Posted on 07/02/2007 9:45:05 AM PDT by Extremely Extreme Extremist
(AP) WASHINGTON -- A federal appeals court refused on Monday to step in and delay former White House aide I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby's prison sentence in the CIA leak case.
The unanimous decision is a dramatic setback for Libby's legal case and puts pressure on President Bush, who has been sidestepping calls by Libby's allies to pardon the former aide to Vice President Dick Cheney.
Libby faces 21/2 years in prison on his conviction of lying and obstructing the investigation into the 2003 leak of CIA operative Valerie Plame's identity. The former chief of staff to Cheney, he is the highest-ranking White House official ordered to prison since the Iran-Contra affair.
Libby had hoped that the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit would put that sentence on hold because he believed he had a good chance of overturning the conviction on appeal. The court unanimously rejected the request.
The U.S. Bureau of Prisons has not yet assigned Libby a prison or given him a date to surrender. But last week it designated him as federal inmate No. 28301-016.
Buch has no political capital to lose by pardoning him. Why not do the right thing and maybe his Base will give him credit for something tangible?
Pardon him, now, Mr. President.
Time to step up George. Its a chance to regain a sliver of the credibility you have lost..
He broke the law. He should go to jail.End the discussion and move on.
Yet another issue so called conservatives shoot themselves in the foot over.
One of Bush’s biggest strengths in his presidency might be a detriment here: he doesn’t care what people think and doesn’t govern according to polls.
Scooter Ping!
This is totally disgusting! Maybe we should all hit the WH phone lines on Wednesday with a little suggestion regarding a pardon!
Free Libby! Jail Slick Willie!
Well stated. I agree. Mr Libby has suffered a great injustice at the hands of an evil prosecutor. How that prosecutor can sleep at night is beyond me. I guess the soulless have no problem with their vile deeds.
It is a shame that Libby and his family has to bear this terrible injustice. True justice would result in his immediate pardon. But alas, "doing the right thing" seems to be an anathema to those in power.
I can’t believe the President wouldn’t pardon him. I mean, what would GWB be worried about? His poll numbers?
I agree 100%. All pardoning him will do is enrage the lefties and that is a good thing.
What law did he break?
They were investigating a non-crime, and selectively prosecuted Libby. If he, as you say, ‘broke the law’; than so did many others in this case whose testimony has been just as inconsistent. This was a witch hunt, nothing more nothing less.
Which law are you referring to? The law against having a faulty memory about a long-ago event in which no crime was committed? How would you like to be held to that standard?
If mis-remembering details of who said what to whom and when they said it is perjury, then the jails won't have space to for all the former Clinton administration officials who need to join him. Including the Junior Senator from New York.
That's how low my opinion of the President is right now.
If his conviction stands because he "couldn't remember" exactly what he said or did with respect to an issue that was not even a crime...simply the investigation of the non-crime was the issue...then Hillary Clinton and half the democratic party should also be in the slammer IMHO.
How many times under oath could she "not remember"?
Anyhow, all of that is beside the point. The president can constitutionally and legally pardon the man and his doing so would not be side-stepping the law in the least.
After what Clinton did, this is very tame in comparison so th eleft and the dims have nothing to say...if we had someone with the will to stand up to them. Pardoning a politically prosecuted individual over a non-crime is understandable...Clinton pardoned out and out terrorists.
are you kidding? You must not have followed this case closely at all. With the passage of time, it will be shown without a doubt that this case was strictly one of an abuse of power.
Unfortunately we can't so easily dismiss the Sandy Burglar non-event.
He broke no law, he is going to jail for Iraq.
Saddam and Son’s defense team will be happy.
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