Pardon talk for Libby begins

Newsday ^ | June 19, 2006 | TOM BRUNE

[RWR8189]

WASHINGTON -- Now that top White House aide Karl Rove is off the hook in the CIA leak probe, President George W. Bush must weigh whether to pardon former vice presidential aide I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby, the only one indicted in the three-year investigation.

Speculation about a pardon began in late October, soon after Special Counsel Patrick Fitzgerald unsealed the perjury indictment of Libby, and it continued last week after Fitzgerald chose not to charge Rove.

"I think ultimately, of course, there are going to be pardons," said Joseph diGenova, a former prosecutor and an old Washington hand who shares that view with many pundits.

"These are the kinds of cases in which historically presidents have given pardons," said the veteran Republican attorney.

The White House remains mum on the president's intentions. Spokeswoman Dana Perino declined to comment Friday.

Bush has powerful incentives to pardon Libby, however. They range from rewarding past loyalty to ending the awkward revelations emerging from pretrial motions, a flow that could worsen in his trial next year.

Libby was indicted for lying in Fitzgerald's probe into who in the administration leaked the identity of covert CIA officer Valerie Plame to reporters in 2003, apparently to undercut her husband's attack on Bush's war-justifying claim that Iraq sought uranium in Niger.

By demanding sensitive, sometimes embarrassing materials, some say, Libby appears to be goading the White House into issuing a pardon. Libby's spokeswoman did not respond to questions about a pardon.

[monkapotamus]

"'I think ultimately, of course, there are going to be pardons,' said Joseph diGenova..."

Good!

[STARWISE]

Ping .. and welcome back, Howlin.

[kenth]

Heh... mere mention of this will have leftist heads exploding.

[karnage]

I'd rather an acquittal than a pardon - even more commie crania will rupture.

[1066AD]

Can't claim to have followed it all but Joe Wilson is totally discredited; the whole thing is, as Shakespeare would say "Much Ado About Nothing", mostly about memories (hell, Hillary just said she could'nt remember anything when her turn came up in various probes), so a pardon would neatly terminate this distraction, including Uncle Sam paying Libby's lawyer fees.

[Texasforever]

The only way we will get acquitted is on appeal. He is a slam dunk for conviction in front of a DC jury.

[DoughtyOne]

I'd rather see Libby win his case and put and end to this mess once and for all. If pardoned, Libby will be the case the left trots out in the future to show corruption on the right. Beat the charges. End the leftist B.S. propaganda on this issue.

[MrEdd]

Bush has Negative incentives to let Fitzy and his co-conspirators slink away by pardoning Libby. if Libby were pardoned, the Fitz fornicators could claim Bush had to do it to cover his rear. By sending everything through the appropriate processes Fitzy and the Plaming liberals get a broken arm and a bloody nose. This is desperate wishful thinking on ScrewsDay's part.

[Texasforever]

See my post above yours. He WILL be convicted in front of a DC jury but it has a good chance of being over turned on appeal.

[Paleo Conservative]

[onyx]

I have NO faith in DC juries.

[STARWISE]

Zero.

[hocndoc]

?Penalty less or more than Sandy Berger got??

[Texasforever]

I can't think of one Republican that has ever been found not guilty in a DC court. That includes all of the Iran/Contra figures and Watergate "conspirators".

[fantom]

Well he may be convicted if it goes that far. Fitz has a penchant for the old continuance without a finding play. Even a plea deal is not out of the question. Who cares now. In the eyes of many , they have already bungled the case. They did not get rove or Chaney , and no one cares about a scooter. This is already over.

[Texasforever]

Not for Libby though. Just remember he has a law license he will lose not to mention crippling legal bills.

[Rumple4]

Don't you need a conviction before getting a pardon ?

[RWR8189]

Dick Nixon got pardoned before there were even charges.

[TexasTransplant]

Can President Bush Pardon his (Libby) accusers?

It is what he would do.

TT