Media echoed, uncritically repeated Snow's equating of Libby commutation with Clinton pardons

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Media Matters for America: Media echoed, uncritically repeated Snow's equating of Libby commutation with Clinton pardons

In the July 16 edition of Newsweek, investigative correspondent Michael Isikoff wrote that "Democrats' outrage" over President Bush's July 2 commutation of former vice presidential chief of staff I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby's 30-month prison sentence "lost steam when Hillary Clinton came forward to scold Bush for not respecting 'the rule of law.'" According to Isikoff: "White House aides were all too happy to remind the country about Bill Clinton's own questionable pardon of fugitive financier Marc Rich." Isikoff was just one of several media figures and news outlets to echo the White House's claim that the Clintons displayed "chutzpah" in criticizing the Libby commutation, suggesting parity between Bush's decision and Clinton's presidential pardons. Moreover, several media figures themselves equated Bush's commutation with Clinton's pardons and, in some cases, asserted Clinton's actions were worse. But at no point did these members of the media note a key difference in the circumstances surrounding the Libby case and Clinton's pardons: Bush's commutation of Libby's sentence vastly reduced any leverage prosecutors would have to force Libby's cooperation in investigations of other members of the Bush administration. None of the recipients of Clinton's pardons were similarly situated.

Several media figures, including MSNBC's Chris Matthews, brought up Clinton's January 2001 pardon of Susan McDougal. As MSNBC host Keith Olbermann and Democratic strategist Bob Shrum noted (see below), unlike Libby, McDougal was not in a position to either assist or impede an investigation against Clinton at the time of her pardon.

As The New York Times reported, Bill Clinton criticized the Libby commutation on July 3:

In Iowa to promote the presidential candidacy of his wife, Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York, Mr. Clinton was asked by a radio host, David Yepsen, "You had some controversial pardons during your presidency; what's your reaction to what President Bush did?"

"Yeah, but I think the facts were different," Mr. Clinton said. "I think there are guidelines for what happens when somebody is convicted. You've got to understand, this is consistent with their philosophy; they believe that they should be able to do what they want to do, and that the law is a minor obstacle."

"It's wrong to out that C.I.A. agent and wrong to try to cover it up," Mr. Clinton added. "And no one was ever fired from the White House for doing it."...

http://mediamatters.org/items/200707090003?f=h_latest