President Bush Commutes Libby's sentence

[ConservativeMan55]

Foxnews alert.. libby sentence commuted

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STATEMENT BY THE PRESIDENT

The United States Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit today rejected Lewis Libby’s request to remain free on bail while pursuing his appeals for the serious convictions of perjury and obstruction of justice. As a result, Mr. Libby will be required to turn himself over to the Bureau of Prisons to begin serving his prison sentence.

I have said throughout this process that it would not be appropriate to comment or intervene in this case until Mr. Libby’s appeals have been exhausted. But with the denial of bail being upheld and incarceration imminent, I believe it is now important to react to that decision.

From the very beginning of the investigation into the leaking of Valerie Plame’s name, I made it clear to the White House staff and anyone serving in my administration that I expected full cooperation with the Justice Department. Dozens of White House staff and administration officials dutifully cooperated.

After the investigation was under way, the Justice Department appointed United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois Patrick Fitzgerald as a Special Counsel in charge of the case. Mr. Fitzgerald is a highly qualified, professional prosecutor who carried out his responsibilities as charged.

This case has generated significant commentary and debate. Critics of the investigation have argued that a special counsel should not have been appointed, nor should the investigation have been pursued after the Justice Department learned who leaked Ms. Plame’s name to columnist Robert Novak. Furthermore, the critics point out that neither Mr. Libby nor anyone else has been charged with violating the Intelligence Identities Protection Act or the Espionage Act, which were the original subjects of the investigation. Finally, critics say the punishment does not fit the crime: Mr. Libby was a first-time offender with years of exceptional public service and was handed a harsh sentence based in part on allegations never presented to the jury.

Others point out that a jury of citizens weighed all the evidence and listened to all the testimony and found Mr. Libby guilty of perjury and obstructing justice. They argue, correctly, that our entire system of justice relies on people telling the truth. And if a person does not tell the truth, particularly if he serves in government and holds the public trust, he must be held accountable. They say that had Mr. Libby only told the truth, he would have never been indicted in the first place.

Both critics and defenders of this investigation have made important points. I have made my own evaluation. In preparing for the decision I am announcing today, I have carefully weighed these arguments and the circumstances surrounding this case.

Mr. Libby was sentenced to thirty months of prison, two years of probation, and a $250,000 fine. In making the sentencing decision, the district court rejected the advice of the probation office, which recommended a lesser sentence and the consideration of factors that could have led to a sentence of home confinement or probation.

I respect the jury’s verdict. But I have concluded that the prison sentence given to Mr. Libby is excessive. Therefore, I am commuting the portion of Mr. Libby’s sentence that required him to spend thirty months in prison.

My decision to commute his prison sentence leaves in place a harsh punishment for Mr. Libby. The reputation he gained through his years of public service and professional work in the legal community is forever damaged. His wife and young children have also suffered immensely. He will remain on probation. The significant fines imposed by the judge will remain in effect. The consequences of his felony conviction on his former life as a lawyer, public servant, and private citizen will be long-lasting.

The Constitution gives the President the power of clemency to be used when he deems it to be warranted. It is my judgment that a commutation of the prison term in Mr. Libby’s case is an appropriate exercise of this power.

[rurgan]

"Even more fun watching the BDSers go ballistic when the Pres did something they agree with, oops, lots of scrambling to keep up the frothing, lol. Interesting thread!"

BDSers = Michael Savage ("Micheal Weiner") and or his followers.

[monkapotamus]

"Bill Shatner episode ROFL"

[bestrongbpositive]

You’re right..I think I had a case of CRS on that one..Can’t agree with you on his handling of Katrina but the others you mentioned are right on..I’ll move him up to a B- based on your post :-) Thanks

[Saundra Duffy]

I am pleased; good news!

[laurie_d]

hehe. All of the liberal kooks, all over the net, are losing what’s left of their little minds over this.

[Liberty Valance]

Ha! I just perused that DU thread. I haven’t been there in a long-long time. They use a lot of nasty language over there...just before their heads explode. ;o)

[Jean S]

A pardon makes an appeal moot. Libby would like a chance to clear his name on appeal.

Get real, no D.C. court will ever clear him. He should have been pardoned. Bush took the safe middle ground and I'm disappointed.

[Christian4Bush]

I haven’t read the details yet as to whether this offers Libby the chance to continue his appeal. If it does, costly or not, I prefer this choice. It offers possible redemption by a third party and a rebuke against those that have ill treated our Justice system; Nifong is a good example, though if denied I do believe he should receive the full pardon.

Hey, Seeker,

That's my read on the thing, no legal scholar, I. If it does allow the appeals process to continue, great. If in the process, Ronnie Fitzfong gets taken down a few pegs, all the better. And if no clearing in the appeals process, then pardon.

I understand the anger at W...he's earned quite a bit of it from me. But I will give him credit where it is due. And we can't go on and on screaming "keep him out of jail" and then scream bloody murder when he does exactly that.

Let's see the process play out, and the leftists squeal. I think it will end well.

[Colonel_Flagg]

On Lou Dobbs show (CNN), someone stated that the VAST majority of the people, including Republicans are against this move and wanted the full sentence carried out.

Someone desperate must have said that. This is a good move by the President and helps restore a little faith that he hasn't completely forgotten either the base or those who truly believe in the rule of law.

[Theodore R.]

You just proved the point again: GWB is very much a respecter of persons.

[concretebob]

Now he needs to do the same thing for Campean, Ramos, and Hernandez.
They were doing their jobs.

[bray]

The Token Conservative should go on the show in a Wetsuit and Snorkle.

Pray for W and Our Troops

[firewalk]

Thank you Mr. President

[tobyhill]

Here’s Clinton’s Commutes

http://www.usdoj.gov/pardon/clinton_comm.htm

[peggybac]

I agree. He could have wiped away the whole thing but he didn’t. This is NOTHING compared to the criminals Clinton pardoned.

[Christian4Bush]

And totally unacceptable. Pardon him or not, but don't pull this garbage.

I'm sure Mr. Libby, with his wife and children, happily disagrees with you.

[soccermom]

I disagree. As I said before, a pardon looks like he is trying to cover something up. Instead, Libby gets the chance to clear his name and perhaps expose Plame, Wilson et al in the process. I don’t know if a D.C. court will clear him. But better a shot at clearing his name than no chance whatsoever.

[TexanToTheCore]

Just spent some time over at DU and I must say, there are some real head cases in that little rubber room. Simply insane.

Man, so good to be a Freeper.....

[bray]

Because this allows Libby to clear his name and hopefully get Fitzgerald disbarred for abuse of power. The only reason he was convicted was politics of a DC jury. That is their only hope of it not getting overturned.

Pray for W and Our Troops

[finnman69]

YAHOOO!!!!!