Remember 'Goodfellas?'...

[misanthrope]

...Remember when Henry Hill kept his mouth shut, took his conviction and sentence then reaped the benefits afterward?

The worst case scenario for Scooter Libby looks a lot like that. IF he happened to do time, it would be in the cushiest of choices for that scenario and when he was sprung, the members of his crime family would welcome him with open arms. Libby would be better off for it and the right wing would make sure he reaped his fortune as a result.

Thing is, Libby will never serve the first day of any sentence. This administration has showed its contempt for the rule of law over and over and over again. They won't hesitate to pardon Scooter. It might come next month. It might come while we're bombing Iran. It might come after his lawyers tie the entire process up in court for over a year.

Ironic that an administration which has sought to rob due process from its citizenry--a group from which our nation's founding document claims the government derives its power--now will use that same process to obfuscate, delay and protect its own transgressions.

[robinlynne]

1. yep.

[derby378]

2. And if that happens...

...it's open season on the Bush administration. Let's force them into a "Saturday Night Massacre" scenario - it'll make the downfall of the House of Bush that much easier.

[Harmonicaman]

3. At the end of a presidential term

The president can issue pardons, is that correct ?

If so, No suprises who's gonna be on that list

[misanthrope]

7. That decision won't be made at that time...

...in fact, it has most likely already been made but no doubt will be reached at any time in the next two years.

[spanone]

4. then again, Libby could flip!

[misanthrope]

9. Keeping with the analogy...

...Remember what it took to get Henry Hill to "finger" Paulie and the others?

Hill was facing hard time outside the protection of the family. Paulie had warned him specifically not to do what he was busted for and Hill was in as much trouble with the wise guys as the law. He flipped because he was scared of the family more than the feds.

Scooter isn't in the same hot water with his crime family. In fact, he has done exactly what he was asked to do.

[Poiuyt]

5. I figure that Cheney and company will take care of Libby's family while he's

in the Big House.

[misanthrope]

8. In the parlance of the genre...

..They'll get a "boost."

[BlueManDude]

6. Scooter wil get a nice holiday present from Bush in Dec. 2008.

[Canuckistanian]

10. It'll be interesting to see if loyalty is a two-way street

Libby can't do anything for them any more. Will they really help him by giving him a politically explosive pardon?

The whole purpose of a fall guy is to let him take the heat while you escape unscathed.

[misanthrope]

12. If they feel it's in their best interests...

...they'll do whatever they damn well please and not worry what anyone thinks about it. That's what they've done to date.

Scooter was the fall guy because he was used as the decoy to keep attention from others while they muddied the waters. He provided cover.

The thing the administration will watch is whether Libby's imminent jail time could be used against him. If someone tries to scare him so he'll "flip" to lessen his sentence, then the administration will be concerned. That will be where the pardon is useful.

However, you know Scooter's not going to hard-core prison but Club Fed instead. If they want him to flip, they'll have to convince him he's going to the same joint reserved for the hoi polloi and he'll end up as somebody's "bitch."

[Canuckistanian]

13. Look at who they've dumped already

-"Heckuva Job" Michael Brown

-"Batshit Crazy" Katherine Harris

-Colin Powell

-George Tenet

All Bush loyalists at one time, some going above and beyond the call of duty in order to give Bush power and keep him in power.

Where are they now?

[Bronyraurus]

11. "Bye bye, dickhead"

"See ya in Attica, dick."

[librechik]

14. isn't he in his sixties?

that's hard time.