Then the guilty man never serves his sentence.
It's hard for me to believe that with Bush's previous accommodation of the courts in Texas, which do all kinds of fraudulent things, that only the second clemency of his political career was based on promoting the general welfare.
IMO, either cronyism, self-interest or both moved Bush to do this.
RWU, let's talk about the now.
Tell me please, what message do you think Bush was sending the American People when he granted clemency to Libby?
Tell me please, what message does Cheney send to the American People when on Monday, he claims Executive privilege because he's the Vice President;
Then on Tuesday claims he's not a member of the Executive branch, but the Legislative branch as President of the Senate and therefore not subject to Executive Orders;
Then on Wednesday, he's claiming Executive privilege because he's the Vice President.
Tell me please, what message do you think Bush was sending the American People when he granted clemency to Libby?
... while he frames a cogent response
On the clemency...
It tells me that Bush acknowledged the unfair witch hunt that took place and that he (Bush) is willing to accept the heat, even mid term.
On Cheney's defiance...
That he is willing to fight (and I am sure with Bush's consent) to regain at least some of the power that late 20th century Presidents ceded.
It seems to me that if Bush thought a "witch-hunt" took place a pardon would have been appropriate. He didn't say Libby wasn't guilty, and his actions don't suggest it. He said the prison sentence was too harsh. Libby just paid a fine of a quarter-million dollars today.
Cheney's defiance: the vice-president isn't the president. And what's the point in his saying he's not in the executive branch if he's trying to strengthen the Presidency?
The closest this power struggle will come to your scenario will be to increase the power of the Vice-President. An office which in previous decades was little more powerful than the President's chauffeur, and didn't have any power to cede.
I can't picture Dan Quail ever claiming his office wasn't in the Executive Branch.
RWU - if you really feel that way, and I have no reason to doubt your sincerity, then you and I have VERY different ideas of what this country is all about.
So be it, thanks for giving me a straight answer.
At least we agree on one thing...
why else are we here?:P
If some of you have not figured it out yet I will tell you.. President Bush is in charge and he doesn't really care what the left wing thinks. For the tenth time I say the main reason Bush let Libby's felony stay on record but took his jail time away is the fact the appeals court said he had to go to jail while he was awaiting his appeal. Three cheers for Bush
allows Libby to appeal the whole conviction and get it all overturned on appeal.
Then the guilty man never serves his sentence.
It's hard for me to believe that with Bush's previous accommodation of the courts in Texas, which do all kinds of fraudulent things, that only the second clemency of his political career was based on promoting the general welfare.
IMO, either cronyism, self-interest or both moved Bush to do this.
Only in lala land Washington DC could this have ever even gone to court. Libby DID NOT OUT THAT STUPID POLITICAL HACK WITCH. Libby could not remember exactly what he said during a number of meetings. The crazy person, Fitzgerald, went crazy. He knew all along that Armitage outed Valarie.
Now, Sandy Berger, he does belong in prison. He stole secret gov docs and destroyed them to cover up Bill Clinton's complete incompetence in dealing with terrorism.
There's no argument with that, Geezer.
And Sandy Burger is a different issue entirely.
Could you challenge yourself to say something on topic and intelligent? You sound like you belong in a Monty Python skit.
Make yourself sound less like a conservative groupie.
the TIMING of Bush's decision. I am sure he would have rather waited to let the appeals process play out (from a political price to pay), but I too am glad Bush stepped up.
BTW, about the Judge's ruling that Libby should report to prison during the appeal...It has nothing to do with any flight risk issues, as I have heard said here. It is based (or is supposed to be based) on the likelyhood of success in the appeal.
-- Modified on 7/5/2007 2:45:58 PM
most of the time, I'm just to tired to tighten up my logic and awkward sentence structure.