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UPDATE: BUSH COMMUTES LIBBY'S SENTENCE -Courts can't touch Libby.

techs

techs

Lifer
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/200...o_pr_wh/cia_leak_trial

Former White House aide I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby cannot delay his 2 1/2-year prison term in the CIA leak case, a federal appeals court unanimously ruled Monday.

The decision is a dramatic setback for Libby, who likely will have to surrender to prison in weeks. The ruling puts pressure on President Bush, who has been sidestepping calls by Libby's allies to pardon the former chief of staff to Vice President Dick Cheney.

Libby was convicted in March of lying and obstructing the investigation into the 2003 leak of CIA operative Valerie Plame's identity. He is the highest-ranking White House official ordered to prison since the Iran-Contra affair.




When you get past the right wing rhetoric you realize Libby was convicted of 4 counts of perjury. Forget the nonsense that he didn't out Plame. Forget the nonsense that it is not fair that the person who did out Plame, Armitrage, is not facing jail time.
Just remember that if Libby HAD told the truth than maybe the betrayer of our agent would have gone to jail.
Thats FOUR counts of perjury.
And absolutely don't forget that he wan't prosecuted by someone like Kenneth Starr who was from a different party and was chosen for his bias. He was prosecuted by Patrick Fitzgerald, a Republican, who was praised by Bush and other Republicans as an extremely fair prosecutor.
Libby, go to jail. Go directly to jail.
 
One thing I am absolutely convinced of is that we could have quickly gotten to the bottom of this rotten crime and cleaned out the criminals responsible for this treasonous act fast if instead of being questioned by Fitzgerald he'd have been water boarded in Guantanamo like the terrorist he is.
 
Where is he being sent? Club Fed, or a real jail?


Good news - only way it could be better is if Rove and Cheney were accompanying him. Here's hoping their numbers get called in eventually too! :thumbsup:


 
See

Political pull all the way.

Whenever a politician gets convicted of perjury, they get a slap on the wrist.
 
Just caught snatches of something on the radio as the various news articles have nothing to add as far as I can see---but apparently the 3 judge panel--2 repubs and 1 dem ruled unanimously against Libby---but the radio thing I caught said they denied his stay of jailing while on appeal because Libby's appeal raised no new legal issue---which may be legal speak for his appeal being both groundless and likely to fail.

But what is missing in action is any news on when his actual appeal is likely to be heard by a higher court. But if its anything more than two to three weeks away, Libby will likely be required to report to jail and start serving his sentence. So I ask---does anyone have any hard information on when an upper court will hear Libby's appeal?

And also point out the GWB is now on the cutting edge of the horns of a dilemma. With only a few weeks left to straddle the fence. Does he pardon Libby a few seconds before he reports to jail?---or will he let the appeals process continue to do its slow work while Libby rots in jail? And that other unasked question---failing the pardon, when the jail door slams shut and the key turns to lock, will it prompt Scooter to finally start telling the real truth on who actually done it?

But Fitzgerald is a very stubborn fellow---and plays hard ball as he seems to take his charge to get to the bottom of the matter quite seriously. As you recall he jailed Judith Miller for about 90 days and didn't let little matters like press freedoms stand in his way. He may well be Libby's best friend if Libby will turn State's evidence even at this late date. To my knowledge the CIA outing investigation has never been officially ended.
 
Originally posted by: Stoneburner
he was pardoned already?
Click to expand...

Edit: Woah
http://www.newsday.com/news/na...?coll=ny-top-headlines

Bush commutes sentence for Libby

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

July 2, 2007, 5:52 PM EDT

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.

Bush's move came hours after a federal appeals panel ruled Libby could not delay his prison term in the CIA leak case. That decision put the 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.

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.
Copyright 2007 Newsday Inc.
Click to expand...

Bush just killed his presidency. It was on life support before, he just hit it over the head with a shovel.

I was two seconds away from posting that Dubbya would never pardon Libby until he was on his way out of office. This is truly amazing. A standing president pardons a guy who may have lied to protect him. BALLS.

Edit: Commuted his jail sentence, not pardoned. But in the eyes of most people this is going to come across as a pardon, fine or no fine, probation or no probation.
 
Originally posted by: Stoneburner
His sentence appears to be commuted Whoozerdaddy. Not pardoned.


EDIT:

Thanks was looking for more information
Click to expand...

That is what I'm hearing also. But I haven't found a story.
 
Originally posted by: Stoneburner



EDIT:

Thanks was looking for more information
Click to expand...

Legalities aside, in the world of public opinion is there really any difference? He's not going to jail. The talking heads will spin this on both sides but the simple :30 sound bite answer is that Libby is going home instead of going to jail. This upsets me. Wait till Harvey weighs in. 😛
 
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/cia...nhqa0ZTlQxV.2BA5Ws0NUE

WASHINGTON - 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.

Bush's move came hours after a federal appeals panel ruled Libby could not delay his prison term in the CIA leak case. That decision put the 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.

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.

Lewis "Scooter" Libby, former Chief of Staff to U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney, is surrounded by media as he steps into a waiting car while leaving the courthouse in Washington in this June 5, 2007 file photo. U.S. President George W. Bush on July 2, 2007 spared Libby from going to prison for 2 1/2 years for obstructing the CIA leak investigation, a White House official said. REUTERS/Larry Downing/Files (UNITED STATES)
 
Hell... his approval is only at 30% - what's he got to lose... the libs will whine about it for a few days, but it's not really going to impact him at all.
 
Originally posted by: ajf3
Hell... his approval is only at 30% - what's he got to lose... the libs will whine about it for a few days, but it's not really going to impact him at all.
Click to expand...

The impact of this will be felt much further than just the white house. The first question in the next R debate will almost certainly have something to do with Libby. Everyone in the race will have to deal with this issue.

This isn't a small thing. The Dems have a legitimate gripe here and if they are smart they can run with this for a long time.
 
Just when you think Bush couldn't sink any lower.

His entire administration has been nothing short of disgusting.
 
Originally posted by: Whoozyerdaddy
<div class="FTQUOTE"><begin quote>Originally posted by: ajf3
Hell... his approval is only at 30% - what's he got to lose... the libs will whine about it for a few days, but it's not really going to impact him at all.</end quote></div>

The impact of this will be felt much further than just the white house. The first question in the next R debate will almost certainly have something to do with Libby. Everyone in the race will have to deal with this issue.

This isn't a small thing. The Dems have a legitimate gripe here and if they are smart they can run with this for a long time.
Click to expand...

The Democrats have been a total failure in holding Bush and his admin accountable for anything.
 

Bloomberg

Bush Commutes Libby's Prison Term in CIA Leak Case (Update2)

By Edwin Chen

July 2 (Bloomberg) -- President George W. Bush commuted Lewis ``Scooter'' Libby's 2 1/2-year prison sentence in the CIA leak case, sparing him from punishment the president called ``excessive.''

Bush acted after a U.S. appellate court today refused to let Libby, 56, stay out of prison during his appeal. Libby, former chief of staff to Vice President Dick Cheney, was convicted of lying to investigators probing the 2003 leak of CIA official Valerie Plame's identity. Libby's backers had argued for a pardon.

``My decision to commute his prison sentence leaves in place a harsh punishment for Mr. Libby,'' Bush said in a statement. ``The consequences of his felony conviction on his former life as a lawyer, public servant and private citizen will be long- lasting.''

The president's action means that even though Libby avoids prison, his conviction stands and he is still required to pay the $250,000 fine ordered by a federal judge. He can continue to appeal his conviction and fine.

The question of whether to intervene in Libby's case had been termed a ``no-win situation'' for the president by David Gergen, who advised Presidents Richard Nixon, Ronald Reagan and Bill Clinton.

With Bush already suffering poor approval ratings, a Cable News Network/Opinion Research survey conducted after Libby's March 6 conviction found that 69 percent of respondents opposed a pardon while 18 percent favored it. Congressional Democrats, including Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid, demanded that Bush promise not to pardon Libby.

`Important to React'

Bush's statement said that, with ``incarceration imminent, I believe it is now important to react'' to the appeals court's refusal to let Libby remain free.

At the same time, a pro-Libby firestorm was being fanned by self-described conservative bloggers and talk-radio hosts, and many conservative leaders asked the president to step in.

Until now Bush had stayed out of the case, with his aides saying he would let the appeal go forward.

Libby's supporters argued that special prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald was over-zealous in prosecuting Libby for lying to investigators when no one was charged over the actual leak of Plame's status as a Central Intelligence Agency official.

Libby was convicted of obstructing justice, perjury and making false statements. He resigned as Cheney's chief of staff upon being indicted in 2005.

Wilson Column

Libby was found guilty of lying to Federal Bureau of Investigation agents and a grand jury probing whether the Bush administration deliberately leaked Plame's identity to retaliate against her husband, Joseph Wilson. In a New York Times column on July 6, 2003, Wilson accused the government of twisting intelligence to justify the invasion of Iraq earlier that year.

Plame's status as a CIA official was disclosed eight days later in an article by syndicated columnist Robert Novak. Novak testified during the trial that Plame's identity was provided to him by then-Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage and confirmed by White House political adviser Karl Rove.

Fitzgerald argued that Libby lied about his knowledge of the leak to protect his job. It's a federal crime to knowingly reveal the identity of a covert CIA agent, and the White House had announced that anyone who leaked Plame's identity would be fired. No one was charged with a crime or fired for the leak.

Libby's lawyers said national security matters kept him too preoccupied to remember details about the leak.
Click to expand...

Shrug. These criminal hypocrites have no shame at all.


 
Originally posted by: Whoozyerdaddy
<div class="FTQUOTE"><begin quote>Originally posted by: ajf3
Hell... his approval is only at 30% - what's he got to lose... the libs will whine about it for a few days, but it's not really going to impact him at all.</end quote></div>

The impact of this will be felt much further than just the white house. The first question in the next R debate will almost certainly have something to do with Libby. Everyone in the race will have to deal with this issue.

This isn't a small thing. The Dems have a legitimate gripe here and if they are smart they can run with this for a long time.
Click to expand...

I guess we know beyond any speculation now....

Loyalty to "the cause" above all else.

I think that this just might prompt a very thorough investigation into Cheney's role in the whole matter now. I think that the Dems were pretty content to just let Scooter take the fall but they will now use this as a reason to delve deeper into the VP's and the WH's role in the whole matter and find out what the basis was for this. Was this payback for "taking one for the team?" Probably. But Bush is too stupid to have figured out that Scooter should have done a year and then been pardoned. Now, there is still time for impeachment and Bush is giving more and more ammo to the enemy to be shot at with.
 
So we get some crap about excessive punishment from a man who set records for executing people and laughed at them for it.

Fukk this president, fukk his hypocritical party, and fukk everybody who agrees this was fair. I saw a study yesterday that showed 1/6 jury and judge verdicts was incorrect. Yet here where there is overwhelming evidence it's essentially reversed. Bush Republicans only care about law and order to the extent is allows them to bash people they hate.
 
I will wait until the official announcement of the commutation of sentence before erupting in outrage against GWB&co. But then again, I have advocated the impeachment of GWB
already and this does little to alter my position. I was outraged before---and am still outraged---the real question is how those sitting on the fence will take the news that criminality to advance the GWB&co. agenda is above the law.
 
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