Paris Hilton did more time than Scooter Libby.
There’s more all over the place: NewMexiKen has some choice nuggets here and here (the Glen Greenwald post is exemplary, of course).
Steve Benen is the man though (via Ezra):
George W. Bush was once asked, after presiding over the executions of over 152 Texans, about his reluctance to issue pardons and/or commute sentences. “I don’t believe my role is to replace the verdict of a jury with my own,†Bush said, “unless there are new facts or evidence of which a jury was unaware.â€
He neglected to add, “Or unless he’s a politically important friend of mine.â€
The president’s decision to commute Scooter Libby’s sentence is truly contemptuous. A former senior Bush administration official recently said, “It would show a deep disregard for the rule of law if [the president] was to do it right now, when there has been no remorse shown by a convicted felon and no time has been served.†That was in regard to a pardon, which may still be forthcoming, but the same principle applies.
Atrios is also spot on:
I’m going to be mad tomorrow. I’m going to be mad tomorrow that the elite media (except Keith) won’t point out that Bush’s commutation of Scooter’s sentence is essentially obstruction of justice. I’ll be mad because that concept was regularly inserted into the narrative during the Clinton days.
Mostly I’ll be mad because I have yet to see a prominent Democrat put the phrase “obstruction of justice” out there in relation to this. So perhaps my anger at the media is misplaced.
Richard
Let us not forget that (and please correct me if I am wrong):
President Clinton pardoned Henry Cisneros, Sect. of Housing & Urban Development, who was indicted on 18 counts of conspiracy, false statements, obstruction of justice, and pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI, and maybe some more things … why has everyone forgotten that? This guy was a Secretary, for gosh sakes.
President Clinton pardoned a guy named Mark Rich whose spouse donated $400,000 to the Clinton Library …
President Clinton pardoned 16 members of a Puerto Rican terrorist group too — the allegation at the time was that he did it to improve his wife’s chances of getting the Puerto Rican vote when she ran for Senate.
And I seem to remember something like 140 other outright pardons as President Clinton left office…
And so, I am puzzled by all this outrage over one Scooter.
Avelino Maestas
Richard,
I imagine it’s because this ties in with the lead up to the war in Iraq, and the lies told to the American people; because it’s the vice president’s former chief of staff; because Republicans will bitch and moan and holler and fuss that Democrats are not tough enough on crime, or that judges don’t impose mandatory sentences, but when it’s the President’s buddy all bets are off; because Scooter was a convicted felon (!); because questions remain about whether Bush did it to keep Libby quiet about something; finally, because every Republican in the country will explain away every single Bush screw up and mistake by saying Clinton did it first.
Yeah, Clinton abused the power too, but that doesn’t make what Bush did any better.
Richard
“Lies told to the American people.” I love that line. Should I refresh the memory of what Senator Clinton said about Iraq, leading up to the war? They make for fascinating reading.
So if president Bush said Iraq had WOL, it is a lie; but if Sen. Clinton says it, it is not?
I return to my position that there is a duble standard here.
Avelino Maestas
Again, Richard, you’re trying to deflect attention away from Bush. Let’s not discuss the root issue here: somebody named Clinton MUST have done SOMETHING wrong! Let’s focus on that instead!
Still, one has to applaud your loyalty: right now, he’s just a bit more popular than Nixon:
Richard
Avelino:
No. I have not made myself clear. My mistake. My real message here is the double standard, especially among the news media. Especially. And unquestionably.
Here is my predication — see if it comes true.
Presuming a Demcoratic president is elected next. I predict that — overnight — the media will report the economy is booming; the world loves us; and the war in Iraq — if still continuing — will suddently be going very well.
But it will still be the same economy, the same world, and the same war.
See if I am wrong.
Double standard.
Avelino Maestas
Richard,
That’s the main thrust of my first response here: Bush’s hypocrisy, and the double-standard he applies to his friends: