President George W. Bush has righted a terrible wrong. Huzzah!
“The fact is that had President Bush...had the courage to call Joe Wilson on the carpet...Libby would not be facing jail time today.”Now, Mr. President:
Free Political Prisoners Ramos, Compeon, Hernandez, and Aleman. There are likely others I am not aware of that US Attorney Johnny "Satan" Sutton has locked up for simply doing their jobs. Free these men!!!
Fire US Attorney Johnny Sutton. This man should be prosecuted for Prosecutorial Misconduct, disbarred, and put in prison.
I found a list on the CNN website of Presidents since FDR with the numbers of Pardons and Sentence Commutations for 11 Presidents. I have computed the average number of each per year as an example to people that this President finishes in 11th out of 11 Presidents for the numbers of each per year of Presidency:
George W. Bush: 6 1/2 years 2001 to July 2, 2007
Pardons: 113...............................................17.38 per yr
Commutations: 4 (including Libby)...........0.62 per year
Bill Clinton: 8 years 1993 to 2001
Pardons: 396.................................................49.5 per year
Commutations: 61......................................... 7.625 per yr
George H.W. Bush: 4 years 1989 to 1993
Pardons: 74.................................................. 18.5 per yr
Commutations: 3 .......................................... 0.75 per yr
Ronald Reagan: 8 years 1981 to 1989
Pardons: 393................................................. 49.125 per yr
Commutations: 13.............................................1.625 per yr
Jimmy Carter: 4 years 1977 to 1981
Pardons: 534..................................................133.5 per yr
Commutations: 29.............................................. 7.25 per yr
Gerald Ford: 3 1/2 years 1974 to 1977
Pardons: 382.....................................................109.14 per yr
Commutations: 22............................................... 6.29 per yr
Richard Nixon: 5 1/2 years 1969 to 1974
Pardons: 863 ........................................................156.91 per yr
Commutations: 60.................................................10.91
Lyndon Johnson: 5 years and change 1963 to 1969
Pardons: 960.........................................................192 per yr
Commutations: 226................................................45.2 per yy
John F. Kennedy: almost 3 years 1961 to 1963
Pardons: 472.........................................................157.33 per yr
Commutations: 100................................................33.33 per yr
Dwight Eisenhower: 8 years 1953 to 1961
Pardons: 1,110......................................................138.75 per yr
Commutations: 47....................................................5.875 per yr
Harry Truman: almost 8 years 1945 to 1953
Pardons: 1,913........................................................239.125 per yr
Commutations: 118..................................................14.75 per yr
These figures are noteworthy, eh?
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7 comments :
One thing I'm wondering about this whole thing - The Bush Administration filed an amicus brief in support of a lower-court ruling against Victor Rita, who was also convicted of perjury and obstruction of justice. Rita's 33-month sentence was deemed "reasonable" by a lower court.
Why is one person's perjury and obstruction of justice seemingly less (or more) important than another?
Or is this one of those partisan things that we'll just have to agree to disagree on?
Obstruction of Justice.
syntax:
The Power to Pardon is one of the few Checks on the Power of the Judiciary, and it is Un-reviewable.
Partisan?
The whole case was partisan from the beginning. There was no crime, because there is no such thing as a classified person, and it was Richard Armitage who disclosed Plame as being in the employ of the CIA, and she made political contributions in her name, listing her Front Company as her employer. which was traceable as a CIA Front Company.
Patrick "Fitzfong" Kennedy was on a fishing expedition to get Cheney and/or Rove. The prosecutor was attempting to make conservative policy illegal, so, the President had no choice, but to over rule the miscarriage of justice. I think he lost by splitting the baby, and letting the conviction stand, and commuting the sentence. However, he still has the option of removing that on his way out the door in January 2009, which I hope he does.
So, yes, it was a partisan thing. Warning to the Witch-Hunters...don't go forward with a prosecution without having your ducks in a row first, unless it is purely political, and you think you can gain more on the spin than will result from the case itself.
Screwy:
Obstruction of Justice?
Susan McDougal. Her silence on Whitewater saved the Clinton Presidency.
Personally, I think they could have gotten Clinton via the Iran-Contra Operation in Arkansas while Clinton was governor. Several Felonies were committed during that operation, with the complete approval and cooperation of Bill an Hillary...but since they were on our side, they (the GOP) let it slide. However, time has passed, and it may be useful against Hillary. (This is a Sneak Preview of Things to Come Once She is Nominated by the Democrat Party Primaries. And I believe I know who her running mate will be, and it ain't Obama or the Breck Girl.)
There are some who believe the same about Victor Rita, TP - that he was completely innocent, that there was no crime, and that he was caught up in an investigation that they believe was partisan led by a prosecutor that really and truly wanted at least a pound of flesh.
I understand that the power to pardon is Presidential prerogative. And that's fine. I don't agree with it in this case, but I understand it. I also feel the same way about Clinton's pardon of Marc Rich. And you don't have to send me back to school to learn all about Article II. I've been studying the constitution pretty much my entire life. That's what happens when you grow up in Nixon Country (Orange County, CA) during Watergate, TP. :)
I'll ask you one more time: why was Scooter Libby given special treatment over Victor Rita, who was a Vietnam and Gulf War veteran and has more patriotism and love for his country in the toenail clippings in his wastebasket than Scooter Libby will ever have?
I hate Beta Blogger!!!
(3rd attempt to reply)
Scooter Libby as received a Commutation because he continues to assert his innocence.
Victor Rita cannot receive a Commutation because he has admitted guilt.
In the first hurdle, the attempt at comparison fails it's very first hurdle. Check, Please!
I will humor you with the following:
Rita purchased a kit that would "theoretically" allow him to construct a machinegun. He then sent the kit back, and replaced it with another when contacted by the jack-booted thugs of the ATF that they were going to question him about that purchase in their Clinton-directed pursuit of destroying the 2nd Amendment. He then substituted the kit in question with another, less lethal kit.
With malice aforethought, he obstructed justice ,lied to the ATF Agent, and the Federal Grand Jury.
Libby simply had memory lapses to obscure conversations in a job full of obscure conversations. Try asking me about an order I gave on an average day more than a week ago, and I'll likely draw a blank, and what I remember may be subject to suggestion, especially if there were similar, separate circumstances. actually going out and returning an item, and replacing it with another in order to lie to a federal agent is not something I am likely to forget for decades.
Libby was ensnared in a political witch hunt that was based on a lie, came up empty in regards to charging anyone with the "crime."
It has been proven, and Richard Armitage has admitted that he was the leaker. Yet he remains free. Why? Because he opposed the war in Iraq. Libby supported it.
I thought you guys had the market on "You can't question someone's patriotism?"
I would say that Libby is at least as patriotic as Rita, notwithstanding my admiration for his desire to practice keeping and bearing arms. I only question his lack of intelligence.
Who in their right mind would purchase such a kit in their own name? Especially if that person does not own a FFL, or a Class III Weapons Permit!
The Pardon and Commutation Power is unreviewable.
If you choose to open that can of worms, I give you Bill Clinton's pardon of the FALN Terrorists in the purely political move to gain his wife votes in an upcoming election...surely that is a crime!!!
PS Don't get me started on the Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms---which should be the name of a cash-and-carry convenience store. I believe that the 2nd Amendment enables one to own any firearm one can purchase, and carry away under their own power.
Duly noted, TP. Your passion about Libby is almost infectious. :)
I will admit that part of me thinks that they went after Libby because... well, given the choice between a 90-lb weakling and a former Navy Seal... I mean, surely you've seen pictures of Armitage! Dude looks like he can benchpress my HOUSE!
All joking aside, it looks like we're going to have to agree to disagree once again, TP. You say Libby's a patriot, completely innocent of any crime. I contend that he's a lying sack of pig dung who was guaranteed a get-out-of-jail-free card the minute he stepped down as Cheney's C.O.S., and that by exercising his unreviewable right to pardon guaranteed in Article II, Bush has made himself an accessory to obstruction of justice. Pure and simple, at least from my perspective. Your mileage will most likely vary.
I've heard quite a few cynical pundits over the last couple of days talking about how Bush did this to appease his "base". I've studied enough statistics to know that if his "base" really did agree with his commutation of Libby's sentence, the poll numbers concerning those who agree with Bush's decision would be closer to 25-30%, not 16%.
To say the least, the next few months are going to be interesting. I don't know about you, but I'm going to make some popcorn.
(On a technical note - New Blogger is part of the reason why we moved to our own WordPress installation on our own domain. Seriously, it's like being able to see colors after being colorblind for several years. There's a learning curve, but we recommend it heartily.)
Hope your 4th was a good day!
One thing is for sure, politics keep getting nastier, and I'm always surprised at far downhill we've come. I look foundly on the days of Tip O'Neil and Ronald Reagan sharing a drink and a laugh after work. I think those days are gone for good.
Bush 43 has lost his base, and hopefully, it'll serve as a reminder to future GOP Presidents not to forget to dance with the people who brung ya.
The Article II thing was why I have never really raised Cain about Clinton's pardons. It's done.
Ask me about Jury Nullification!
I have considered making the move as well, but I am far too busy to consider that right now.
Also, I am trying to work it into my schedule to show up at Drinking Liberally one night and have a conservative drink, and a liberal discussion.
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