Lewis Libby's Sentence
 

So I guess Bush pardoned Libby? Is this shocking? I thought it might not be shocking.

Okay, he didn't pardon him, he just said that since Libby was denied bail, he didn't have to spend any time in jail, and just let him out of that part.

...?

Can he do that? What the hell?

Libby still has to do the fines/probation, but no prison time for him.

I don't recall any reason why Bush couldn't do it, though. Can't he pardon anyone as part of his presidential powers?

Well this apparently is a commutation, which is different from a pardon, and which I didn't know a President could do. After looking it up a President can, in fact, do such a thing.

I mean at this juncture I think Bush is acting on the principle that he just doesn't give a damn about public opinion anymore, and so he's basically going to do anything he wants while he still can. How the hell else can you justify getting a guilty buddy out of jail? Man, I wish I was close friends with President Bush...then I could commit a few murders or rape an underage girl or something and he'd find some way to let me get away with it.

The sad thing about my particular sentiments is that I'm a part of President Bush's conservative base and I actually worked a bit in DC on his 2004 re-election campaign. When even those loyal to your own political party are sick and tired of your antics, that's probably a pretty damn bad sign. I mean at this juncture I'm excited at the prospect of the 2008 elections even if a democrat wins. I'm not planning on supporting Hillary or Obama, but when a Republican says they'd be a step up from Bush, it's the kind of thing that Bush should be concerned about.

...but he doesn't seem to be concerned about anything. If Clinton spent too much time worrying about public opinion, Bush spends far too little time understanding the prevailing trends. I don't think all that many Republicans on the Hill are excited with this news, it gives Nancy Pelosi a whole new weapon to flaunt against them, namely -- as Pelosi herself has already noted -- that the President is implicitly supporting a criminal action and holding friendship above the law. Since when is a President supposed to do that? The friendship-over-justice spiel was the same kind of thing that landed President Grant in trouble with the Teapot Dome scandal (Grant was notorious for appointing his bestest buddies to special executive positions and letting them do what they wanted), and history seems to be repeating itself.

Fixed.

Is anybody really surprised by this? I would be shocked if he hadn't. I'm also pretty sure when Bush's term is a bit closer to the end he'll give him an official pardon clearing his name of the felony charge as well. And we can expect the same of any other individual that's loyal to Bush that might be brought up on charges between now and January 2009 to be given the same treatment.
I what he did is called Clemency.

Also, this thread title should be changed to "Scooter Scoots on Jail Time."

In light of Bush's statement --

"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."

-- I guess it's worth noting that the President is all for excessive sentences when they don't concern people he personally happens to know.

Yeah, 3 years in jail is totally excessive for perjury :rolleyes: . I mean, the republicans have stated time and again that perjury isn't a big deal and they totally wouldn't try to, say, impeach a president over it.

I don't care much for that. What pissed me off is this:

In the whole event of the firing of district attornys, President Bush has been ordered by the Supreme Court to hand over certain document. Bush said, in our terms "lol no u." Checks and Balances no longer exist. Just a lot of crime. Bush's administration is like the Mob, only less organized.