Scooter gets 30 months

[Wulfran]

http://www.cnn.com/2007/POLITICS/06/05/ ... index.html

Like the title says, he gets 30 months in jail and a $250K fine.

OK I'm not an American but I was taken aback by this. We've had our own corruption scandals etc up here but usually you don't see much for jailtime, especially to politicians and their aides. My question is will Bush pardon him? My cynicism says "yes" but part of me wonders if the Republican Party would use as much leverage as they can to stop Bush from doing so and generating more anti-Republican sentiment/resentment with the electorate. Or does the public see Libby as a victim of the partisan witch-hunts that go back and forth in Washington?

[Fash]

30 months for lying about being part of revealing the name of a hot desk jockey at the cia?...

You do realize this Plame chick didn't need to be covert, wasn't on an operation, and wasn't in any danger what-so-ever... she was however recommending her husband for intelligence positions, which he used to bash the administration based on one situation. He basically played a role in intelligence gathering, didn't like the decision that was made, and had the power to put his personal opinion in the new york times.

It's all a big joke to her and her husband, and almost everyone else.

It's like trying impeachment for lying about a blowjob.. there was no net impact here.

I think Bush will wait to pardon him before he leaves... I think he should be pardoned immediately.

[Nick]

Maybe you should bother to educate yourself on the fucking case before making an absolute idiot of yourself by spouting right wing blog bullshit i.e. "Desk jockey" - before posting again.

[Fash]

There's quite a bit of evidence around that her cover was very poor going back to the mid 90's and anyone who took the time to look into her background would have discovered she was not what she was representing. She also mostly posed as a business analyst or a student in Europe. At the time of the Novak article, she was not in any danger... so my point remains, i see no net impact.

[Xatrei]

Newsflash: Libby wasn't charged with blowing Plame's cover. He was charged with, and ultimately convicted of obstruction of justice and perjury. You're fixating on her operational status, or lack thereof, within the CIA which is irrelevant to the criminal case against Libby.

[Xyun]

There's quite a bit of evidence around that her cover was very poor going back to the mid 90's and anyone who took the time to look into her background would have discovered she was not what she was representing. She also mostly posed as a business analyst or a student in Europe. At the time of the Novak article, she was not in any danger... so my point remains, i see no net impact.

nonetheless, she was classified as covert and her cover was blown. Are you saying it is ok to expose anyone who is classified as covert for political reasons, just so long as their life is not in danger at the time that you blow their cover? Your argument boils down to the politics of your party are more important than keeping the identity of our secret agents secret.

Wow. I thought you were an american, but apparently, you are a traitor and a terrorist.

[Fash]

It was unintentionally leaked by Richard Armitage in an offhand comment, he had no idea what he had just done.

I'm not saying it's ok to out covert agents, I'm saying this guy doesn't deserve 30 months in prison.

[Jice Virago]

Thirty Months and a fine are pretty stiff for Perjury and Obstruction, even in a Grand Jury, but he chose to fall on his sword for the real guilty parties (not Armitage, but Rove and Cheney who wanted to fuck over their enemies, Nixon style) so thats the price of loyalty to party.

[Xatrei]

Thirty Months and a fine are pretty stiff for Perjury and Obstruction, even in a Grand Jury, but he chose to fall on his sword for the real guilty parties (not Armitage, but Rove and Cheney who wanted to fuck over their enemies, Nixon style) so thats the price of loyalty to party.

I agree that the sentence given to him is a bit over the top, and I wouldn't be surprised to see the sentence reduced on appeal - if things get that far. I think that he got hammered so hard because he showed no remorse for his actions. I was simply pointing out to the reality impaired that his conviction had nothing to do with his role, if any, in the actual outing of Plame only his deceitfulness and effort to obstruct an investigation into the matter. He was charged with and convicted for obstruction of justice and perjury. Unfortunately for him, he was left holding the bag for his masters, and will pay the price as their fall guy.

If this judge doesn't allow Libby to remain out of prison during the appeal process, I expect Bush will change his tune on interfering with this process, and a pardon will be forthcoming.

[masteen]

Don't you mean 6 months? Everyone knows his name is on the top of Dubya's outgoing pardon list.

[Animalor]

Bush is going to wait for the juducial process to run it's course before doing anything. This means appeals etc..

If it doesn't wrap up before the end of his term, then I expect a pardon in his last day or two in office(or directly after the next elections, whichever will hurt the republicans less).

[Xatrei]

Bush is going to wait for the juducial process to run it's course before doing anything. This means appeals etc..

If it doesn't wrap up before the end of his term, then I expect a pardon in his last day or two in office(or directly after the next elections, whichever will hurt the republicans less).

That's what Bush's spokespeople say, but I predict that position will change rapidly if Libby is not allowed to remain out on bail during the appeals process. If the judge orders him to report to prison within 60 days as most people expect him to, Bush will be under great pressure from those close to him to act sooner rather than later. This would be especially true if there are low expectations for a successful appeal.

[masteen]

It doesn't matter if the appeal is successful or not, as long as it's fast.

[Winnow]

The NBA commissioner should have the power to pardon. It would have come in handy during the Suns/Spurs series...oh wait, he probably does have the power and the jackass still didn't do anything.

Hard to get things done in the U.S. government when presidents hold veto power and can pardon whoever they choose.

[Deward]

Pardoning him now would likely not hurt the republicans at all. Everyone with two beans for brains knows that Bush and Cheney are crooks out on their own. They have been disowned by most of the current Republican candidates that matter. I bet he gets pardoned the day before he goes to jail or the day before Bush's term expires. Clinton had a whole list of flunkies that he pardoned right at the end.

[Boogahz]

Maybe you should bother to educate yourself on the fucking case before making an absolute idiot of yourself by spouting right wing blog bullshit i.e. "Desk jockey" - before posting again.

Do you know what he was actually found guilty of?

[Avestan]

Thirty Months and a fine are pretty stiff for Perjury and Obstruction, even in a Grand Jury, but he chose to fall on his sword for the real guilty parties (not Armitage, but Rove and Cheney who wanted to fuck over their enemies, Nixon style) so thats the price of loyalty to party.

If there was a shred of evidence that this was true, it would have been pursued further. Every piece of news does not revolve around a conspiracy.

[Jice Virago]

It's not what you know, but what you can prove. Lets face it. If MC Rove can delete all of his email, servers and backups included, over the AG scandal and not get so much as charged with Obstruction of Justice, then a simple prosecuter like Fitzgerald stood no fucking chance of nailing him (much less Cheney) with anything. Remember that what finally nailed Nixon was getting caught covering shit up, not the actual shit he was kicking dirt over. Honestly, there is plenty of evidence, but there is more important shit going on right now.

[Nick]

Unfortunately, Libby is just the patsy, so nothings really been achieved here.