek Posted July 2, 2007 Share Posted July 2, 2007 http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/19570081/ WASHINGTON - President Bush commuted the sentence of former White House aide I. Lewis “Scooter” Libby on Monday, sparing him from a 2½-year prison term that Bush said was excessive.Bush’s move came hours after a federal appeals panel ruled Libby could not delay his prison term in the CIA leak case. That meant Libby was likely to have to report to prison soon and put new pressure on the president, who had been sidestepping calls by Libby’s allies to pardon the former chief of staff to Vice President Dick Cheney. “I respect the jury’s verdict,” Bush said in a statement. “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.” Bush left intact a $250,000 fine and two years probation for Libby, and Bush said his action still “leaves in place a harsh punishment for Mr. Libby.”Libby was convicted in March of lying to authorities and obstructing the investigation into the 2003 leak of CIA operative’s identity. He was the highest-ranking White House official ordered to prison since the Iran-Contra affair. Reaction was harsh from Democrats. “As Independence Day nears, we’re reminded that one of the principles our forefathers fought for was equal justice under the law. This commutation completely tramples on that principle,” Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., said through a spokesman.Reputation 'forever damaged' Libby’s supporters celebrated. “That’s fantastic. It’s a great relief,” said former Ambassador Richard Carlson, who helped raise millions for Libby’s defense fund. “Scooter Libby did not deserve to go to prison and I’m glad the president had the courage to do this.” A message seeking comment from Special Prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald’s office was not immediately returned. Bush said Cheney’s former aide was not getting off free. “The reputation he gained through his years of public service and professional work in the legal community is forever damaged,” Bush said. “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.” happy birthday, america Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ILOTSMYBRAIN Posted July 2, 2007 Share Posted July 2, 2007 seriously who didn't see this coming? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lord_casek Posted July 2, 2007 Author Share Posted July 2, 2007 thought it would come at the end og bush's reign... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ILOTSMYBRAIN Posted July 2, 2007 Share Posted July 2, 2007 honestly at this point with everything he's done, or hasn't done, the fact that his approval rating is so low, and still nobody does anything (serious) about the crimes the man has comitied, or the straight up ridiculous statements he's made, why would he even consider it? i mean the guy is basically untouchable right? and saving face at this point it don't matter, his image is fucked regardless and he's already stated he doesn't care what the public thinks about him. get you're boy outta there bush! i'm not surprised by anything anymore, it's getting to the point where i just don't care anymore, and i used to hate people that thought that way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lord_casek Posted July 2, 2007 Author Share Posted July 2, 2007 i know the feeling, brother. you're right, he doesn't care and has said so many a time. i think the first step is coming. the impeachment of cheney has 10 sponsors, bush may soon have criminal charges pressed on him for contempt of court. we've gotta wait and see. but we also have to call in our support for the people trying to do the right thing. they need to know america is behind them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Theo Huxtable. Posted July 2, 2007 Share Posted July 2, 2007 not surprised. i never looked at the full details of the case, so i can't say whether it was excessive or not. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the.crooked Posted July 3, 2007 Share Posted July 3, 2007 predictable. this is his payment for being the fallguy for cheney. only another notch on the wihite house belt of executive improprieties. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larry Pubes Posted July 3, 2007 Share Posted July 3, 2007 awesomely classic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FREIGHTYONE Posted July 4, 2007 Share Posted July 4, 2007 Every president pardons people. Bill Clinton pardoned a lot of people. Everyone saw this coming, but lets be real for a moment - did Libby really comit a crime that warranted two and a half years in federal prison? People get arrested for interstate gun trafficking and get two to three years in the federal pen. I understand that alot of people, including myself at times, want people like Libby to be held accountable for what they do - but to treat him any different than say, you or I at his sentencing trial is not the definition of justice - be it stiffer penalties or leniancy. When you are found gulity of a crime, and you are in the sentencing phase, they have guidelines that they use. Someone like Libby with no criminal record will be on the bottom scale. They have modifiers that they can than attach for aggravated circumstances. In the end, the law is the law. You may not agree with what went down, but if you were on the other end of the stick, I think you'd be thankful for it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FREIGHTYONE Posted July 4, 2007 Share Posted July 4, 2007 I checked the federal sentencing guidelines - for what Libby did is classified as a base level 12 offense, meaning someone without a prior criminal history could only get 10 - 16 months at the maximum. Someone who is classified at the top of the scale according to their criminal history would get 30 - 37 months. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stunt double Posted July 4, 2007 Share Posted July 4, 2007 under the circumstances... exposing a CIA officer, and commiting perjury/perverting the course of justice or whatever it was, should have fallen under the context of treason. if a normal citizen did that, they would be tried as traitors. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lord_casek Posted July 4, 2007 Author Share Posted July 4, 2007 under the circumstances... exposing a CIA officer, and commiting perjury/perverting the course of justice or whatever it was, should have fallen under the context of treason. if a normal citizen did that, they would be tried as traitors. exactly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ILOTSMYBRAIN Posted July 4, 2007 Share Posted July 4, 2007 Seriously, anyone saying that Libby got the shaft is pretty blind to the issue. The man was involved in outing a CIA spy, and then lied about it in court. This is treason, and well I was under the impression that treason is punishable by death. Now the guy is free, go figure. If I was on the other end of the stick, I'd probably never see the light of day again, that is even if I were alive to see the light. I can't believe people are even defending this man. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the.crooked Posted July 4, 2007 Share Posted July 4, 2007 I think ever major media outlet is hitting it on the head. This is to keep him quiet about who actually gave the order to release the name. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larry Pubes Posted July 5, 2007 Share Posted July 5, 2007 my understanding, which is limited, is that bush giving libby a commutation means libby can plead the 5th if prosecutors want to plunk him in front of congress to find out exactly what went down, which could threaten the chen-gang. he can still be pardoned, but if he was pardoned straight off he wouldn't have the 5th privilege. or somethin' like that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loc Dogg Posted July 23, 2007 Share Posted July 23, 2007 i was gonna say. EVERY president pardons his cronies. bush and clinton alike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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