Has Bush bought Libby’s silence?
According to the Times writeup of this disgusting turn of events, Bush decided that the sentence was too harsh. The Times quoted him as saying, “I respect the jury’s verdict, But I have concluded that the prison sentence given to Mr. Libby is excessive.” Respect? Dubya hasn’t shown respect for the law since he was arrested for drunk driving, and that was YEARS ago. And his actions showing he thinks that he and his administration are above the law tell us he still hasn’t grown up.
Those who’ve been following the issues surrounding Libby’s conviction know that the commutation of Libby’s sentence was a carefully considered ploy designed to accomplish a few things. First and foremost, it may be enough to buy Libby’s silence re the lies told to the American People by the Bush Administration in the buildup to the Iraq war. Secondly, it appeases the Republicans who alluva sudden are once again asshole buddies with Bush in a time when his approval rating was in the basement. Third, it’s political sleight of hand that once again takes the focus of the press off the ongoing deaths of our soldiers in Iraq and the issuing of subpoenas to members of the Bush Administration. Fourth, it’s also a slapdown to Dems who issued the recent subpoenas, and definitely sets the stage for a battle between Bush and Congress.
This commutation comes on the heels of the subpoenas that were issued to members of the Bush administration re the Illegal Wiretapping by the NSA at the behest of the Bush Administration. Subpoenas were also issued to Bush staffers in the firing of US Attorneys on Wednesday. The Bush Administration abused Executive Privilege in refusing to comply with the Congressional Subpoenas in both cases, which has set the stage for a showdown between Bush and Congress. According to a NY Times op ed piece, “The courts have recognized a president’s limited right to keep the White House’s internal deliberations private. But it is far from an absolute right, and Mr. Bush’s claim of executive privilege in the attorneys scandal is especially ludicrous. The White House has said repeatedly that Mr. Bush was not involved in the firings of nine United States attorneys. If that’s true, he can hardly argue that he has the right to conceal conversations and e-mail exchanges that his aides had with one another and the Justice Department . . . Nor can it be used to shield an official who might have lied to Congress. The Senate Judiciary Committee has asked the Justice Department to investigate Brett Kavanaugh, a former White House official who told a Senate hearing on his appointment to a federal judgeship that he was not involved in forming rules on the treatment of detainees. Recent press accounts suggest that he was.”
What’s it gonna take to get Congress talking Impeachment? Enough is enough.
Technorati Tags: Bush and Libby, Subpoenas to Bush Administration, Wiretapping, DOJ firings, Impeach Bush
