Judge Walton "not inclined to let Libby remain free pending appeals"; Bush pardon decision soon?

[DeepModem Mom]

WP pg1: In the West Wing, Pardon Is A Topic Too Sensitive to Mention
By Peter Baker
Washington Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, June 6, 2007; Page A01

The sentence imposed on former White House aide I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby yesterday put President Bush in the position of making a decision he has tried to avoid for months: Trigger a fresh political storm by pardoning a convicted perjurer or let one of the early architects of his administration head to prison.

The prospect of a pardon has become so sensitive inside the West Wing that top aides have been kept out of the loop, and even Bush friends have been told not to bring it up with the president. In any debate, officials expect Vice President Cheney to favor a pardon, while other aides worry about the political consequences of stepping into a case that stems from the origins of the Iraq war and renewing questions about the truthfulness of the Bush administration.

The White House publicly sought to defer the matter again yesterday, saying that Bush is "not going to intervene" for now. But U.S. District Judge Reggie B. Walton indicated that he is not inclined to let Libby remain free pending appeals, which means the issue could confront Bush in a matter of weeks when, barring a judicial change of heart, Cheney's former chief of staff will have to trade his business suit for prison garb. Republicans inside and outside the administration said that would be the moment when Bush has to decide.

"Obviously, there'd be a significant political price to pay," said William P. Barr, who as attorney general to President George H.W. Bush remembers the controversy raised by the post-election pardons for several Iran-contra figures in 1992. "I personally am very sympathetic to Scooter Libby. But it would be a tough call to do it at this stage."

At the same time, some White House advisers said the president's political troubles are already so deep that a pardon might not be so damaging. Those most upset by the CIA leak case that led to the Libby conviction already oppose Bush, they noted. "You can't hang a man twice for the same crime," a Republican close to the White House said....

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/06/05/AR2007060501275.html?hpid=topnews

[BlooInBloo]

1. gw can pardon him *anytime*. Every day he doesn't, another "decision" has been made.

[JDPriestly]

2. It would be a terrible precedent for the president to pardon

someone for perjury having to do with the outing of a CIA agent. That is just a horrible idea.

[LibDemAlways]

3. Chimp will have no problem pardoning Libby. He'll

just proclaim that he's the "decider" and the pardon was what he "decided," and he's not going to discuss it further. The corporate whores will let the arrogant little prick get away with it, and pretty soon the big "news" story will be the release of Paris Hilton. Or maybe the whores will get really lucky, and one of Anna Nicole's former boyfriends will confess to killing Jon Benet.

[MonkeyFunk]

4. I doubt it

high-profile pardons are exceedingly rare.

[LibDemAlways]

15. True, but if anyone could

get away relatively unscathed with issuing one, Bush could. Look at how much he's gotten away with already.

[Hieronymus]

5. A pardon can't hurt Bush much with his ratings so low.

:eyes:

[Gman]

6. Bush will drop into the teens if he pardons Libby now

all hell will break loose.

[radfringe]

8. since when does he give a flying crap about poll numbers?

the ones that should be concerned about the impact of poll numbers are the republics running for office

short of supporting impeachment or at the least a censure - anything bush does ends up as a reflection on republics.

[Gman]

19. Bush doesn't but everyone else does

because Bush becomes that much more of a millstone around the GOP's neck.

My guess is for every percent Bush drops, the Democrats pick up from 1 - 1.5 seats. EVery 5 point drop has got to be worth at least one Senate seat.

[radfringe]

31. GOPers are now trying to distance themselves from bush

in order to save themselves

Heard one RNCer trying to spin it as needing to get the message out that while the republics respect the pResident, they need to make it clear to the public that bush is not the head of the republic party... :rofl:

although polls show the majority of republics still support bush - the number of republics have dropped, with many of them switching to independent or another party affiliation - so when you see a poll saying bush has x% approval of republics, you also need to ask how many republics are left to poll?

[salin]

9. he tanks to the teens - and the GOP in congress

will further split apart. Jrs loyalty is a one-way street - folks have to be loyal to him, but there is no reciprocity. There is no real motivation for Bush to grant such a pardon. But the downside could make his weak position become enfeebled as the GOP on the HIll run away in order to attempt to preserve their own reelections.

[mondo joe]

27. Nah -- the 28% or so who support him now will want him to pardon Libby.

Disapproval rate doesn't get worse just because the already disapproving people disapprove yet more.

[Gman]

28. Diminishing losses?

as opposed to returns? You're probably right. It's essentially the same 20-odd percent that still supported Nixxon on the day he quit.

[H2O Man]

7. Though Bush can

pardon him at any time, it is less likely he will if Scooter is incarcerated this summer, rather than when his appeals run out.

More, on MSNBC yesterday, their reporter on the scene hinted at one of the things some "insiders" know: Bush has a personal reason that makes it unlikely he will grant the pardon.

[Cha]

18. I wonder what that "personal reason"

is? I would think it would be a personal reason that bush Would pardon the convicted liar?

It would be definet sound byte for the Dems.."bush pardoned a liar in the undercover CIA operative exposure case" And bring it all up..over and over and over again!

[blogslut]

10. I think they cut Scooter loose long ago

He's on his own as far as Bushco is concerned.

Maybe not. Maybe Team Libby^TM has enough dirt to worry Team Rove^TM. Perhaps Bush will do more than express his regret and repeat his oath to "believe in Scooter". But it seems to me that ever since the conviction, the WH has been less than enthusiastic in defending Mr. Libby. Bulldog Dick Cheney is a man that has no trouble going for the jugular when he wants to quash a threat. Yet he has approached the subject of Scooter with an (IMHO) inexplicable delicacy.

In fact, I'm beginning to think the president is burning a lot of bridges. The fact is he is no longer useful to his party nor his promoters. There will be no private practice law firm or think tank in George Bush's future. He will not be a respected elder statesman. He'll have to buy his way into his ventures like he had to before he became the worst president in history. He's human kryptonite to them now. He has to know this. Pretty soon Karl is going to dump him like he never existed.

As well, my guess is that Cheney is too busy covering his own ass to give a shit about his supposed friend. IIRC, Cheney has not called, written to or visited Libby since the indictment came down. Also note, that of all the letters written in praise of Scooter to Judge Walton, nothing from Dick.

Somebody is going to be left standing alone with all the blame. It will be interesting to see who that person will be.

[DemReadingDU]

11. Surely Scooter has realized he has been cut, let go

He's no longer in the good embraces of the Bushies. Why doesn't Scooter talk to Fitz and tell all, instead of carrying the lies to prison.

[madokie]

12. calling ken lay

well timed heart attacks works wonders for those in the need

[LibDemAlways]

16. Another convenient heart attack of a Bush crony is

certainly not out of the question, but I think they'll figure "been there, done that" and try to come up with a different scenario. I have a feeling he'll just pardon him outright. That's what the repuke candidates were all clammoring for last night. They think the base believes Libby did nothing wrong to begin with and was the victim of an overzealous prosecutor. That's the rationale chimp would probably use to set Scooter free.

[BlooInBloo]

13. Good little backgrounder on some of the issues involved....

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/chris-weigant/bushs-libby-pardon-pickl_b_50889.html

[Missy Vixen]

14. You know, I realize I've posted this before

but I feel fairly positive it's exactly what will happen after reading about this for months.

Scooter's not getting a pardon. Period. Not only does Scooter not fit the criteria for a pardon in the first place (one must have committed the offense at least 5 years prior, not to mention showing some remorse for one's actions and several other criteria,) there's another compelling reason. In the case of a pardon, Patrick Fitzgerald will have him in front of a grand jury as soon as he can get a subpoena issued. Libby would be unable to take the Fifth, he would be compelled to testify truthfully, or he would be in worse trouble than he is now.

The Wurlitzer will be cranked to unbelievable levels in the meantime.

Julie

[H2O Man]

17. In today's Washington Post,

Peter Baker has an article "In the West Wing, Pardon is a Topic Too Sensitive to Mention." In it, he notes that "top aides have been kept out of the loop, and even Bush friends have been told not to bring it up with the president."

There is a reason.

Yesterday, the on-the-scene reporter from MSNBC said from outside the courtroom that the president may have a personal reason to not grant the pardon. While it is possible that Bush will eventually decide to pardon the convicted felon Libby, he does not seem likely to.

[Disturbed]

20. If Busholini pardoned Libby would that reverse Libby's

Disbarment?

[rasputin1952]

23. No...the Bars of the various states he can practice law in have

the final say. Even a pardon from bush, could not overturn his disbarrment, especially since he has been disbarred for perjury.

One need not perform a criminal act to be disbarred, one can be disbarred for various reasons, to include he was simply an incompetent lawyer. Perjury, is never seen as a "good" thing in law. it is one of those things that happens, but if you are caught, and yo have a Law Degree, you are poison.

[jazzjunkysue]

30. I've read this today. Now, he can't be called because of the "ongoing

investigation."

While under appeal, everyone clams up.

But when it's final, and Scooter's free, he's also up for grabs, and may be feeling a little less protective of Cheney and the chimp.

[karlrschneider]

21. Does it even matter? He's free right now...everyone seems to be 'waiting' for...

something...?

Why is the fucker running loose -at this moment-???

[Marie26]

22. No way

Bush has cut Libby loose.

[rasputin1952]

24. bush won't pardon Libby, there is nothing in it for him...

If he can't gain, he'll just keep to the script and let Libby float away on his own to drown.

But....bush is as stupid as a rock, and might not realize that if the thought of pardoning Libby does cross his path via cheney....he can just add another decade of loss on to the Republican side of the board...at the rate bush is going, he can keep the GOP out of DC for a century...:woohoo:

[HuffleClaw]

25. 'officials expect Vice President Cheney to favor a pardon'

HAHHAHHHAHAAHAAA


of course he does, because he knows the next guy needing a pardon will be himself.

[ProudDad]

26. Another option is that scooter boy

could succumb to Jack Ruby's Disease...

I'm sure cheney and rove would be very relieved.

On edit for the youthful among you:

"Arrangements were underway for a new trial (for Jack Ruby) in February 1967, in Wichita Falls, Texas, when, on December 9, 1966, Ruby was admitted to Parkland Hospital in Dallas, suffering from pneumonia. A day later, doctors realized he had cancer in his liver, lungs, and brain. Ruby died of a pulmonary embolism on January 3, 1967 at Parkland Hospital where Lee Harvey Oswald had died and President Kennedy had been pronounced dead after his assassination."

Yeah, right, just happened to have "cancer", just like Wild Bill Casey... :eyes:

[jazzjunkysue]

29. (Cue Jeopardy music.) The "Great Decider" decides!

Ok. There's no chance he'll pardon now. Not until after the election.

What would B* gain from it?

Except, unless Scooter starts singing like Abramoff, to shorten his sentence......


Politics are fun!
:hi: :patriot: