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When Presidential Pardons Turn Political »

Posted by: TechnologyExpert 2 years, 5 months ago

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Bush has pardoned 113 people during his presidency, including a Tennessee bootlegger and a Mississippi odometer cheat. But none has drawn the public scrutiny, nor posed the same political challenge, as the candidate that many conservatives hope will be pardon No. 114: I. Lewis Libby Jr., the former chief of staff to VP Dick Cheney.

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Comments: 93

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TechnologyExpert
June 7, 2007, 12:34 a.m.
A pardon for Mr. Libby would attract more painful attention to a case from which Mr. Bush had managed to keep his distance for more than three years, a case inextricably linked to the flawed intelligence used to justify the Iraq war and an administration effort to discredit a critic that ultimately exposed a C.I.A. officer. The Democrats who control Congress would be none too pleased, either.
A decision not to pardon Mr. Libby would further alienate members of Mr. Bush's traditional base of support in the conservative movement, a group already angry about his proposed immigration policy, his administration's spending and his approach to Iran.
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skyking2p
June 7, 2007, 9:56 a.m.
how do you spell HYPOCRITE ( A person who puts on a false appearance of virtue or religion) Remember Bill Clinton? The repubs bring up his name all the time but want to forget what they said about him when the shoe is on the other foot.
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TryingToBeSane
June 7, 2007, 10:06 a.m.
I say hang 'em all. Bush and his cronies from the highest trees. Clinton and his bunch (yes, Hillary 2) from the next highest. Too bad it's too late to hang Reagan (and the contra/iran deal bunch along with him, but not Nancy). Bring back Jimmy. Down with GW and GWB (coincidence?)
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skyking2p
June 7, 2007, 10:07 a.m.
good point ryan thinks
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NelsonR
June 7, 2007, 10:44 a.m.
Americans deserve another pardon and another forever. You had Clinton giving out pardons with his brother attempting to sell them. Most presidents pardoned felons and other friends convicted of crimes, thats life so accept what is.
Standards of behavior are different for different classes of Americans. Paris Hiltion exemplifies my argument. She had a hard time, crying in jail, so her status gave her a free get out of jail card. That's life in America the upper crust rule and the average citizen is ruled differently.
For all you convicted drunk drivers who broke probation, use Hilton as a example to get out of jail and benefit. The courts will laugh at your argument with you being just a peon.
All politicians are as crooked as a snake slinking over the ground. Hell, our politicians can be convicted of crimes and go to jail and get fat pensions from us. Pelosi you and your crowd who would change matters have done nothing. Corrupt crowds in Washington DC, you are abysmal.
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ningyo
June 7, 2007, 11:20 a.m.
this case was prosecutorial abuse gone wild--fitzgerald knew from the start that armitage was the source of the "leak" and the CIA told him that plame had no covert status--and he went fishing anyhow --if you put ANYONE..even the geniuses here on netscape..in front of a seasoned agressive prosecutor 5 or 6 times..they can say i dont remember 163 times like hillary did..or you WILL perjure yourself--libby commited a meaningless crime in an investigation that should have never gone foward
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eviln3d
June 7, 2007, 12:41 p.m.
All Libby has to do is refuse to and they'll send him home like Paris.
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TOtheMOON
June 7, 2007, 12:43 p.m.
What do you call putting "Scooter" Libby in prison? A good start!
Who cares about who did what before today. This friggin gov stinks and it has got to stop somewhere! Why not now? Just because you may like the guy and hate Clinton (or anyone else before now), it is still wrong what he did and I can't believe anybody can be okay with these people getting away with what would get any one of us in prison. He was not forced to lie (he would have been a hero if he had told the truth), but instead he was just a moronic idiot who is finally getting what he is deserved and it is freaking the crap out of all the politicians who know they can easily be in the same boat as him. I say it is about damn time!!
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Tcaros
June 7, 2007, 12:50 p.m.
We have to look between the lines to see what this administration is doing- all the time.
First, Bush's father was once a CIA director. Did people forget that? There's a history. Now, thinking about the Libby case- it just doesn't add up. When things don't add up you need to look at the result (similar to 9/11) rather than just consuming what is being presented. Is it possible this whole Libby thing was "cooked up" purposely by the administration. The result was the perception in the public that there is a "rift" between the administration and the CIA. Why would they want people to think there is a rift? Is it to remove doubts that they were actually cooperating or obfuscate blame over Iraq intelligence or lack thereof? Does it have to do with covering up other crimes? Look at the character of the people(truthful or not truthful)involved here. We have a President who admits authorizes domestic spying prior to 9/11. Is there an intelligence motive or nexus.
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ningyo
June 7, 2007, 12:57 p.m.
if plame was a convert agent under the applying stautes when armitage revealed her name..why didnt fitzgerald charge him or anyone else for that--because NO CRIME WAS COMITTED--thats why--and he knew that from the outset way before libby ever testified once--thats why this case should never have gone foward--knowingly lying under oath is one thing..mis-remembering a hundred details from 3 years ago is another--thats what a skilled prosecutor can pick apart if he has enough time--especially if you are trying to co-operate and tell the truth--they can get anyone to perjure themselves--and then giving him nearly the maximum sentence is just plain abuse from fanatical bush-haters
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bowiegeek
June 7, 2007, 2:40 p.m.
Pardons have always been controversial and they will always be controversial. There wouldn't be a controversy if everyone agreed that justice had been carried out. If Lewis Libby is pardoned, oh well. It's up to the President. But that doesn't mean he's no longer guilty. Regardless of whether he ends up serving time, the stigma of having obstructed justice will remain with him for the rest of his life.
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bluejayway
June 7, 2007, 6:05 p.m.
Why not pardon everyone? After all, the illegal aliens are being pardoned. Get rid of all law, lawyers and the legislative branch. Then we won't need the judicial branch. Think of all the $ we'll save.
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Ghostcapt
June 7, 2007, 6:23 p.m.
So far, Mr. Bush seems to be willing to take that chance, saying he will not intervene until Mr. Libby's legal team has exhausted its avenues of appeal.
So Bush plans to pardon Libby! He says he is the defender of America, I wonder whos America?
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jzinkjazz
June 7, 2007, 7:19 p.m.
YOUR DAMN RIGHT HE SHOULD BE PARDONED,IF SANDY BERGER GETS OFF WITH A FINE FOR STEALING CONFIDENTIAL DOCUMENTS AND LIBBY GOES TO JAIL FOR LIEING.BESIDES THERE ISNT ONE ,NOT ONE ,POLITICAN WHO EVER TOLD THE TRUTH EACH AND EVERY POLITICAN IS A LIAR
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zman
June 7, 2007, 9:46 p.m.
If the Prez Pardons this crook, it would be just one more arrogant act in a long line. Corruption wreaks from this Administration. What a debacle.
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zman
June 7, 2007, 9:54 p.m.
Outing a CIA Agent is an act of Treason - No Pardon - case closed
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not2needy
June 7, 2007, 10:25 p.m.
If Bush pardons Libby, they may as well just dismantle the whole GOP and forget they ever existed.
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kedirian
June 7, 2007, 11:32 p.m.
Actually, Libby is a strong, virile sample of upstanding American manhood....and has enough powerful and rich friends to insure a soft landing for him after serving his term.
What I am most perturbed by is, why hasn't Dubya taken care of his "class"-mate and pardoned that poor, anorexic wraith, Paris Hilton?
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getreal1
June 8, 2007, 8:04 a.m.
The Presidental Pardons are usually granted on the last days of office.
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endtyranny
June 13, 2007, 9:42 a.m.
I can think of hundreds of more pressing issues for the president than pardoning a man who violated the trust of the American people. I can't believe so many will put politics above human lives. There are thousands of falsely convicted people in jail (and on death row) as we speak, some of whom were denied a pardon by Bush himself. If you care about injustice, look no further than your closest prison or courthouse. But a few months in jail for crimes he absolutely did commit? Who cares?