Bush and Scooter Libby
Bush's commutation of Scooter Libby's jail sentence isn't great politics primarily because Bush breathing, walking, combing his hair, or eating crackers is bad politics. Someone somewhere is going to make an oil or Nazi reference over anything Bush does. And the news media will do their typical "some say" with anything that Bush does. "Some sources say that Bush's jogging is an obvious proof that he is running scared over the fact that some members of his administration want him to resign over the latest scandal, where we learned Bush sometimes has a New York Steak instead of Texas grown Angus beef."
So, I'm not going to worry much about the politics of Bush's commutation of Libby's sentence. To me it just proves the repeated lesson of Bush's second term: every time Bush tries to compromise he sinks lower and lower and lower in public opinion. I mean, just pardon him already, at the least the base would have a minor reason to like you again after your train wreck of a 2nd term.
And of course, the Clinton's had the nerve to speak out against Bush's decision. As Tony Snow mentioned, that's some real chutzpah. Let's see: Bush let off an administration hack who was convicted of perjury before an independent prosecutor prosecuting a crime that...repeat after me: NEVER HAPPENED. Richard Armitage, a man who almost certainly is one of those unnamed sources journalist trotted out over the last five years criticizing Bush, was the source of the leak that was being investigated. Why wasn't HE prosecuted? One reason is that he certainly was not part of any White House conspiracy because at that point the White House knew Armitage couldn't be trusted. And there was another reason he wasn't prosecuted: because he probably didn't commit a crime. Valerie Plame was just so covert that everyone in the Washington Press corps knew she worked for the CIA. She was so covert that when Novak (the purported press source of the leak) didn't even say her name but mentioned that Wilson's wife worked at the CIA and and anyone with a copy of one of those Whose Who of famous people books, could thumb through to get her name. And the prosecutor knew Armitage was the leak before he even questioned Libby!! So, no crime was committed, yet Libby may have lied to a grand jury in an investigation that should have never happened. Don't get me wrong, if Libby did commit perjury, perjury is perjury. But, call me one who lives in the past if you must, but I think perjury in an investigation into a non-existent crime is at least on par with perjury committed by the sitting president in a sexual harassment trial. Though, I'd argue that perjury is perjury in the great scheme of things.
Of course, presidential pardons are like that. You are, by definition, letting off someone who was committed of a crime. So, its hard to be a law and order guy and then pardon ANYBODY. Of course, the idea that the Clinton's would criticize Bush over this is laughable and the way the liberal media is splitting hairs to make Bush look worse is just embarrassing. In Clinton's case, you have the wife of a wealthy tax evader (Marc Rich) that happens to be a staunch Clinton supporter and has given richly (yep, pun intended) to his campaign and then upped the ante by donating half a million dollars to Clinton's presidential library. And then Clinton pardon's her tax evading husband. Here's an exercise for you. Imagine if said tax evader was an oilman or a former exec at Halliburton and his wife gave richly to Bush's political machine. Just how apoplectic do you think Keith Olbermann would be? He'd frickin explode. You get the point. The idea that Clinton's pardon of Marc Rich is somehow less severe or inexcusable than Bush's pardon (i mean commutation) of Scooter Libby because Libby was an actual crony is simply grasping at straws to make Clinton's pardon seem OK.
Speaking of pardoning political cronies, why no mention of Susan McDougal*? She was pardoned as well as well by Clinton. And she was the very definition of a Clinton crony. She was even in jail because she was held in contempt of court for refusing to testify against...all together now...Bill Clinton. Yet, Bush is abusing the presidential pardon privilege by letting off a crony. PUHHHHLEEASE. I don't have a journalism degree from Columbia, but this doesn't take five seconds to cut through the B.S. that the Clinton's are giving out.
On a side note. I read tonight that Scooter Libby was actually Marc Rich's attorney. Jesus Christ! What a small corrupt world Washington DC is.
And in case I'm not clear, Bush should pardon Libby if he feels he was given a raw deal, not this half-ass get out of jail but still pay the wicked fine crap. Do I think Libby's sentence is a political miscarriage of justice? Kind of. But perjury is really perjury. Again, whether its in a B.S. criminal investigation or a sexual harassment lawsuit, its a crime.
*Links to Wikipedia are given with the full knowledge that topics that are remotely controversial will often not have the most accurate analysis.