Libby Set To Win Pardon And Escape Jail Term - UK Telegraph

[WillyT]

Libby set to win pardon and escape jail term
By Toby Harnden in Washington
Last Updated: 1:57am GMT 08/03/2007

(Ok... it's a right-wing British rag, but...)

<snip>

A White House official said last night that there was a "strong expectation" that President George W Bush would pardon Lewis "Scooter" Libby, the disgraced aide.

The former chief of staff to Vice President Dick Cheney was found guilty of perjury and obstruction of justice on Tuesday in a case linked to the unmasking of a covert CIA operative. If the conviction is upheld, he is expected to be jailed for two years.

But an administration official said that it was highly unlikely that Libby would go to prison. "There's a lot of anger about the way Libby has been treated," he said.

"There's a strong expectation that if it comes to it, then the president will pardon him."

The official said that advisers to Mr Bush believed that Patrick Fitzgerald, the special prosecutor who charged Libby, had pursued a "political vendetta" against the White House and that no one had committed any crime.

<snip>

Link: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/03/08/wlibby08.xml

If this is to be believed... why is a WH official putting this out there now? Pimping the mantra of inevitability???

:mad:

[muntrv]

1. What part of "lying to a grand jury" and "obstructing justice" do these

jackoffs not understand?

[StClone]

5. Tip of Iceberg recap.

- Valerie Plame's covert i.d. was blown at Brewster Jennings & Associates, that's indisputable.

- Plame's life may have been endangered, career with CIA ended.

- Brewster Jennings & Associates, a 20 years as a front company was destroyed by BushCo's leak.

- CIA damaged, U.S. security operation lost.

Libby had a hand in this!

Now the jurors feel compassion for a member of the Bush gang because the worst guys (Rove, Cheney) are still free? What crap. No pardon! Zero compassion for Libby as we live with the result of Iraq War cost and death. You did your jobs jurors now quit quibbling with the fate of a guilty man. Live with your responsibility of being a peer!

[NYCGirl]

2. But then they say this:

"I don't think anything will happen yet, though. There's an appeal to come and perhaps Libby will get off then."

Libby is due to be sentenced in June but his defence team has said it will press for a retrial and, if that is denied, will appeal against his conviction. It could be close to the end of Mr Bush's second term in January 2009 before a jail sentence would begin.



There's not a named source in the article — it's just speculation to sell papers, IMO.

[Diane R]

3. Oh yeah. The fix is in.

[Whoa_Nelly]

4. Let's backtrack...Ashcroft recused himself. Fitzgerald was appointed.

Fitzgerald did the job he was appointed to do, and the WH is sorry for Libby.

No apology, no remorse to Plame, Wilson or the fact that outing Plame put many undercover operatives into jeopardy.

No apology, no remorse in lying to the US and the world at large about Saddam and WMD, and further placing our nation in jeopardy.


Those in the WH can go fuck themsleves. They already seem to be doing a great job of it.

[countmyvote4real]

6. There's also a lot of anger about the treatment of The Constitution

under the * regime.

They are daring the people to impeach them and the bluff must be called.