Bush asked Fred Fielding if Libby jury was right

[Poiuyt]

Isikoff also added an interesting detail I hadn't heard before: Bush asked White House Counsel Fred Fielding to help determine whether Libby's jury made the right call. Far from respecting the verdict, as the White House has been emphasizing all week, the president hoped to find that the jurors came to an unreasonable conclusion, which in turn would make it easier for Bush to intervene.

Fielding came up empty. As Isikoff explained it, he "reluctantly concluded that the jury had reached a reasonable verdict: the evidence was strong that Libby testified falsely about his role in the leak."

In other words, the president learned just how guilty Libby really was, but commuted the sentence anyway because he "hated the idea that a loyal aide would serve time."

Well, that and the fact that Libby still had plenty of damaging information about Bush and Cheney that they needed to keep under wraps.

more -

http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/015055.php

[Botany]

1. bush committed obstruction of justice w/ his act of commutation ..........

..... And Conyers is going after him on that.

[H2O Man]

6. I agree.

When the word came back that Libby was absolutely guilty as hell -- and a determination was made that neither appeal had merit -- the president determined his course of action. And it is an obstruction of justice. The chances of Libby deciding to talk shop with Mr. Fitzgerald were reaching a point that Libby's White House supervisors could not allow.

[Bolo Boffin]

2. This is a tactic that separates Bush from the whole mess.

Bush had to inquire if Libby really did the things he was convicted of.

See, he really didn't know what happened, y'all! He had to ask. He was taking it on faith. His faith was betrayed.

Which is complete bullshit. If Bush really had been that clueless, he would have kicked Libby to the curb after finding out it was true.

The fix is in. The President is lying his chimpy butt off. He was involved up to his eyeballs. The promise of "not a day in jail" was made, and the promise was made good.

Gee, it must be nice to have the President of a real big country looking out for you. I wish the American people could get some of that.

[liberal N proud]

3. bu$h just doing what his boss told him to do

cheney said let him go and bu$h obeyed as always.

He is just the monkey in front of the whole regime, nothing more.

[MLFerrell]

4. That's a blivet, and you know it!

[ljm2002]

5. Funny, I mis-read the phrase...

..."hated the idea that a loyal aide would serve time."

I read it as, he "hated the idea that a royal aide would serve time."

Works either way.