Dear President Bush:

[heidi]

You make me sick.


But I think you already knew that.

My God, you're worse than Nixon.

Here's what Shrub said:

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.

If it's *excessive* then you wait until he's served three or six or twelve months, and you commute it *then*.

You don't say that the fines and "damage" to his reputation are sufficient punishment if you think it's excessive.

He should serve *something*.

And he won't serve a day.

Mockery, Mr Bush. You've made a mockery of this country. And you make me sick.

Comments

[jlh.livejournal.com]

Wasn't the sentence not only a federal guideline, but also someone in a very similar circumstance took it all the way to the Supreme Court and only a couple of weeks ago the Court ruled unanimously that the sentence was NOT excessive? I mean, whatever, he doesn't give a shit and neither does Cheney because they don't have to.

Meanwhile McCain is in a heap o'trouble and I honestly don't know how any of these three front runners—Mit and Rudy as well—can possibly capture the evangelicals. 2008 is going to be one seriously weird year.

[pinguthegreek.livejournal.com]

I literally saw this come through on the BBC news page....I mean, what's the point of the law if it's seen to be OK for some people to break it but not others ?

He's in office till the end of next year, Shrub ?

[hedwig-snowy.livejournal.com]

Interesting, he didn't say that Libby was innocent or had showed remorse (for hiding Dick's secrets), but that he thought the court had been to tough. I wonder if he will also be saying that about mandatory:minimum sentencing guideline for young, black, drug offenders?

I guess it takes people who truly hate the American way of life, the rule of law, and the Constitution to be as truly vile as this group. Keep waging the flag in our faces. We'll keep sending up guys like you to the White House...

[airemay.livejournal.com]

Oh wow. :/

[empressov.livejournal.com]

Hate is not nearly strong enough as a word to describe what I think of this idiot.

[emmagrant01.livejournal.com]

You know, I had been expecting this, because it seemed like exactly the sort of idiocy Bush would engage in. And part of me is kind of smirking about it, because he's going to get ripped to shreds in the media for it and his ratings will go even lower. The far right will try to defend him, but this pardon will come across to the average American as unfair and a mockery of justice. It's only going to hurt the Republican party even more in the end. And even though American politics shouldn't be a zero-sum game, it basically functions as one. What's bad for the Republicans is ultimately good for the left.

So I guess if I had to pick one, I'd rather the Republicans lose support and Bush get nailed for this than see Libby spend time in jail. Cynical, I know, but there you go. :-P

[misscake]

I wonder who's idea it really was, Bush's or Cheney's? Based on the last week's series in the Post, I'd not be surprised if Cheney wrote the whole thing and just stuck his hand in the back of Bush's shirt to make him talk.

[scoreboard.livejournal.com]

You know, we fought a war to get out from under monarchial rule...and the people we fought have figured out how to keep the hereditary retards safe and powerless. For this I went to seven years of PSCI school?

[heidi8.livejournal.com]

Especially if Bloomberg gets in.

And Cheney makes his own laws, and doesn't obey anything he doesn't want to. I think it's called a coup?

[heidi8.livejournal.com]

One law for the rich, another for the poor, which prohibits them equally from stealing bread.

I think that was an episode of the Tomorrow People circa 1977.

[heidi8.livejournal.com]

I can't wait for various members of the Republican establishment say things that are 180 degrees off from what they said when Bill Clinton was impeached because of perjury allegations.

[hedwig-snowy.livejournal.com]

Fred Thompson is one...

And now, the President had washed under the rug any involvement he and The Dick had in the Plame case. Some might actually call that...ummm...obstruction of justice. But hey, when you're a war criminal, what's a little legal mumbo jumbo?

The thing that is nice about this, apart from the actual convolution that both sides put on the Fitzgerald investigation, is that it is so straight forward. Bush, the least likely to pardon anyone in 100 years, commutes Libby's sentence and, more than likely now, will pardon him as he goes out the door. He wouldn't sign stays of execution for mentally challenged inmates in Texas, but he thinks obstructing justice and perjury in a National Security case just isn't bad enough to deserve the 30 measly months that Scooter got.

Sometimes a President has bad luck and sometimes he brings that luck upon himself. Some legacy eh?

[ceilidh]

*agrees*

[ginsu.livejournal.com]

I have hereunto set my hand this second day of July, in the year of our Lord two thousand and seven, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-first.

One has the impression he's more interested in the Lord part than the America part.

[heidi8.livejournal.com]

Btw - re the Supremes?

For all of the citizens of the United States, the imposition of a sentence that is consistent with the sentencing guidelines makes it "presumptively reasonable." At least that's what the Roberts Court said just last month in Rita v. United States.

Today's Daily Kos

[zorb]

I'm not at all surprised, but I did hope he'd at least wait a month. Or two. Or five. -_-

[annearchy.livejournal.com]

Bush makes Nixon seem halfway not psychotic. Honestly. There are no words for the damage this man is doing to our country. I'm ashamed (yet again).

[demyankee.livejournal.com]

Seriously, this was dumb for a host of reasons. Heidi makes a good point when she says to commute his sentence after he's served some time. This is wise on several fronts, not the least of which is that the moderate Repubs in his party are totally screwed in 2008 by this. I'm not saying I mind that necessarily, but you know they're mad about this. Commute his sentence on November 5, 2008 - he's served time (maybe, shocking most of his sentence), and you've pulled yet another one over on the poor suckers known as the American electorate.

And I had to post my comment here because I have to tell you, that icon has made me laugh. :)

[daintress.livejournal.com]

Libby should definitely serve some time.

You weren't one of those folks who was rooting for Paris, though, were you? Because she should definitely have done all of her time, too. ;)

[daintress.livejournal.com]

*snerk* That was good.

[heidi8.livejournal.com]

From Archive.gov:

July 2, 1776 is the day that the Continental Congress actually voted for independence. John Adams, in his writings, even noted that July 2 would be remembered in the annals of American history and would be marked with fireworks and celebrations.

I knew there was a reason the date was bothering me yesterday...

Adams and Jefferson, et al, would pitch a fit.

[heidi8.livejournal.com]

Hm. When the judge was going to send her back for the full time sentenced, instead of the slightly shorter sentence he actually imposed, I had a problem with that because it felt like a bait and switch, but I think the judge was, overall, sensible in the determination of time.

[daintress.livejournal.com]

I think he thought, as I do, that she was trying to weasel her way out of her sentence. As he's the one who handed that sentence down, he was justifiably annoyed.

In the end, though, she spent almost as much time in jail as she'd been sentenced to. Only time will tell if it improved her in any way.....

Are you actually surprised?

[jocelyncs.livejournal.com]

I'm not. Disgusted, yes, but not at all surprised.

My beloved Keith Olbermann made an interesting point about it the other night: this action by Dubya may be more than just quid pro quo cronyism: now that all possibility of prison is gone, any possibility of Congress using a sentence reduction as a bargaining chip to get Libby to unzip his lips to investigations about this administration's shady dealings is also gone.

After all, the administration had to know the outrage that would result, and they don't have much political capital left to burn. Why would they consider it worth it other than to cover their asses from an even bigger hit?