criminal -- simply criminal.

the ink on the order denying
scooter's expedited bail motion
hadn't even dried, before this:


[click the above image to enlarge.]

'tis outrageous -- even by their standards.

his sentence commuted -- by the
two men the convicted felon perjured
himself, and obstructed justice -- to
protect. if this is not grounds for
a judicial inquiry, i am uncertain what
would be -- indict, or impeach.

it is time. it is past time.

no justice -- no peace.

not even four weeks ago, mr. bush
said he would not act until mr. libby's
appeals had been exhausted. mr. libby's
appeals have not been exhausted.

so -- the president -- after a public-urging,
on the whitehouse.gov web-server, by the vice-
president, dick cheney -- has stepped into the
middle of a pending criminal case, and prevented
i. lewis "scooter" libby from receiving the natural,
predictable, criminal, consequences of perjury, and
obstruction of justice -- this, from the man, who is
now protecting the man, who is protecting the
vice-president! that, in and of itself, may well
make out a prima facie case of. . .
yep! you guessed it! -- obstruction of justice.



[click above to enlarge exhibit "a" for
the proposition that dick cheney intended
to obstruct justice with this "press release".

what in the hell did our tax-dollars buy that day?!]

this smells very much like spiro t. agnew,
and richard m. nixon, to me -- and this feels
like the long, hot summer of 1974,
a-comin' all over again. . .

yesterday, on "meet the press", senator
patrick leahy told us that "in america,
no man is above the law. . . not the
president, not the vice-president", and
certainly not scooter libby. . .

do watch -- it will have great
currency -- and new meaning, i predict,
by tomorrow morning:

more -- later. . .

speaker nancy pelosi's reaction:

The President’s commutation of Scooter Libby’s prison sentence does not serve justice, condones criminal conduct, and is a betrayal of trust of the American people.

The President said he would hold accountable anyone involved in the Valerie Plame leak case. By his action today, the President shows his word is not to be believed. He has abandoned all sense of fairness when it comes to justice, he has failed to uphold the rule of law, and he has failed to hold his Administration accountable. . .

rep. john conyers' reaction:

Until now, it appeared that the President merely turned a blind eye to a high ranking Administration official leaking classified information. The President’s action today makes it clear that he condones such activity. This decision is inconsistent with the rule of law and sends a horrible signal to the American people and our intelligence operatives who place their lives at risk everyday. Now that the White House can no longer argue that there is a pending criminal investigation, I expect them to be fully forthcoming with the American people about the circumstances that led to this leak and the President’s decision today. . .

rep. henry waxman's reaction:

Former President Bush once said: “I have nothing but contempt and anger for those who betray the trust by exposing the name of our sources. They are, in my view, the most insidious of traitors.”

That’s exactly what happened to Valerie Wilson. Her identity was revealed, putting her, her family, and our country at risk.

President Bush and Vice President Cheney deserve the widespread contempt they are receiving for this indefensible decision. The Libby commutation makes a mockery of our judicial system and our most fundamental values. . .

rep. louise slaughter's reaction:

The President has claimed Mr. Libby’s sentence was excessive. But the only excessive actions taken were those of the Administration as it sought to exact retribution against a critic. As I learned personally from the testimony of former CIA agents, its actions were unconscionable.

The case against Scooter Libby always involved much more than the fate of one man. By revealing Valerie Plame’s identity, the Administration endangered her life, the life of everyone in the field she had worked with, and America’s national security. This illegal action set back the work of our intelligence community immeasurably by breaking bonds of trust which take years to form. Two years is a paltry price to pay for the damage done to our nation, damage Mr. Libby made possible.

With its decision, the Bush Administration has proven that to the very end, it is interested only in shielding its members from accountability rather than encouraging it, even when doing so comes at the direct expense of our nation’s security. . .

special counsel patrick fitzgerald's reaction:

We fully recognize that the Constitution provides that commutation decisions are a matter of presidential prerogative and we do not comment on the exercise of that prerogative.

We comment only on the statement in which the President termed the sentence imposed by the judge as “excessive.” The sentence in this case was imposed pursuant to the laws governing sentencings which occur every day throughout this country. In this case, an experienced federal judge considered extensive argument from the parties and then imposed a sentence consistent with the applicable laws. It is fundamental to the rule of law that all citizens stand before the bar of justice as equals. That principle guided the judge during both the trial and the sentencing.

Although the President’s decision eliminates Mr. Libby’s sentence of imprisonment, Mr. Libby remains convicted by a jury of serious felonies, and we will continue to seek to preserve those convictions through the appeals process. . .

sen. patrick leahy's reaction:

The President’s muted words and deeds in the aftermath of this conviction pale in comparison to what he said before the investigation was launched.

The President has the constitutional power to do this. But accountability has been in short supply in the Bush Administration, and this commutation fits that pattern. It is emblematic of a White House that sees itself as being above the law. . .

sen. charles schumer's reaction:

One of the principles our forefathers fought for was equal justice under the law. This commutation completely tramples on that principle. . .

rep. steny hoyer's reaction:

It is very disappointing that the President has chosen to substitute his judgment for that of the trial judge who heard all the evidence in Mr. Libby’s case, as well as the federal appellate panel which ruled today that Mr. Libby could not delay serving his prison term. The charges against Mr. Libby were not insubstantial; a jury convicted him of lying to authorities and obstructing the investigation into the public disclosure of a CIA operative’s identity. In the last election, accountability for wrongdoing was a major issue. With this decision today in the Libby case, the President continues to demonstrate that he rejects accountability for wrongdoing in his Administration. . .

sen. barack obama's reaction:

This decision to commute the sentence of a man who compromised our national security cements the legacy of an Administration characterized by a politics of cynicism and division, one that has consistently placed itself and its ideology above the law. This is exactly the kind of politics we must change so we can begin restoring the American people's faith in a government that puts the country's progress ahead of the bitter partisanship of recent years. . .


sen. hillary clinton's reaction:

Today's decision is yet another example that this Administration simply considers itself above the law. This case arose from the Administration's politicization of national security intelligence and its efforts to punish those who spoke out against its policies. Four years into the Iraq war, Americans are still living with the consequences of this White House's efforts to quell dissent. This commutation sends the clear signal that in this Administration, cronyism and ideology trump competence and justice. . .

[more to come, after i finish vomiting. . .]