FRPLG
07-03-2007, 12:23 PM
Well, he was convicted of perjury, making false statements...and obstruction of justice. I find it hard to believe and very unlikely that a jury erred on all three counts after much deliberating and looking at all the evidence. Furthermore, the main players putting Libby on trial and handing down the sentencing were by and large Republicans. So one would, at least I would think, have to remove any political motivation for convicting him.
Additionally, Bush out of his own mouth said several months ago if anyone - anyone- is convicted in this case he would personally fire them. So what does he do, commute the dudes sentence instead.
For the record, it's the President's prerogative to excerise Executive Privilege, as far as I'm concerned. Every administration has had their share of questionable pardons or what have you. But the fact that this involved national security, there was evidence of White House involvement, and yet no one goes to jail, it just doesn't sit well with me.
Actually he was convicted on 4 counts, not 3. All stemming from one thing. His discussion with Russert.
The entire situation was simply bogus. To assert that politcs weren't the motivation here is absurd. Republicans didn't push this, Democrats did. If one looks at the case reasonably it really is very obvious that no one did anything illegal. Even Armitage didn't do anything illegal since Plame was not covered under the Shield laws. What sits badly with me is the millions of dollars spent persuing an investigation into a non-crime that by all appearances looks like a politcal hit job to catch someone in a "lie". Fitzgerald is a great prosecutor. It gives me shudders to think what he could pin on anyone when he can geta conviction on these types of counts when the only evidence is the testimony of one no less or more trustworthy source.
If he had really done something wrong then this conversation wouldn't even be going on. But it really seems very clear to me that he got screwed here. He took the fall for a non-crime that did not involve national security in any way. That is wrong.
Additionally, Bush out of his own mouth said several months ago if anyone - anyone- is convicted in this case he would personally fire them. So what does he do, commute the dudes sentence instead.
For the record, it's the President's prerogative to excerise Executive Privilege, as far as I'm concerned. Every administration has had their share of questionable pardons or what have you. But the fact that this involved national security, there was evidence of White House involvement, and yet no one goes to jail, it just doesn't sit well with me.
Actually he was convicted on 4 counts, not 3. All stemming from one thing. His discussion with Russert.
The entire situation was simply bogus. To assert that politcs weren't the motivation here is absurd. Republicans didn't push this, Democrats did. If one looks at the case reasonably it really is very obvious that no one did anything illegal. Even Armitage didn't do anything illegal since Plame was not covered under the Shield laws. What sits badly with me is the millions of dollars spent persuing an investigation into a non-crime that by all appearances looks like a politcal hit job to catch someone in a "lie". Fitzgerald is a great prosecutor. It gives me shudders to think what he could pin on anyone when he can geta conviction on these types of counts when the only evidence is the testimony of one no less or more trustworthy source.
If he had really done something wrong then this conversation wouldn't even be going on. But it really seems very clear to me that he got screwed here. He took the fall for a non-crime that did not involve national security in any way. That is wrong.