Kristol: Bush Timed Clemency To Get Political Cover By Attacking Clinton

[deminks]

http://thinkprogress.org/2007/07/08/kristol-machiavellian/

This morning, the Weekly Standard’s Bill Kristol — who accurately predicted the President’s decision to commute Libby’s sentence — suggested the order was timed to provide political cover for the decision by attacking President Clinton.

“Here’s why the president acted the way he did. He knew Bill Clinton was joining Hillary in Iowa on July 4th. No, I’m serious,” Kristol said. “So on July 2d, Ed Gillespie, who’s a very canny Republican operator, said, Let’s pardon Libby. Clinton will rise to the bait, and we could spend the last half of the week debating the unbelievable Clinton pardons against the defensible Bush pardon.”

Kristol concluded, “I regard this as an extremely clever Machiavellian move by the president. It cheers me up about the Bush White House, and I’m really heartened.” Watch it:

The Libby case is not comparable to anything President Clinton ever did. Libby was spared prison time because he was “charged with activities that involve knowledge of what his superiors in the White House did.” House Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers said this kind of relationship in a commutation has “never existed before.”

[applegrove]

1. No mention of how clemency keeps Libby out of testifying before congress

in the next 18 months. Nice try William.

When a machiavellian admits to machiavellian tactics..he is try to run an alternative narrative. Good luck with that!

[NanceGreggs]

2. Kristol NEVER disappoints ...

... he sounds like an idiot every time he opens his mouth.

"Ed Gillespie said, 'Let’s pardon Libby. Clinton will rise to the bait, and we could spend the last half of the week debating the unbelievable Clinton pardons against the defensible Bush pardon.'"

Gillespie then followed up with, "Hey, gang, there are some old costumes out in the barn. Whadda ya say we put on a show!?!"

[Schema Thing]

3. The only "timing" involved, was..

... was the fact that Libby was ordered to serve his time during the appeal process that morning. The "pardon" came that afternoon.

[ljm2002]

5. Precisely! n/t

[C_U_L8R]

4. Yeah that's the ticket

Who told you this Billy..... Morgan Fairchild????