Posted on 06/07/2007 12:28:23 PM PDT by The Blitherer
Scooter Libby was sentenced on Tuesday to thirty months in jail and a $250,000 fine. And I cant much stand the bloodsports of American politics anymore.
At the time of his conviction, I wrote a small essay about my friendship with Scooterothers knew him better, but we had a genuine literary friendship, free from the politics that infects too much conversation in America these days. And I, along with many others, wrote a letter to the sentencing judge pleading for mercy. Bill Kristol has perhaps the strongest reaction to this weeks imposition of an enormous sentence. And Kristols furious indictment of President Bush for his failure to act seems exactly right.
But, then, why should the president act, when even much of the conservative press seems willing to forget the man who is Scooter Libby. Here, for instance, is the reaction on the webpages of National Review: Libby? Heck, hell be all right, and a taste of low life might educate him some. Rich? Ramesh? Jonah? Jay? Kathryn? Kate? Are any of you reading what your writers are saying? This is vile.
I was so angry and hurt that I thought I would write that I would never read National Review again. But it isnt true. The world is too small not to continue to know the magazine, to read it, and to interact with it.
Still, this much is true: From the moment Scooter Libby was indicted, all the way down to this moment of his sentencing, I have judged the character of many acquaintances in the worlds of writers, public intellectuals, and conservative politicianstheir courage and their trustworthinessby a simple measure: whether or not they stood up for Scooter Libby.
The person who could write that line for National ReviewLibby? Heck, hell be all right, and a taste of low life might educate him somemay be an interesting writer, and we might find that hes a fun person to spend a little time with. But we also know now that he is not trustworthy when trust really matters, and we know that he is not brave.
This is a perfect example of why so many good people hesitate to go into politics. Today people try and destroy their political enemies. Literally, kill them if they can.
What is this guy talking about? National Review Online was probably the first to have up an editorial called “Pardon Him,” less than an hour after the sentence came down.
Maybe they should all leave Washington and get a Border Patrol job. We’ll see who goes to prison then.
Why don't they just bring back dueling in DC and get it over with?
Will the president allow Libby to rot in jail until it politically convenient (when he is on his way out of the White House) to pardon him? And what about the Border Patrol Agents? Criminal of him to sit on his hands when he could do the right thing.
“But, then, why should the president act, when even much of the conservative press seems willing to forget the man who is Scooter Libby.”
It might be a bit old fashioned, but the President could pardon Libby just because it’s the right thing to do and forget about the politics involved.
Just dreaming again.
I have a feeling he’ll get pardoned more or less immediately after the 2008 election, just to clear his record so a criminal conviction won’t be a bar to any future employment (because he’ll surely already be out on bail by then). And his friends will make sure he gets the $250,000 back one way or another, and will make sure he gets a plum job in the private sector if he wants it. Still sucks though. Wilson and Plame should be the ones in the slammer.
Sandy Berger is free, and Scooter Libby has to go to jail? Paris Hilton violates parole two times, and goes home, and Scooter Libby has to go to jail? Richard Armitage outed Valerie Plame, and Scooter Libby has to go to jail?
Is this REALLY America?????
In Washington, they only support amnesty for lawbreakers, not for the innocent victims of political witch hunts.
Let’s not jump to judge Bush on that point. It’s very possible that Libby has asked him not to issue a pre-election pardon.
He’s talking about John Derbyshire, who is off the reservation at NRO on more than a few issues.
His comment was actually that all the uproar about pardoning Scooter would be more appropriately aimed at getting pardons for the two Border Patrol agents who were recently convicted.
I’m agnostic on both cases, but I do know there are probably thousands of low-profile individuals who are at least as deserving of a pardon as Mr. Libby, but nobody is making a fuss over them.
Kick me. I’m a citizen!
If they wait that long he will already be serving his sentence and bail will not be an issue.
He’s implying that Derbyshire’s comment is the only view that has been expressed at NRO. Although I disagree with Derb COMPLETELY on this, I dont see anything wrong with him offering a view contrary to what the editors expressed in their editorial. NRO would be quite boring if all the writers thought alike.
It is not the America that we’ve known and loved. It has become AmeriKa.
Heh heh.. Scooter Libby has a friendly relationship with joe bottum.
What’s your point? Yes, he’ll likely be spending some time in jail. But I suspect he will not have a criminal record when he gets out, nor will he be financially behind where he would have been if he’d never been put in or fined. Sometimes friends in high places can’t make things perfect. And I really doubt that Libby wants Bush to give him a pre-election pardon, potentially at great cost to the Republican Party’s election results. Unlike the Plame-Wilson beast, most of the people in the Bush administration actually do have some things they put a higher value on than their own personal pleasure, status, and wealth.
My only point is by that time he would be serving his sentence and can’t be bailed. That he should spend a second behind bars is a travesty. Pardon him now or, if the President doesn’t want to do that, commute his sentence to a fine.
You make good points. That’s just the way it is. One standard for Democrats and the well-connected another for Republicans.
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