President Bush commuted the sentence of former aide I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby Monday, sparing him from a 2 1/2-year prison term in the CIA leak case.
Bush left intact a $250,000 fine and two years probation for Libby, according to a senior White House official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the decision had not been announced.
"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," Bush said in a statement. "I respect the jury's verdict. But I have concluded that the prison sentence given to Mr. Libby is excessive."
I would have pardoned him. I don't think he should pay a fine or get probation at all. it is clear that he was a victim of a political witch hunt. I am glad he will not be going to jail, though. I disagree with Bush about respecting the jury's verdict.
4 comments:
I wonder why he won't pardon the Border Patrol guys??
He needs to. Good Border Patrol agents need to be rewarded not punished
Who the hell knows what Bush is thinking?
All I can say about this is: ARE YOU KIDDING ME?
Former President Bill Clinton criticized President Bush on Tuesday for commuting the prison sentence of I. Lewis Libby Jr. and tried to draw a distinction from his own controversial pardons.
In Iowa to promote the presidential candidacy of his wife, Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York, Mr. Clinton was asked by a radio host, David Yepsen, “You had some controversial pardons during your presidency; what’s your reaction to what President Bush did?”
“Yeah, but I think the facts were different,” Mr. Clinton said. “I think there are guidelines for what happens when somebody is convicted. You’ve got to understand, this is consistent with their philosophy; they believe that they should be able to do what they want to do, and that the law is a minor obstacle.”
“It’s wrong to out that C.I.A. agent and wrong to try to cover it up,” Mr. Clinton added. “And no one was ever fired from the White House for doing it.”
Mr. Clinton pardoned 140 people in the final hours of his presidency, including Marc Rich, the fugitive broker who had been charged with evading tens of millions of dollars in taxes, and who was the former husband of a top donor to Democrats and Mrs. Clinton’s first Senate campaign.
Rather than tread lightly on the Libby commutation, the Clintons have chosen to confront it; Clinton advisers said there was no real alternative, because the news media would bring up the Rich pardon anyway.
Still, the Clintons have not scheduled a news conference during their visit, where they might face tough questioning, nor have they permitted reporters to attend private events, some including as many as 300 people, where people ask Mrs. Clinton questions. All of their public events have been rallies where the two of them speak.
The Clintons campaigned in Iowa City and Davenport on Tuesday, where Mr. Clinton, in addition to lavishing praise on his wife, seemed to take some fresh shots at the Bush administration. Referring to the presidency, he said in Davenport, “You have to think; we’ve seen what happens when you don’t think.”
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