Posted on 07/03/2007 5:02:00 AM PDT by gpapa
Libby still has the opportunity to prove that he is innocent of the charges, right?
Right.
If he goes forward with his appeal, he certainly does have the opportunity to overturn the verdict still.
Mr. Novak should have and could have ended this fiasco in the beginning by revealing Armitage as the leaker; yet he stayed silent.
This entire trial was a political witch hunt, with the Wilson’s being the key liars...along with their poodles at NBC/MSNBC.
I am happy.
Libby was convicted of lying about...? Can someone express this concisely? I’m sure the majority of people screaming for Libby’s perp walk can’t explain this. On the other hand, the whole world knew what Clinton lied about.
What Novak is saying is very true. It’s unfortunate...
I am smiling, Libby will NOT be going to jail.
Yup and so could have Fitzgerald.
Listening to Bill Bennet this AM and Andy McCarthy...If Libby gets a new trial and is found guilty again......Its probably off to prison and the White House might not be housing a friendly President by the time that rolls around.
Only Libby smiling today
http://www.suntimes.com/news/novak/453241,CST-NWS-novak03.article
July 3, 2007
BY ROBERT D. NOVAK novakevans@aol.com
WASHINGTON -- President Bush's commutation of Scooter Libby's sentence pleased but did not fully satisfy restive conservatives, while enraging his liberal critics. Libby himself can breathe a sigh of relief that he does not have to serve prison time, but hardly anybody else is all that happy.
The conviction of Libby on perjury and obstruction of justice charges in the Valerie Plame CIA leak case has taken on overriding symbolic implications. Libby, as Vice President Dick Cheney's former chief of staff, is seen by Bush's enemies as typifying deception that led the U.S. into war in Iraq. His conviction was seen by conservatives as part of the bitter assault on the Bush administration, targeting Cheney in particular.
By standing apart from the Plame affair and the Libby affair, Bush has subjected himself to abuse from both sides. The abuse from the left certainly will expand thanks to his decision Monday, while praise from the right is a little bit muted.
Bush is blamed by friends of Libby for losing control of the Plame investigation by putting it in the hands of a special prosecutor -- the U.S. attorney in Chicago, Patrick Fitzgerald. In his decision sparing Libby jail time, Bush did not say a word of criticism about Fitzgerald.
The word from the White House had been that Bush was not likely to pardon Libby, even on his way out of the Oval Office in January 2009. But more recently, Bush aides were saying there was no chance that Libby would do any jail time. When the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia on Monday refused to review Libby's 30-month jail sentence, Bush's only recourse short of a pardon was to commute his sentence.
The unique aspect of the Libby conviction was that there was no underlying crime whose prosecution he is accused of obstructing. Fitzgerald determined that no federal statute was broken when then-Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage revealed that Valerie Plame Wilson, the wife of Bush critic Joseph Wilson, worked for the CIA. But Fitzgerald prosecuted Libby for allegedly not telling the truth in the course of the investigation.
Republicans have raised millions of dollars for Libby's defense, painting him as the victim of prosecutorial abuse and the criminalization of politics. Former Sen. Fred Thompson, a leading prospect for the Republican presidential nomination, has been calling for a pardon. While welcoming Bush's action, Thompson said he still would have issued a pardon. By endorsing the jury's verdict and not criticizing Fitzgerald, Bush makes it difficult -- if not impossible -- to issue a subsequent full pardon.
But commuting Libby's sentence does not save Bush severe attacks from Democratic critics. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) called the president's action "disgraceful," linking it to what he called Bush's manipulation in sending the country to war in Iraq. Reid's complaint: Libby was the person convicted in what he views as a criminal conspiracy around Bush, and now he is not going to prison.
As usual, when he tries to walk a safe middle line, he was wrong. The vitriolic condemnation from the left is the same as if he had announced a full pardon.
In this case, he should have figured out he might as well be hung for a cow as a calf.
Leni
Hooray President Bush!
He is innocent and still can have the phony charges dismiss and Fitz disbarred.
Pray for W and Our Troops
The irony of Novak complaining when he could have ended this fiasco years ago. The guy is a puke.
Pray for W and Our Troops
I’m smiling and I hope and pray that Bush finishes with a pardon.
I agree. Nowak should have spoken up, even though he said Fitzgerald asked him to keep quiet. Nowak took the easy way out so he wouldn’t have to spend money on lawyers.
I’m smiling, and I’m happy.
There was no crime committed.
They had to twist heaven and earth to make a “charge” happen. Libby was “Nifonged” via intricacy.
This will probably be the only kind of charge they get to stick against our Marine Heroes from Haditha.
I’m happy.
I’m happy.
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