"Poor Scooter!"

Cries of compassion and calls for pardon arise now across the land.  "Poor Scooter!"  "His children, his poor wife!"  The cable news shows are all reverberating with "inside the beltway' outrage over Libby's stiff sentence.  Pay no attention, folks. Republicans and Democrats alike in this beautiful but rotten town care more for whether or not they will continue to be invited to Georgetown dinner parties than anything else.  Political incest would be too mild a word for it.  Virtue matters not at all.

Lewis Libby was one of the main enablers for the Cheney "crew" in "setting Americans up" for acquiescence in the foolish war in Iraq.  He participated in the attack on Joe Wilson for the "crime" of pointing out the embarrassing truth that the fabricated Niger uranium story was just that.  Libby was not the first or only character assassin in this matter?  So what?

His "stonewalling," obstruction of justice and perjury were primary obstacles to Fitzgerald's ability to make cases against some of the other conspirators. It is for that this righteous judge has sentenced him to prison.

Should others have been tried and sentenced with him?  Absolutely!

The war was "sold" to the American people in a massive campaign of lies and exaggerations. 

Libby is going to pay one way or another for his and his friends' sins.  Will the president pardon him?  It does not matter.  He will always be a convicted felon.

You feel sorry for Libby?  Feel sorry for all those brave, patriotic people who have been victimized by his "crew." pl

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070605/ap_on_go_pr_wh/cia_leak_trial

Comments

[Helena Cobban]

All true, Pat. But being a convicted felon has been seen by some people as a good item to have on your resume... (Elliott Abrams, anyone?)

[clio]

Poor Scooter? Not from this American! Poor us - betrayed for power and sold for profit by an Administration which recognizes no law and gives no allegiance or loyalty. The only principles they recognize are self-aggrandizement and complete unaccountability to anyone for anything.

The sentence was too light, if anything, and the fine far too little. Mr. Libby and his family should, in my opinion, be reduced to public assistance. This is indeed harsh on his wife and children, but perhaps Mr. Libby should have thought of them before betraying his country for gain.

[CletracSteve]

Perhaps the most traitorous aspect of Bush/Cheney/Libby’s act here is the message to the undercover agents working for the U.S.A. in foreign lands. Undercover agents used to rely on the integrity and support of the U.S.A. that their identities would be safeguarded and that every effort would be made not to needlessly endanger their lives. When a name is released it puts at risk every other undercover agent who could be associated with the leaked name. Compromised agents have come home to the U.S.A. in pieces. Bush and Cheney sent a clear message to the C.I.A. personnel that the leaders of our country no longer have any consideration for the lives of the individuals in the field risking their own lives for the comfort and privileges of us back home. Why do you think that the moral of the C.I.A. is so low?

[W. Patrick Lang]

Helena

I don't claim to be in the right century, but, really... People like those you mention are beneath contempt. pl

[Patrick Henry]

Col. Lang

Well said and to the Point..

Libby was a Major Player and a well educated Attorney who knew better..than to Lie and Cover for others..He thought He would get away with it and people would keep thier mouths shut..

A lot of people do not understand or care about how sleezy and disgusting this whole matter is..or the Contempt they all showed of the PUBLIC TRUST

I think the Judge who sentenced Libby understands the level and meaning of "Contempt" in this Disgraceful Matter..

I have my own contempt for Libby and everyone else He associated with who Schemed Against the American people ..just to start a War ..

BETRAYAL..If not Treason..

[Guam guy]

Too bad more of those responsible for the Iraq debacle will not be given prison terms. It's also amusing to note that those pooh-poohing Libby's crime as merely a little lieing among friends were the same crowd braying for impeachment of Slick Willie for his little fib.

[Publius]

I wouldn't p*** on Libby or his co-conspirators if they were on fire.

Succinct enough for you, Pat Lang?

[Frank Durkee]

The Century doesn't matter. Having a minimum of integrity does in any aspect of life in any Century. What is it that Benjamin Franklin is reported to have said on leaving the Constitutional Convention and being asked by a woman in the street what they had created: "It is a Republic madam, if you can keep it." I fear now as I have not done before in my 70 plus years that we might not be able to 'keep it'.

[confusedponderer]

Mr. Lang, you're dead on. Libby is obviously a fallguy for Cheney. Fitzgerald certainly knows this, but because of Libby he couldn't prove it.

While it is bad for his family indeed, it was him who brought it on them and himself. So no pity on this side of the Atlantic either.

[Sid3]

Patrick Fitzgerald -- American Hero

If he had been a politico, then he would have deep sixed this case in grand jury. Happens all the time. And it’s historically significant that he did not. His prosecution was an American work of art.

Lesson to be learned: don’t give a damn about being on a Georgetown A-list, I reckon.

Sid

[Steve]

I think he got off way to easy. He should be instigated for war crimes!

"The present age abounds with a race of liars who are content with the consciousness of falsehood, and whose pride is to deceive others without any gain or glory to themselves."

Samuel Johnson

[Montag]

This is shaping up to become as divisive as France's Dreyfus Affair in the 1890s--in which the two antagonistic sides seemed to belong to different countries. There was a funny cartoon about the issue:

Panel 1 shows a respectable extended family sitting down to Sunday Dinner. The Patriarch of the family begs, "Above all, to preserve family harmony, let us not spoil this occasion by speaking of IT."

Panel 2 shows the entire family in battle royale, using the cutlery, chairs, anything to hand to fight with. The caption: "They spoke of IT."

[Nancy Kimberlin]

I just heard that a number of the Republicans debating felt Libby had been unfaired against, that he had done nothing wrong. There does not seem to be much honor left in either party. Oh for someone who would stand up and speak the truth. Of course he/she wouldn't get elected.

[cds]

I think he got off way to easy. He should be instigated for war crimes!

Indeed! Steve Clemons expresses sympathy for Scooter because he's taking the rap to protect Cheney. I just don't understand this kind of empathy.

[JfM]

My last assignment in 1991 for alittle over a year before I retired from the Army was on the OSD staff working in a small obscure office on the 1st floor/D ring with three other officers under a very savvy civilian ‘GS-99’… all of who worked for Scooter. Scoot was the Principal Deputy Undersecretary of Defense for Strategy and Policy. We all worked for Paul Wolfowitz-now there’s a fun guy! (As an aside, I’d really like to see his head on a pike at the POAC entrance) Anyway, Scooter did, all accounts at the time, a good job. But by my measure he was an ambitious and detached well-dressed functionary who impressed me as one more political hack ‘just passing through.’ He was devoid of any expressed affection or appreciation for the essential purpose of why we slugged in from North parking every morning; the soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines on the line whom we staff slugs were to support. In meetings he was clinical and aloof and I don’t recall him ever thanking any of us for anything we did; he was a cold fish.

That was all fifteen years ago and most of my Army fires have long ago turned to embers. I still rail about the growing disconnect between the people-us- and our Army, and I blister over media coverage of our troops not having adequate armor protection or sufficient logistical support to allow three A’s a day. But mostly I focus on chasing the grandchildren, grouse about the weather and traffic here in DC, and do my second career. But not today! Today I watched with more than passing interest in the sentencing of Scoot and went back in my mind to days in low quarters and staff actions. I feel justice served as imperfect as justice may be. Libby had his chance and blew it. He may have taken the tumble for the VP, but that was his election and he got stung. Needless to say I have not and won’t in the future contribute to the ‘Scoot defense fund.’ As the old 1SG once said, “Some people are like Slinkies . . . not really good for anything, but you still can't help but smile when you see one tumble down the stairs.”

[matt]

As we watch the "Sopranos" unfold to their end these days, your use of the word "crew" seems especially apt.

[lina]

The United States of America is being governed by liars, felons and war criminals. Our reputation is in tatters and we are weaker for it. Thousands of people have died needlessly. Libby will be pardoned Christmas Eve 2008, and Bush will hand off the two wars, our ruined foreign policy, our bankrupted treasury, our decimated military, and our demoralized intelligence services to his successor. If America were a product, it would be time to hire the top dollar re-branding specialists. We've come through dark periods before, but never have so few people done so much damage in such a short period of time.

Poor Scooter indeed.

[Homer]

Even though I'm a tranquil guy now at this stage of my life, I have nothing but contempt and anger for those who betray the trust by exposing the name of our sources.

They are, in my view, the most insidious, of traitors.

(Remarks By George Bush, 41st President of the United States, April 26, 1999 https://www.cia.gov/news-information/speeches-testimony/1999/bush_speech_042699.html)

[Grimgrin]

It's worth noting that Patrick Fitzgerald's early experience included being an assistant prosecutor in the case against John Gotti, as well as handling drug trafficking cases. I suspect the experience prosecuting organized crime served him well dealing with corrupt politicians.

Homer: There's somewhat bitter in in the words of George Bush Sr, given the Iran Contra pardons he signed off on. Do you suppose 'Sr.' thinks leaking the names of covert agents is better or worse than selling weapons to Iran?

And I'm very very sure those pardons were issued because George Bush Sr. knew that if any one of those six flipped, his head would be next on the block.

[zanzibar]

Just take a look at all the "movers and shakers" (courtesy: Neil at TNH) who frequent the Georgetown parties and who run our country who lobbied Judge Walton to be lenient.

The rule of law is for only us average citizens. Those that wrote to vouch for Scooter believe they are above the law. I wonder how many letters of leniency Gen. Pace and Gen. Myers have written for our troops in legal trouble as a result of being put into the meat grinder of Iraq. And thanks Mary Matalin and James Carville for informing us that partisanship does not impinge on the lives of the DC "aristocrats". And good ol boy Henry Kissinger who has sent many Americans to die in foreign lands. Wow! My jaw dropped on seeing the list of the DC elites who believe obstructing justice and a criminal investigation is par for the course when its committed by one of their own.

[mt]

Libby failed. Take note of the people that defend his actions and deny facts to excuse his conduct. Some of these persons are in positions of power. They are dangerous.

[Mark Gaughan]

Right On!

[Will]

i used to tell my clients to not sweat about the guilt phase (if they were nailed) but concentrate on the sentencing.

In Irve Lewis "Scooter" Libby's case there is ONLY one thing that matters. Will the judge allow him his freedom pending the hearing of his appeal? If he does then he will never serve a day of his thirty months. That is because he's always had Dumbya's pardon in his back pocket. That's why Pumphead Cheney didn't even bother to send the judge a letter.

[Cold War Zoomie]

Prediction: last-minute Bush pardon followed by some cushy think-tank or lobbying job as payback for taking a slug for the team.

If he does time between now and January 2009, they'll tack an extra $250K/year onto his salary as compensation.

[W. Patrick Lang]

cwz

I think that the judge will send him to jail, that LL will demand a pardon in return for silence, that GWB will not want to give it to him and there will be a hell of a row. pl