Here’s Fitzgerald’s statement:
We fully recognize that the Constitution provides that commutation decisions are a matter of presidential prerogative and we do not comment on the exercise of that prerogative.
We comment only on the statement in which the President termed the sentence imposed by the judge as “excessive.” The sentence in this case was imposed pursuant to the laws governing sentencings which occur every day throughout this country. In this case, an experienced federal judge considered extensive argument from the parties and then imposed a sentence consistent with the applicable laws. It is fundamental to the rule of law that all citizens stand before the bar of justice as equals. That principle guided the judge during both the trial and the sentencing.
Although the President’s decision eliminates Mr. Libby’s sentence of imprisonment, Mr. Libby remains convicted by a jury of serious felonies, and we will continue to seek to preserve those convictions through the appeals process.
I might add that the 30 months assigned to Libby was the minimum under the sentencing guidelines. He could have received up to 37 months.
All about keeping Scooter quiet, isn’t it? “I respect the jury’s verdict,” George Bush said, speaking oxymoronically as he announced his soon-to-be-notorious Monday Night Massacre of justice. This is no misdemeanor, it’s a high crime. It’s time to move impeachment to the front burner and turn up the heat.
What you said… But throw in some serious freakin’ rage.
That Cheney’s righthand man would not go to jail?
I expected a full pardon, and not because Libby might have threatened a tell-all book about Neocon subterfuge in the deep bowels of the Whitehouse. No way. The only unanswered questions are: who will pay his fines and which Neocon thinktank will pick him up.
Fitz, being the consummate strategist had to see this coming. Color me fingers crossed, but could it be that his Irish dander is up after this latest bullshit and he’ll dust off his case that he specifically said he was not closing and goes after the original crime?
I had the same thought, but I think it is probably beyond his power to do so.
I had hoped Fitz would say that bush just threw even more sand in the umpire’s eyes.
Has his mandate as Special Prosecutor expired?
When you say “power”, do you mean statutory or political?
ps Bush pardons Cheney the day before inauguration. Then resigns. Cheney pardons Bush, and it’s all over. And Shooter gets to go down as 44. Yeah, I know it’s dark.
he’s nopt Irish.
Not anymore he isn’t.
He’s just another cog in a fake machine.
Watch.
He’ll wave his arms a little. As is expected of him.
And then he’ll shut the fuck up.
Watch.
AG
And I mean that literally:
They have literally shut down the phone lines and refuse to listen to American citizens that are mad as fuck. (h/t Crooks and Liars)
sleep easy tonight. The requisite order of their world has been assured. Thank you, mainstream elite. Thank you, David Broder. Thank you, Richard Cohen. You’ve done us all a service.
Oh, and Alan Dershowitz, thank you especially. You’re around to protect the powerful from the rabble. In that, you’ve succeeded. Congratulations, you f’ing douchebag.
For the apologists of their Pres.
Libby was convicted by a jury of his peers for lying & obstruction of justice within the parameters of the story of outting a CIA undercover operative who was providing analysis regarding WMD DURING A TIME OF WAR and specifically ABOUT the country we chose to go to war with.
Bush is guilty of obstruction. Fitz has not closed this investigation and Bush has now laid out his obstruction in writing.
What part of the concept ‘treason’ do these denialists not get?