Posted by
Tom G. on Tuesday, February 17, 2009 10:16:04 AM
President Bush failed in the final hours to right the miscarage of justice leveled upon Scooter Libby. While the President had commuted the sentence for Libby, he failed to finish the deal by Pardoning him. Libby was fined $250 Thousand dollars, sentenced to jail and was disbarred, imparing his ability to...
1) Provide for his family
2) Restore finacial stability becuase of all the monies spent to defend himself
3) Reclaim his good name
Scooter Libby's conviction was the by-product of a witch hunt targeted at the White House, but not finding any witches, became the fall-back position for an un-ethical prosecutor. Libby was convicted of Perjury, but not becuase he lied about the details of the case as it related to his violation of Law, rather because the prosecutor took one person's recollection over anothers.
Scooter Libby did not disclose the idenity of Mrs. Plame to Robert Novak, it was Under-Secretary of State Armitage.
Scooter Libby is perceived to be the villian when it is truly Mr. Fitzgerald, the Under-Secretary and the third person who was aware of who really leaked Mrs. Plame's name---Colin Powell. The effort to pick a member out of the Administration and prosecute was clearly pre-determined by Fitzgerald...since, long before he continued in his line of questioning with Libby. Fitzgerald, long knew of Libby's innocense, but ignored the real culprit and focused upon Libby in an effort to trip up Libby's story. The extra-ordinary efforts by which this prosecutor targeted the White House and in particular Scooter Libby is the story...but one too few know!
Colin Powell had the ability to stop this mallicious prosecution of Libby and chose to stay silent. Robert Novak, knew the truth, but was required to stay quiet. Richard Armitage, becuase of fear, had to stay silent...so the two players who could stop this distruction of an innocent person were...Fitzgerald and Powell.
Yet, the ultimate villian now is the person who had the unique power to turn back much of the pain hoisted upon Libby, the out going President who could have mitigated the damage by Pardoning Libby. By Pardoning him, he could help restore his ability to eventually practice law, the means of employment and security for he and his family. Vice President Cheney tried tirelessly to have the President Pardon Libby, but the President continually declined. The commutation of his sentence, by the President, was a good start--keeping him out of prison. However, the restoring of his Constitution rights and providing him the opportunity to regain his good name has been thwarted by the only person who could acheive this mission.
I have long held that George Bush was a mixed bag,...great on Terror, Good on the IRAQ War, less so Afghanistan, Good on Taxes, Good on Social issues, particularly LIFE and good on Judges (though not strong enough)...BUT...he was horrific on spending, poor on Government reach into our lives and poor on Financial Industry governance (not a simple issue)...but perhaps his worst standing is in the personal arena of standing up to Fitzgerald and the left on the Libby conviction.
President Bush failed to serve the American People and the Constitution by allowing this prosecution to stand!
President Bush will never stand in great favor with me, becuase he did not stand upon principle of a single man over that of an all too powerful government.
Libby is his defining moment