Panic Over Possible Pardon, ABC Compares Libby Case to Plight of Cocaine Dealer

http://newsbusters.org/ ^ | July 3, 2007 | Brent Baker

[lowbridge]

Panic Over Possible Pardon, ABC Compares Libby Case to Plight of Cocaine Dealer

Posted by Brent Baker on July 3, 2007 - 20:28.

Broadcast network anchors and reporters on Tuesday night seemed to be in a near panic over the possibility President Bush might yet pardon Lewis “Scooter” Libby, while ABC's Martha Raddatz illustrated special treatment for Libby by highlighting a man sentenced to 20 years for selling cocaine, whose commutation request Bush rejected, and Martha Stewart who served five months for violations similar to Libby's. With “Libby PARDON?” on screen, NBC Nightly News anchor Brian Williams warned that Bush is “not ruling out the possibility of a full pardon.” Bush remarked on Tuesday that “as to the future, I'm, you know, rule nothing in and nothing out.” CBS Evening News anchor Katie Couric made that her hook, citing “a lot more fireworks today...sparked by what the President said he may or may not do in the future.” Bill Plante began: “A day after he commuted Lewis Libby's prison sentence, President Bush raised the ante by leaving the door open to an eventual pardon.”

ABC anchor Charles Gibson teased World News: “Angry reaction to President Bush sparing Scooter Libby jail time while the President doesn't rule out granting Libby a full pardon.” Martha Raddatz reported: “Mr. Bush took it one step further today, saying a full pardon for Libby is not off the table.” After running a clip of White House Press Secretary Tony Snow maintaining “you do not engage in these acts for symbolic or political reasons,” Raddatz charged: “But that is going to be a hard accusation to shake. At the very least, Libby went to the front of the line. There are currently close to 2,000 commutation requests pending. More than 4,000 have already been denied. During his nearly seven years in office, President Bush has granted only four commutations, including Libby.” She proceeded to highlight how “former Kansas City Royals slugger Willie Mays Aikens, was sentenced to 20 years in prison in 1994 for selling two ounces of crack,” but “Aikens' request to have his sentence commuted was turned down by President Bush.”

But no matter how many commutations or pardons Bush grants, you could always find another sympathetic case of injustice.

MRC analyst Brad Wilmouth corrected the closed-captioning against the video for the July 3 World News story on ABC:

CHARLES GIBSON: Now, to today's noisy fallout from President Bush's decision to commute the sentence of Lewis "Scooter" Libby. The fact that Libby's conviction for lying in the CIA leak investigation stands, while he is spared from serving any prison time, didn't seem to satisfy anyone, except, perhaps, the President himself. Or at least that's what it sounded like in Washington today. Our chief White House correspondent, Martha Raddatz, is there. Martha?

MARTHA RADDATZ: Charlie, the President was unapologetic today, despite criticism from all sides. Mr. Bush took it one step further today, saying a full pardon for Libby is not off the table.

GEORGE W. BUSH: As to the future, I'm, you know, rule nothing in and nothing out.

RADDATZ: But the reaction has been immediate and intense. The Democratic National Committee posted a Web ad slamming the President.

AUDIO OF BUSH, in clip of ad: I expect every member of this administration to stay well within the boundaries that define legal and ethical conduct.

RADDATZ: The President's conservative base was not happy either, Demanding a full pardon.

TONY SNOW: The point of this is that you do not engage in these acts for symbolic or political reasons.

RADDATZ: But that is going to be a hard accusation to shake. At the very least, Libby went to the front of the line. There are currently close to 2,000 commutation requests pending. More than 4,000 have already been denied. During his nearly seven years in office, President Bush has granted only four commutations including Libby.

MARGARET LOVE, Attorney: The thing that I hope most is that this will encourage him to grant some pardons and commutations to ordinary people.

RADDATZ: Margaret Love's client, former Kansas City Royals slugger Willie Mays Aikens, was sentenced to 20 years in prison in 1994 for selling two ounces of crack.

WILLIE MAYS AIKENS, Former Kansas City Royals first baseman (2003 video from ESPN): For the crime that I committed, I believe that I, you know, I've done enough time. It's time for me to go home.

RADDATZ: Aikens' request to have his sentence commuted was turned down by President Bush. He has another request pending. And there is, of course, the case of Martha Stewart. Like Libby, she was convicted of perjury and obstruction charges. She served five months in jail. But the White House insists that Scooter Libby has already suffered enough. Charlie.

[lowbridge]

The negativity is heavy in this piece:

"noisy fallout, didn't seem to satisfy anyone, the President was unapologetic today, despite criticism from all sides, reaction has been immediate and intense, Democratic National Committee posted a Web ad slamming the President, President's conservative base was not happy either, hard accusation to shake."

Just stick the name "Bush" in between all those words, and voila, you have a news story.

ABC couldnt find people in favor of the commutation? I know I can. Besides which, if they had to compare the Libby case to the plight of a Drug dealer, how about comparing it to Bill Clintons pardon of Dan Lasater and his brother Roger? Or does that make too much sense?

[truthkeeper]

As Hugh Hewitt mentioned, there's a reason Tony Blair called the media "a feral beast." If you listen to the audio cuts, Tony Snow's press conference illustrates it beautifully.

Mind-blowing, to say the least.

[Mercat]

What was the name of Hillary’s law partner who fell on his sword for them? Was he pardoned?

[ripley]

“panic over possible pardon”

yeah. the liberals/communists are in a panic because a main part of their revolution schedule has been set back. (why didn’t they panic when bill and hillary redefined the word “is”, and when they pardoned a bunch of drug dealers and terrorists?)

[truthkeeper]

Wasn’t that Webb whatever?

[lowbridge]

Web Hubbell: No pardon.

[Spok]

“President’s conservative base was not happy either”

My question is why couldn’t Libby get a sweetheart deal like Sandy Berger did? This all could have been avoided if Bush had properly cleaned the Clinton people out of the Justice Deparment at the start. The firing of only 8 U.S. Attorney’s wasn’t nearly enough-he should have replaced them all like Clinton did.

[The Great RJ]

I’m sure dear Martha said nothing when Clinton pardoned the Puerto Rican terrorists and fugitive felon Marc Rich.

[tanknetter]

and Martha Stewart who served five months for violations similar to Libby's.

Has ANY GOP/Conservative commentator made the point that Martha Stewart was allowed to stay out of jail while her case was being appealed ... but chose to do the jail time right away and get it over with as a means of ensuring the survival of her media empire?

If Martha Stewart is the relevant example du jour, then why wasn't Libby given the option of staying free until his appeals process had run its course ... like she was?

[plain talk]

Hubbell. But there was Susan McDougal who fell on her sword for Bill and he pardoned her at the end of his term.

[bray]

Perhaps because President Bush does not see the Executive Branch as a Dictatorship and respects the Rule of Law. Unlike PravdABDNC or the co-clintons.

Pray for W and Our Troops

[CindyDawg]

Only the liberals are panicing. What is wrong with people? We should be shocked.... but can’t get past hot dogs and fireworks:’)

[ontap]

If anyone should be pardoned it should be those border patrol agents who were railroaded into prison for shooting a drug dealer in the ass. Give me a break, what a miserable injustice was that, But GW shows no compassion for them at all.

[reg45]

The biggest problem with the trumped-up Libby case was that it distracted Patrick Fitzgerald (U. S. Attorney for Northern Illinois) from investigating Democrat corruption here in Illinois. So we’re still stuck with Daley, Blago, Durbin and Obama, etc.

[vietvet67]

Still hard for me to believe that Hillary would comment on this in Iowa while pardon master Bill was on stage.

[jerod]

To appease the left-wing media, Hillary and the rest of the DumocRATs, Bush should pardon Clinton.

He did make arrangement with Ken Starr that left him with no law licence, so as a favour to the former President and those howling so loudly in his party and in the DemocRAT favouring press, Bush should pardon Clinton. That would be a good laugh.

[ontap]

I almost forgot about the Illinois political machine that makes up new voting rules every time a Democratic felon has to resign to make sure only a Democratic “felon to be” gets elected to fill the seat.

[silverleaf]

Has anyone yet interviewed Hugh Rodham?

A master on the subject of the criteria for earning Presidential pardons and for money, would make a splendid media whore.

And surely, her thighness Ms Rodham-Clinton and her rogue husband will bite their tongues on this issue?

[silverleaf]

Webb Hubbell- former AG.

[Martins kid]

When Hillary Clinton spoke out against President Bush’s pardon of Libby - “This commutation sends the clear signal that in this administration, cronyism and ideology trump competence and justice.” - Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, D-N.Y. She needed to remember this number....

-396-

Bill Clinton pardoned more people than George H. W. Bush, Jimmy Carter, and Gerald Ford. Clinton pardoned 396 people with offenses that included cocaine distribution, embezzlement, bank robbery, and tax evasion among other crimes. http://www.usdoj.gov/pardon/clintonpardon_grants.htm

It was actually the Clinton administration where - “cronyism and ideology trumped competence and justice.”

No doubt Hillary will pardon the same if she gets back into the White House.