Nice to have friends in high places.....
Jul. 2nd, 2007 03:16 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
patgundFrom the "Law and Order" people. The people that were going to bring ethics back to the White House. The people what preached so sanctmoniously about the "rule of law"...
It's not a pardon (yet). But it still blows dead penguins. Can we impeach now plz?
Bush commutes Libby prison sentence
"President Bush commuted the sentence of former White House aide I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby on Monday, sparing him from a 2 1/2-year prison term that Bush said was excessive.
Bush's move came hours after a federal appeals panel ruled Libby could not delay his prison term in the CIA leak case. That meant Libby was likely to have to report to prison soon and put new pressure on the president, who had been sidestepping calls by Libby's allies to pardon the former chief of staff to Vice President Dick Cheney.
"I respect the jury's verdict," Bush said in a statement. "But I have concluded that the prison sentence given to Mr. Libby is excessive.
Therefore, I am commuting the portion of Mr. Libby's sentence that required him to spend thirty months in prison."
Bush left intact a $250,000 fine and two years probation for Libby, and Bush said his action still "leaves in place a harsh punishment for Mr. Libby."
Way to go, Not only do you lower your already lowest ever approval ratings, but you've effectively nuked your own party's approval ratings.
On edit - I just realized something. This is almost worse than a pardon. This is "he's guilty, but I'm letting him out of prison anyway". Basically a giant "fuck you" from the president to the courts, the judges, and the american people. Though to be fair, Bush DID say "If the person has violated law, that person will be taken care of." And he most certainly WAS taken care of.
It's not a pardon (yet). But it still blows dead penguins. Can we impeach now plz?
Bush commutes Libby prison sentence
"President Bush commuted the sentence of former White House aide I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby on Monday, sparing him from a 2 1/2-year prison term that Bush said was excessive.
Bush's move came hours after a federal appeals panel ruled Libby could not delay his prison term in the CIA leak case. That meant Libby was likely to have to report to prison soon and put new pressure on the president, who had been sidestepping calls by Libby's allies to pardon the former chief of staff to Vice President Dick Cheney.
"I respect the jury's verdict," Bush said in a statement. "But I have concluded that the prison sentence given to Mr. Libby is excessive.
Therefore, I am commuting the portion of Mr. Libby's sentence that required him to spend thirty months in prison."
Bush left intact a $250,000 fine and two years probation for Libby, and Bush said his action still "leaves in place a harsh punishment for Mr. Libby."
Way to go, Not only do you lower your already lowest ever approval ratings, but you've effectively nuked your own party's approval ratings.
On edit - I just realized something. This is almost worse than a pardon. This is "he's guilty, but I'm letting him out of prison anyway". Basically a giant "fuck you" from the president to the courts, the judges, and the american people. Though to be fair, Bush DID say "If the person has violated law, that person will be taken care of." And he most certainly WAS taken care of.
