Please give Irsigman a star. He called it.

I just read a news flash on c-span that Bush has commuted Scooter's sentence.

You just wrote it. There's no other story.

"WOW

I knew Shrub had no shame but wow...communting Libby's sentence immediately after his appeal was denied is a HUGE fuck you to the rule of law. Salon better be ALL over this story."

And what will we do...not a damn thing as usual.

I am outraged that the President commuted the sentence of Irving Libby. I have called my local newspapers, congrressman an senators to share this with them. The replican party is not the party of law and order. This just proves that they are not interested in accountability. This independent may never vote republican again.

So much for taking care of evil-doers here and abroad.

I mean this representative democratic republic thing. You are now officially citizens of a third world nation. Ok maybe a second world nation like Argentina or Venezuela. But you guys love those crappy tinpot tyrannies so it's all good.

I hope Bush empties all the prisons to make room for his one man one party one rule program.

5pm in chicago, not on cnn yet or here, but bushie the little weasel is nothing if not predictable. he commuted the sentence. shithead

That distinction is not all that clear, Robert. You would logically think so, but there's nothing in the exact, brief wording in the Constitution ("...shall have power to grant reprieves and pardons for offenses against the United States...") nor in the various subsequent germane court rulings that explicitly declare that the President cannot simply pardon away "future crimes" in advance. "Offenses"? Only past offenses? In a Unitary Executive CheneyWorld, they might well construe it as past/present/future offenses comprehensively.

The only contraint I see is that such an odious act might bring on impeachment proceedings, in addition to an adverse Supreme Court ruling that finally reins it in.

Correct me if I'm wrong.

he can't pardon him for crimes not yet committed, an important distinction.

when "reporters" are out on the lake.

He'll commute the sentence instead.

Bush has to pardon Libby, it is the only way he can placate his base after the immigration debaucle.

Let's keep Vlad Putin and send Bush back to Russia.

Putin and Bush are both pretty much dictators, so it's an even swap.

What we would get is a dictator who is intelligent, gets things done, and and doesn't embarrass his country when he opens his mouth.

What would the Russians get?

Screwed.

Shrub is uncontrollably stubborn (an understatement for sure). Indeed, because of this trait, he has failed so often in life. Unwilling to see his own folly or the inherent fear in the underlings that he always surrounds himself with to interject thoughtful discourse that might have been able to re-direct his misadventures to safe, more sensible footing is the story of GWB's life. From college, to A.W.O.L service duty, to failed oil field adventures, to hapless baseball teams, to lackluster governorships, to a failed presidency, his stubbornness has resulted in gross incompetence, lousy leadership, and the disgust of the majority of the world who view him with an eye of bewilderment.

He'll pardon Libby because he knows on some level that it's a stupid thing to do, but just can help himself. He's convinced himself that Libby did nothing wrong. He doesn't get much and he surly didn't get this one. My guess is that he'll tell anyone willing to listen that he had a long talk with Jesus and Jesus told him to be merciful. Too bad he didn't give in like, to the Iraqis...

Given the recent confirmation by the Washington Post of suspicions that the Dick in Blair House was running the day-to-day operations of the White House as well as having his way with policy, do we really think that President Feeb is the person who will be making this decision?

It would be the foremost jewel in the crown of Bush's failures.

If Bush annoys Scooter a little more, Scooter just may drop a few detailed hints about what Cheney has been up to. A few clues from Scooter may help us find where the bodies are buried, what river Cheney threw the smoking guns into.

that Bush can pardon Libby for offenses not even yet charged. See Murphy v. Ford 390 F. Supp. 372 (U.S. District Court, W. District of Michigan, 1975). The Gerald Ford pardon precedent.

So, the idea that a post-pardon Libby could then be forced to testify truthfully under threat of subsequent perjury is a non-starter. Bush can indemnify Scooter totally, put him beyond the reach of the law.

no one here will be happy about this.

he will issue a pardon. Whether track is wet or dry, GWB is one stubborn SOB. I wonder if we will be able to gauge how flexible Bush may be on other things (deploying troops for example) by whether or not he pardons Libby?

I am trying to think of WHEN he has ever been flexible. Back in Texas once before he assumed the presidency perhaps?

Alberto is busy writing one of those Shakespearesque opinions justifying it...