definitely NOT a place for those with a faint heart or a weak stomach... but i do love to hear them b!tch/pizz/whine and moan!!! 8^)
Posted on 07/02/2007 2:45:21 PM PDT by ConservativeMan55
Edited on 07/02/2007 3:05:31 PM PDT by Admin Moderator. [history]
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.
I’m surprised he did this. But glad.
Clinton’s record was far worse, yet he gets a pass from the MSM. And nobody has ever explained just was Sandy Burger was doing stuffing documents into his socks.
Meanwhile, Ignacio Ramos sits in solitary and has lost 30 pounds.
You can write to him at the following address(letters let the feds and prison officials know there is still interest in him). Letters must be addressed EXACTLY as follows:
Ignacio Ramos #58079-180 FCI
Yazoo City Medium Federal Correctional Institution
P. O. Box 5888
Yazoo City, MS 39194
He lost me with this wishy-washy move.
Pres Bush just commuted the prison time, I hope Libby continues to appeal, as he should pay no fine, and not have it on his record. Armitage was the leaker and Fitgerald KNEW IT before the trial; Ass@@@@. Fitgerald reminds me of the prosector in the Duke Lacrosse rape trial. He KNEW there was evidence to show innocense and he withheld it!
I believe he can.....
I am real.
If you ask for an answer, you shouldn’t be so damn rude to those who take the time to offer an answer.
You do understand that the President can still pardon Libby if the appeal fails, don’t you?
Oh wait, I just got an instant message from the President: he deeply, profoundly and bitterly regrets disappointing YOU, and if he had known YOU would be disappointed, he would have acted otherwise.
BTTT
Right on but I’m afraid it want happen until Bush leaves office even if it happens then..
Yes, but why this stab in Libby's back in the announcement?
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.
I don't get why Bush cannot seem to "get" that you cannot appease the left anymore than you can terrorists. He "gets" terrorism, how come he's such a ninny about the left?
HAS KARL ROVE BEEN INDICTED YET?!?!?!??!?!?!
You GOTTA watch Shuster in for Chrissy on MSNBC now. Might as well be DU-TV.
Kelly O’Donnell saying Pres. Bush has been considering this for a long time .. and in the last few weeks began considering commutation.
I may consider sending the GOP $$$ again after this.
“Oh wait, I just got an instant message from the President: he deeply, profoundly and bitterly regrets disappointing YOU, and if he had known YOU would be disappointed, he would have acted otherwise.” LOL! Yeah, who cares what Libby, his wife and his kids think?
ROFL!
definitely NOT a place for those with a faint heart or a weak stomach... but i do love to hear them b!tch/pizz/whine and moan!!! 8^)
I don’t think 4 is a bad unless he succeeds at doing it.
Failed Presidential efforts tend to drop off into history.
B- for now, drops to a C- at best if we get amnesty.
It seems like no matter what, President Bush always is wrong. *rme*
Nah too little panic, hair pulling, screaming, frothing, straightjackets...
But what is this pict about, really? Looks like these guys spotted an UFO.
Not if he successfully appeals.
This sentence commuting was better than nothing, but Libby still deserved a full pardon. If the judge hadn't been such an a-hole about Libby immediately going to prison, he wouldn't even have got this.
If you think the Dummies are mad, you should have seen Charlie Gibson! He looked like he swallowed a frog, he was almost dumbfounded! He made some snide remark about the polls not being low enough.
Yes, he can, along the lines...he has suffered enough.....even if his appeals fail. Pres. Bush did not say that Libby lied. He said that the jury found that he lied so if the appeals court overthrows that conviction, it will show that the jury was wrong.
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