Predictable!

Libby avoids jail with presidential decree

Tom Brune in Washington
July 4, 2007


LEWIS LIBBY, the former top aide to the US Vice-President, Dick Cheney, will not go to jail for lying in the CIA leak investigation after all.

"Scooter" Libby was so close to being imprisoned that he was assigned an inmate number, 28301-016, last Wednesday.

But in a highly unusual move, President George Bush commuted Libby's 30-month sentence after an appellate panel on Monday rejected Libby's request to delay the start of his jail time while he appealed against his conviction.

"I respect the jury's verdict," Mr Bush said in a statement. "But I have concluded that the prison sentence given to Mr Libby is excessive."

In announcing a commutation that experts did not expect so soon, Mr Bush said Libby still had to face "harsh punishment", including a $US250,000 ($294,533) fine, two years' probation and damage to his reputation. "The consequences of his felony conviction on his former life as a lawyer, public servant and private citizen will be long-lasting," Mr Bush said.

But Patrick Fitzgerald, a special prosecutor, denied the sentence was excessive. He said the US District Court judge, Reggie Walton, imposed it under applicable laws and under the principle that all citizens are equal before the law.

Critics complained Mr Bush was giving Libby special treatment and was undercutting the message sent by a jury, which found Libby and Mr Cheney went to extreme lengths to discredit a critic of the Iraq war and that Libby lied about that effort.

The former aide is expected to proceed with his appeal but will not have to do it from a cell. Under the commutation, if he loses his appeal he will have to pay the fine and be on probation.

The jury convicted him for obstructing an inquiry into the leaked identity of a covert CIA officer, Valerie Plame, an apparent attempt to undercut her husband and Iraq war critic, the former ambassador Joseph Wilson. No one has been charged with violating US espionage law for the leak.

With his job approval at a low ebb, Mr Bush's action appears likely do little damage to his political standing. But the decision, while well within his constitutional authority, angered Democrats and pleased, but did not satisfy, supporters who wanted Libby pardoned.

A Democrat senator, Charles Schumer, said the decision "completely tramples" the principle of equal justice under law. A fellow Democrat and Senate majority leader, Harry Reid, said "history will judge him harshly for using that power to benefit his own Vice-President's chief of staff who was convicted" of a serious violation of law

How many things can King George do to his people? I only hope the people who voted for him really didn't realize how bad it could get. This man, who thinks it's fine to tap your phone in the interest of National security, lets a man walk who exposed an FBI agent. Exposure that put her life and the lives of everyone she dealt with at risk!! How on earth does he get away with this? So many evil things.How can you all stand this? Happy Independance Day??