A president transformed (The Guardian)

[struggle4progress]

It is so moving to see how a willing executioner can soften into a man of compassion - for cronies

Terry Jones
Saturday July 7, 2007
The Guardian

It has been a truly moving experience to witness the concern and compassion the president of the United States can show towards a convicted felon. Particularly someone accused of such grave offences as Lewis "Scooter" Libby, Dick Cheney's former chief of staff. On March 6 2007 Libby was convicted of obstruction of justice, making false statements to the FBI, and twice committing perjury before a grand jury. According to the charge sheet, Libby "did knowingly and corruptly endeavour to influence, obstruct and impede the due administration of justice by misleading and deceiving the grand jury". So it wasn't a case of absent-mindedness, then.

That is why George Bush's act of mercy is so inspiring, especially when one considers that compassion is not something generally associated with him. When he was governor of Texas, for instance, there were quite a number of convicted felons towards whom he didn't show much compassion at all. In fact he insisted they receive the full penalty of the law, which in their case was somewhat more severe than in Libby's. They were executed. When Bush became governor in 1995, the average number of executions in the state was 7.6 a year. During his time in office, he managed to put down a further 24 humans a year, bringing the annual number of executions up to 31.6; it is heartwarming to see how his attitude to convicted criminals has softened.

The president said the sentence imposed on Libby was "excessive", and that he had suffered enough punishment without it. "The reputation he gained through his years of public service and professional work in the legal community is for ever damaged," said Bush. "His wife and young children have also suffered immensely."

Now this will be good news for critics of the current system of justice. For some time, defence lawyers have been complaining that sentences are too harsh, that defendants' positive contributions to society are ignored, and that collateral damage caused to defendants' families is disregarded. Only last month the US attorney general, Alberto Gonzales, announced that the justice department would push for legislation to make federal sentences even tougher and less flexible. How delighted the critics of such harsh attitudes must be to see that the president has now come around to their way of thinking. ~snip~

http://www.guardian.co.uk/comment/story/0,,2120885,00.html

[Rosa Luxemburg]

1. Gov Bush executed 7.5 a year yet spared Libby from jail

nice one Terry - the President has too much blood on his hands

[JTFrog]

4. Actually he executed more than 30 a year.

When Bush became governor in 1995, the average number of executions in the state was 7.6 a year. During his time in office, he managed to put down a further 24 humans a year, bringing the annual number of executions up to 31.6;

Some pretty controversial cases too.

[Rosa Luxemburg]

6. I wish the genral public would be aware of this

30 wow!

[UpInArms]

7. Dimson commuted the death sentence to a convicted serial killer

Henry Lee Lucas

On June 26, 1998, Texas Governor George Bush commuted Lucas' death sentence to life imprisonment because an investigation by the Attorney General of Texas determined that Lucas could not have killed Orange Socks. Lucas is the only death row inmate to ever receive clemency from Governor Bush.

I remember it clearly and I was appalled as I was almost a Lucas victim.

[silverlib]

2. Amazing...

I gave this the 5th R and still no Kick, so here's a kick to go with the recommend. We do get rather lazy in the wee hours of the morning.

Edited to say, thank you Bambino for beating me to the kick.

[badgerpup]

3. Kick...because the author is Terry Jones.

Yep, that Terry Jones.
:kick:

[ixion]

5. Terry Jones rocks

period.

[formercia]

8. He makes many of the same hand gestures and posturing

that Hitler used in his speeches. Someone with access to both archives should do a split screen video montage.

[SuperSloMo]

9. When * says "America", he means

"my base", as in the "haves and have-mores" that he addressed at the fund-raiser that was memorialized in Fahrenheit 911. Whenever he says "America wants....", "America needs...", etc, it all makes sense if you just substitute "my base" or "the haves and have-mores" for "America". Likewise we can see his compassion for "Americans" by doing the appropriate substitution. Thanks to Terry Jones for bringing this into sharper relief.

[Flabbergasted]

10. How much has Joe Wilson and Valerie Plame suffered for your treason?

[BrklynLiberal]

11. Superb article...

The sarcasm is as sharp as a razor.