The president claims Libby's 30-month sentence was and is "excessive. But he has given no reasons why he thinks that. The length of the sentence is within the federal sentencing guidelines. Libby was convicted of perjury, obstruction of justice and lying to the FBI after a jury trial in federal district court. So why does Mr. Bush think the sentence is "excessive"?
Could it be that the 30 months is really not excessive, but that Bush wants to keep Libby silent about the involvement in leaking Valerie Plame's CIA status by Bush himself and Cheney? In other words, Bush's commutation of Libby's jail time is just "hush money" to prevent Libby from implicating the president and vice president in the sordid affair of extracting retribution from Joseph Wilson for reporting that Saddam had not purchased yellowcake from Africa, as Bush falsely claimed in the run-up toward the war.
So Bush's campaign promise of making the White House a place of pride for Americans has become just another hollow campaign slogan. Because with Bush's White House, we have a president and staff that thinks nothing of violating the rule of law by demonstrating that federal sentencing guidelines apply only to the little guys who commit crimes, but do not apply to Libby and the rest of Bush's friends. The latter can do anything they want, notwithstanding any laws to the contrary, because they know that they will receive a commutation or pardon from Bush in the end.
Could it be that the 30 months is really not excessive, but that Bush wants to keep Libby silent about the involvement in leaking Valerie Plame's CIA status by Bush himself and Cheney? In other words, Bush's commutation of Libby's jail time is just "hush money" to prevent Libby from implicating the president and vice president in the sordid affair of extracting retribution from Joseph Wilson for reporting that Saddam had not purchased yellowcake from Africa, as Bush falsely claimed in the run-up toward the war.
So Bush's campaign promise of making the White House a place of pride for Americans has become just another hollow campaign slogan. Because with Bush's White House, we have a president and staff that thinks nothing of violating the rule of law by demonstrating that federal sentencing guidelines apply only to the little guys who commit crimes, but do not apply to Libby and the rest of Bush's friends. The latter can do anything they want, notwithstanding any laws to the contrary, because they know that they will receive a commutation or pardon from Bush in the end.
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