Presidential Pardons Were Made for Cases Like Scooter Libby’s
Posted: Thursday, March 08, 2007
by Joseph Collins
Publisher / Columnist for Double Impact magazine
Last week, Vice President Dick Cheney's former Chief of Staff I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby was convicted in federal court of perjury and obstruction of justice. Given the fact that it was one of the most highly politicized trials in years, the howls for a presidential pardon are widespread and deafening. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid publicly put pressure on President Bush to not pardon Libby by asking him to "pledge not to pardon Libby for his criminal conduct." However, Reid and the Democrats are jousting at windmills on this one. The authority to extinguish a criminal conviction by a sitting president was tailor-made for cases like Scooter Libby's and the fact of the matter is, it would be the right thing to do.
It is now widely believed that Scooter Libby was used as a scapegoat because he was positioned to take the fall for higher ups in the Bush administration. An extremely well-liked and loyal Republican lawyer, Libby was unfortunately the lowest ranking and least visible White House staffer who was potentially on Prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald's radar screen. Compared to presidential advisor Karl Rove and Vice President Cheney, poor Scooter didn't stand a chance. However, before you start shedding tears for him (as a few of his jurors reportedly did), consider the following question:
If no one on the White House staff was responsible for leaking Agent Valerie Plame's name, why did Libby lie to investigators?
No one outside the White House knows that answer to that, however it seems likely that something was amiss that was worth lying about and Fitzgerald was getting too close to it. We may never know what was in that "Pandora's Box" was but some of the most powerful people in America were willing to lie to a federal grand jury about it and Libby may go to jail in order to keep it under wraps. Consider the fact that Libby did not use the scapegoat defense in his trial, nor did he attempt to embarrass the White House, who apparently served him up on a platter. Some say his generosity was his way of preserving the graces of the president. Also consider that the intense coverage of the Libby trial showed the jury was non-partisan, thoughtful and extremely sympathetic towards Libby. The truth would have gone a long way with a jury like that. However, he simply repeated that he couldn't remember certain conversations. Given a lame defense and no one else to blame for his woes, the jury had no choice but to convict. As if someone is turning back the pages in history, this story line closely parallels the conviction of the Watergate burglars. Close ranks, don't talk, take the heat and trust the backroom promises.
The appeals process in the Libby case will take years, possibly allowing Bush to use his pardon pen in the weeks between the 2008 presidential election and the day he leaves office. That would spare Republican candidates any political discomfort from having to defend a pardon while on the campaign trail. Given the fact that Libby saluted, did what was asked of him and took a bullet for the White House, he is as deserving of a pardon as any politically-motivated scapegoat. Only a truly innocent convict would be more deserving than former Chief of Staff Scooter Libby.
Copyright ã Joseph Collins 2007
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Top-level comments on this article: (4 total)It is sobering (yet not surprising) to see that you are not drinking from the Democrat Party Kool-Aid punch bowl on this case. Quite frankly I think this issue shows an example of certain Democrats playing politics when bigger issues are at stake. I have to agree with Tim Russert that there is a dangerous precedent in calling in members of the press to testify in cases like these. Where are the self-proclaimed champions of the First Amendment on that one! Kudos for mentioning the poor defense of Scooter Libby also. The parameters that the jurors were given were so tight, the mere fact that Libby's timeline did not add up meant they felt compelled to find him guilty. Jurors were said to have empathized with him. We don't know if he lied or not. A guilty verdict weighs towards the likelihood that he did. But consider, someone in the washington political circle, being asked to remember very specifically, exact timelines of when they heard and passed on information as in the nature of this case. I think I would 've taken the fifth. But Libby didn't. I'm just saying an apprehensive guilty verdict appears to be the only indication of a lie. I still however believe that someone in the Bush administration wanted to strike back at Richard Wilson, I'm just not certain that it was done illegally. Funny though because all of this seems relatively pointless. Libby WILL get pardoned. The 2008 election will have no bearing whether or not it will happen. Just when.Jeff, good hearing from you! There are lots of people calling for Bush to pardon him immediately. Whether that happens now, after the appeals process or after the election, it needs to happen. I also agree with you that there are bigger and better things for the Dems to worry about. They have no control over this and frankly, they are not going to get alot of mileage out of this one. We need someone to step up to the plate and govern effectively. As Larry the Cable Guy says, "Git 'er done!"
Another excellent article. I do not think he will be pardoned because in my opinion this President, while professing certain beliefs, has a long way to go to reach humble. I believe under his present state of mind he will be more prone to be vindictive toward him and discard him. While believing he is sincere in his convictions I really think because of his upbringing he has no real concept of what average people and the poor endure. His trust is in those who would make money rather then in the humble of heart, ie, King, Ghandi, Bobby Kennedy types. Regretfully, the other word of this century, mercy, compassion and love unfortunately is in my opinion not at the top of the prioity scale. It really illustrates the act of "Selective Application" of our law. Now in reply to your prior request. Certainly since the dawn of time humans have been abusing other humans regardless of race.That we did it makes it no less of a sin. It is also interesting that while we profess to have beliefs, either golden rule or religious we rarely act on them. In fact many of these 'slave owners" were and are today very pious and religious. It speaks a lot to what people say they belive. Example, slavery in any form by any people as I stated is a major sin as is exploitation. You see we were and supposedly are a nation of law and owning slaves at that time was not against the law of this and of many other nations. The Civil war for any number of other reasons changed that bad law for the good. In fact many of all races died for that reason regardless if you throw in any number of others. However, shamefully, slavery is still in practice today in many parts of the world. So I ask where is the uproar from religious or the U.N. or just plain decent people in all of these countries? Just where is the outcry? Not important I assume, it doesn't impact me? However, I believe that exploiting people for personal gain in any form is sin, pure and simple. Be it finacial or in chains it is still bondage. Also, to limit it to a country or race is not being honest but self serving. This world owes a sincere apology and change in direction to many. That aside, if an apology were to be made certainly it would have to have these qualities and not just hollow words [although simple words may be enough for an individual]. It should be made sincerely, in humbleness and with restitution and with love and regret. Rhetorically, if those elements are missing would that apology suffice? Now the person receiving such has an option. They can accept or decline any or all. Simply put, when a person who professes to love another, as in love of neighbor, then no apology is required. That said I ask those who need an apology to look at the source and the motivation for that need. Political expedience does not make the words any more sincere, etc. Bad is bad and good is good. People should evaluate by deeds not words. Luther, Rosa, George Carver, Dungy, Rice as i have said many a time and a host of others are all past examples of true life hero's and people of character and morals who's deeds speak and spoke for them and in effect underscore their words. I never like to say Afro American, Black or even American but men, woman, humans. It is necessary at times for description under certain circumstances. Could they fall and do wrong as well as anyone else? Certainly, but chances are they will accept what they did and "sincerely" apologize. We all should recognize that they overcame the greatest odds and sin to rise above average. In doing so they touched all humans and people of good will. Yes, we all can wallow in the "why me" and the "I'm due", but as a good man once said to me, "stop winning and get up off that floor and do something about it, be positive and make a change for the good!" I hope this answers you. Of course it was a little long but I'll ask you to forgive me? The ball is in your court. Best wishes, peace.
Robert, thanks for both comments! In order to reply to your comments more fully, I will use the comments section. Point #1: I guess I never considered the possibility that Bush may not pardon Libby. However, you raise some interesting points about Bush's psyche and his callous disregard of whatever is not on his radar screen (people, information, etc.). I would hope that he would not let a good man like Libby take the fall and not even acknowledge his service to the administration. I and many others will be very disappointed if he does not issue a pardon. Point#2: As I get older, I realize that slavery and many other issues our society faces are like peeling an onion. The more layers you peel off, the more you find underneath. I think the value of issuing apologies for things like slavery, the Holocaust and Japanese military brothels is that it puts a sword through arguments that attempt to deny that it happened or attempt to minimize the horrific effects, then and now. You also raised an interesting point about modern slavery. It does indeed exist and unfortunately, America is one of the world's greatest consumers of human trafficking. We would like to think that it is stuff that goes on elsewhere but it is our problem once again. Where is the outrage? Robert, have a good week!
It seems obvious by Mr. Libby's behavior in this that he is covering up for someone else and taking the fall. Makes me wonder what "they" promised him in exchange for his silence.Jean, thanks for commenting! You know, the ink on the Libby story was not even dry before the Gonzalez story erupted. The consistent background figure - Karl Rove. The scandals keep coming. What will it be next week in the Bush W-H? You know who I feel sorry for in all of this? The rest of the Bush clan. Their interesting family history includes ministers, abolitionists, a politician who stood up to McCarthy and other admirable people. They didn't deserve this. A 300-yr legacy destroyed.
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