The answer is not much
Unca Dick will prevail. Always does.
He and the left have set the President up to pardon Libby; then they can kick off a new weeks-long media frenzy with a new issue with which to attack the President.
The Constitution gives presidents the power to grant “reprieves and pardons.” The U.S. Supreme Court has interpreted that language to include pardons, conditional pardons, commutations of sentence, conditional commutations of sentence, remissions of fines, as well as forfeitures, reprieves, respites, and amnesties. A respite delays the execution of a sentence. It does not address issues of due process or guilt or innocence. It merely suspends sentence for a designated period of time. George Washington granted the first respites in June, 1795, when he delayed the execution of two men who fought in the Whiskey Rebellion — both of whom were eventually pardoned.
The typical respite lasts between 30 and 90 days. But many times, initial grants have been followed by a second and third respite, or as many additional respites as were necessary. Woodrow Wilson delayed the six-and-a-half-year prison sentences of two men with nine respites because an “investigation of the facts” had taken “considerable time” — 13 months to be exact. Wilson also delayed the five-year sentences of W.G. and S.G. Simpson with three respites before pardoning them. The men were described as “guilty,” but it was noted they had made a “strong showing” that they had not intended to commit a crime. Howard Showalter lost his appeals, but his five-year sentence was delayed by Wilson for eight months before a pardon was granted over the strenuous objections of the judge and U.S. attorney. Robert Sidebotham’s 13-month sentence was delayed for over a year (with eight respites) because Wilson concluded it was “doubtful” Sidebotham “realized he was violating the law.” A pardon followed. There is, in short, a long history to the use of the respite.
Something stinks and its to embedded Klintonites still in the DC systems.
Libby might not complain if he could get a cell by Paris Hilton. :)
I think he would be better off winning on appeal than having Bush pardon him. But if all else fails, I think Bush should go before the American people, make his case against a renegade court and pardon Libby. It would be a tragedy for him to go to jail on something like this after all he has given in service to his country. I have lost all faith in our judicial system.
I hope that President Bush will go ahead and pardon Mr. Libby. With Mr. Libby having already spent so much of his time and money, and now facing incarceration, it's hard for me to see any justification for waiting any longer for appeal to the judicial branch. Let the executive use its prerogative and pardon him.
If George doesn’t pardon Libby, he’s gonna get impeached and nobody in the GOP will lift a finger to help him. He needs to pardon Libby and shove it in the rats’ faces; one way would be to publically SELL Libby a pardon ala SlicKKK for 20 dollars, and use the 20 to send out for pizza.
Fred should make this a campaign issue.
In spite of 12 of some of most respected legal minds filing a brief saying JUST THE OPPOSITE! What a freaking moron!
Anyone still harboring any romantic illusions about justice being blind should read this saga. Everyone but the moonbat left fringe is cringing over this.
This is disgusting. Bush could at least grant Libby a respite of his sentence while Libby is appealing, as suggested by Clarice Feldman: http://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2007/06/post_49.html
Maybe Bush thinks Libby is a border guard or combat soldier.
The answer is not much