(2007-06-06) — Just a day after former Vice Presidential aide I. Lewis ‘Scooter’ Libby was sentenced to 30 months in prison for lying to federal investigators in the CIA leak case, President George Bush ignored potentially-devastating political consequences today by issuing a full pardon to Richard Armitage, the unindicted former Deputy Secretary of State who actually leaked Valerie Plame’s name to the media.
Mr. Bush also pardoned columnist Bob Novak, who published the former CIA agent’s name and then withheld the identity of the leaker from prosecutors, along with Washington Post reporter Bob Woodward, who also knew Mr. Armitage leaked but failed to disclose the fact. The president said he’s still considering whether to pardon prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald, who also concealed Mr. Armitage’s name while continuing to question Mr. Libby.
White House sources say pardons could also be on tap for former Ambassador Joe Wilson, Ms. Plame’s husband, and the former spy herself. Although they also have not been charged, an unnamed source said, “The president is a bold man, who may not wait for the courts to render judgment before he dispenses mercy.”
Mr. Armitage, Mr. Novak, Mr. Woodward, Mr. Fitzgerald, Ms. Plame and Mr. Wilson remain at large.
36 responses so far ↓
1 Scott Ott // Jun 6, 2007 at 11:49 am
Bush Ignores Blowback for Libby Case Pardon…
Bush Ignores Blowback for Libby Case Pardon
by Scott Ott
(2007-06-06) — Just a day after former Vice Presidential aide I. Lewis
‘Scooter’ Libby was sentenced to 30 months in prison for lying to
federal investigators in the CIA leak ca…
2 Luke // Jun 6, 2007 at 12:30 pm
One word - Absolutely Brilliant. errrr,, ummm, make that two words.
3 diamond jim // Jun 6, 2007 at 1:27 pm
It’s so funny to hear reports about this referring to it as
“..the CIA leak case”. It’s really …lying about… the CIA leak case isn’t it…or is it? Who knows? Who cares?
How many people in this country could answer the question: “Why is Scooter Libby going to jail?”
4 JamesonLewis3rd // Jun 6, 2007 at 2:03 pm
“Bush Ignores Blowback…..”
Mr. Ott~~A True Masterpiece of a Title. Brilliant.
The Gold Standard by which all Titles will forever be measured.
Seriously.
5 woodnwheel // Jun 6, 2007 at 2:09 pm
Great job, Scott! The whole trial was a joke. I’d say that Fitzgerald should be investigated for making a case out of a non-case a la Mike Nifong (from the Duke lacrosse rape case) but that would probably just be a waste of taxpayers’ money.
6 diamond jim // Jun 6, 2007 at 2:15 pm
Remember D-Day and our fallen heroes
who gave so much for,
who are owed so much by,
and are remembered by so few of ,
our current population and “leaders”.
7 RedPepper // Jun 6, 2007 at 2:15 pm
Loyalty runs both ways.
President George Bush has received extraordinary loyalty from his supporters.
This case was never deserving of the importance that was put on it. Nonetheless, I believe that how President Bush now behaves in this matter will be enormously important to how he is judged in history.
8 JamesonLewis3rd // Jun 6, 2007 at 2:16 pm
RE: #3~~
diamond jim~~
Exactly.
Case!?! WHAT Case. We don-nee-no steen-k-een‘ CASE!?!!!
They just want to crumble the very fabric of the civilized world; everything else is secondary. And they’re not attacking in a civilized fashion-head-on; rather, like the mole in my yard that wouldn’t last 5 minutes above ground in the light of day, they attack the roots, they attack from behind and they leave destruction their wake.
9 JamesonLewis3rd // Jun 6, 2007 at 2:18 pm
RE: #7~~
RedPepper~~
Hear-hear.
10 JamesonLewis3rd // Jun 6, 2007 at 2:34 pm
I apologize for the wreckless omission of the word “in”.
11 onlineanalyst // Jun 6, 2007 at 3:05 pm
Throw Colin Powell into that mix, too. Everyone forgets his role in protecting Armitage when Powell knew who the leaker was.
The irony is that Libby saved Armitage’s bacon on a pro bono basis once upon a time.
Walton assigned an excessive jail term to Libby, beyond the federal guidelines, and last that I heard he wants the incarceration to begin immediately. He allowed Fitzfong to get away with several stunts during the trial summation and in the pre-sentencing hearing.
I hope that Libby, who was railroaded, has his day in court through his appeal and counter-sues those who hung him out to dry with their equally faulty memories.
Who will have the backbone to charge Plame with perjury for her three different stories (under oath) in the Waxman kangaroo court hearing?
Much as I think that Libby is innocent of all charges, a pardon by the president would fix in people’s minds that Libby was guilty.
Did you read Clarice Feldman’s pre-sentencing column in The American Thinker? Towards the end of it, she spells out the irregularities of the whole farcical trial. Libby had a lot of national security issues on his plate at the time to be worried about a lightweight like Plame. Her “cover” was blown way back when she made a contribution to the Gore campaign, using Brewster Jennings letterhead.
12 Tinman // Jun 6, 2007 at 3:16 pm
Bush is Blowing a perfect opportunity by not pardoning Libby 3 seconds after the sentence was announced. He missed the same apportunity with Ramos and Campeon.
13 boberinyetagain // Jun 6, 2007 at 3:39 pm
14 conserve-a-tips // Jun 6, 2007 at 3:58 pm
Something very wierd is going on with the Bush administration. I can feel it in my bones. Is the Republican party going backwards to the blueblood elites of yesteryear and abandoning the Reagan conservatives? If so, it’s time for a third party.
15 Ms RightWing, Ink // Jun 6, 2007 at 4:03 pm
Maggie
From previous page. I hope to make it to the Fest. The heart is willing, as is the body, but being a rich Republican I may have to go spend the weekend with the queen.
I’ll get my 60’s hitchiking thumb all greased up
16 conserve-a-tips // Jun 6, 2007 at 4:05 pm
BTW, did anybody else read the article announcing that the immigration bill had “survived a potentially fatal challenge on Wednesday when the Senate turned back a Republican bid to limit the illegal immigrants who could gain lawful status.”?
Do you want to know what constitutes a potentially fatal challenge????? Well, I’ll tell you anyway. It was an ammendment by Texas senator Cornyn that would keep any illegal convicted felons or any illegals who had been ordered deported from receiving amnesty along with everybody else - and it failed!!!! These traitors in Washington have got to go. They are totally out of their
mindstreesgourds.17 Darthmeister // Jun 6, 2007 at 4:21 pm
What a sham. But does Libby going to jail on the basis of he-said-I-said testimony in a case where no crime was apparently committed (otherwise Dick Armitage would be going to prison) mean Bill Clinton is going to eventually get tossed in the clink for bald-faced lying to a federal judge AND a grand jury?
Oh, silly me, I forgot, Clinton isn’t a Republican! He, like Sandy Burglar (who literally stole and destroyed national security documents), were issued a Stay Out of Jail card the moment they joined the Demoncrap Party! Ain’t the liberal justice system simply grand?
And Diane Feinstein won’t be held accountable for sending billions of dollars worth of contracts to at least two defense contractors largely controlled by her own husband! And all we hear from the lamestream media and the leftards is Cheney/Halliburton, Cheney/Halliburton, Cheney/Halliburton ad nauseam when absolutely no quid pro quo link has ever been found.
Harry Reid is another Democratic untouchable even with his corrupt land deals and having also masterminded or sponsored legislation which sent millions of dollars benefitting businesses and business associates of his four sons.
And I bet William Jefferson (D-Moon) will eventually walk despite being videotaped accepting bribes totalling over $400,000! Can’t deprive New Orleans of one of its most accomplished Democratic representative now can we?
18 Maggie // Jun 6, 2007 at 4:33 pm
Darth,
Let me explain .You see, there are two Americas:one for the law abiding citizens and one for the Liberals.
19 Darthmeister // Jun 6, 2007 at 4:44 pm
Yeah, that makes sense, Maggie, particularly given what we have been witnessing the last few years.
BTW, check out that chickenhawk FDR’s D-Day prayer I posted on the previous thread. Just like one of these out-of-the-mainstream reich-wing religionists to violate the separation of Church and State clause which the atheist founding fathers specifically wrote into the U.S. Constitution to keep such maudlin religiosity from being forced down the throats of Americans’. And President Roosevelt had secretly sent their sons to the their deaths by the hundreds of thousands fighting in yet another European war! He didn’t even bother to first tell the New York Times before the Normandy bloodbath! Talk about adding insult to injury!
20 DrivebyMeteor // Jun 6, 2007 at 4:48 pm
Tch, tch. Hold Plame accountable for her self-serving tales? Hold Clinton accountable for lying to a grand jury? !
Democrats can’t commit perjury . . . any more than blacks can be racists! Any more than liberals can be sexist! Any more than Jimmy Carter can be an anti-Semite!
Some people just don’t get it . . .
21 Fred Sinclair // Jun 6, 2007 at 4:58 pm
WHERE’S THE FENCE?
Heirborn Ranger
22 onlineanalyst // Jun 6, 2007 at 5:36 pm
Fred: The Tedster has made it clear that we don’t need a fence because his shamnesty bill intends to leave no felon behind.
Darth: You missed one. This story about the Clinton connections with Vinod Gupta’s InfoUSA has been cooking for a while, and now the web of profiteers is growing since Nanny (Culture of Corruption) Pulloutsy’s son, Paul Jr.,also is a beneficiary of Gupta’s bounty.
Any bets whether Madame Hillary is using this data base for her campaign…or for other nefarious purposes?
23 Shelly // Jun 6, 2007 at 6:06 pm
For all the people claiming that this bill isn’t amnesty, can someone explain how not holding convicted felons to a slightly more stringent standard is not amnesty?
These idiots don’t get it. I’m so tired of elites acting like we have only two choices - this bill or deporting 12 million people. How dumb they must think we are to buy that there aren’t any other options. Apparently we are beginning to get their attention, though. Reid is no longer sure he has enough votes for cloture.
Build the fence, employ the technology, adequately staff the border patrol and then we’ll talk. Americans are not uncompassionate, especially when it comes to the non-felons, non-gang members, and non-terrorists the U.S. Senate holds on the same level as the felons, gang members and terrorists. They can’t understand the outcry of the public, but we’re the dumb ones. Rich.
24 camojack // Jun 6, 2007 at 6:10 pm
If only, huh?
25 JamesonLewis3rd // Jun 6, 2007 at 6:57 pm
I’m going mad, I must be; there can be no other explanation.
26 Fred Sinclair // Jun 6, 2007 at 7:56 pm
If only, huh? If only I had some of Gates billions, I’d make a movie of Scooter’s ordeal. I’d get Steven Seagal to play Scooter who would refuse George’s pardon the day he (George) left office.
He would serve out the full sentence and upon release, strange happenings would begin to occur, in and around the beltway. After the first few strange happenings, Patrick Fitzgerald and Armitage would run away to an undisclosed hidey hole in an unnamed South American country. Seagal would spend the rest of the movie tracking them down for the final two strange happenings.
But in reality Scooter has never harmed anyone so the movie would be out of character for him. Have to change names, dates and places. (”Any resemblance to persons,,,,,purely coincidental”)
Heirborn Ranger
27 Fred Sinclair // Jun 6, 2007 at 8:00 pm
Got to hand it to these Georgia boys, they DO have a sense of humor.
Air Traffic Control down “South” in Atlanta, Georgia.,
Atlanta ATC: “Atlanta Center to Saudi Air 911. You are cleared to land eastbound on runway 9R.”
Saudi Air: “Thank you Atlanta Center. Acknowledged, cleared to land on Infidel’s runway 9R. Allah be Praised.”
Atlanta ATC: “Atlanta Center to Iran Air 515. You are cleared to land westbound on runway 27L.”
Iran Air: “Thank you Atlanta Center. We are cleared to land on Infidel’s runway 27L. Allah is Great.”
Pause: STATIC………………….
Saudi Air: “ATLANTA CENTER - ATLANTA CENTER”
Atlanta ATC: “Go ahead Saudi Air 911.”
Saudi Air: “YOU HAVE CLEARED BOTH OUR AIRCRAFT FOR THE SAME RUNWAY GOING IN OPPOSITE DIRECTIONS.WE ARE ON A COLLISION COURSE. INSTRUCTIONS, PLEASE!”
Atlanta ATC: “Well bless your hearts and praise Jesus. Y’all be careful now and tell Allah “hey” for us — ya hear.”
28 Darthmeister // Jun 6, 2007 at 10:26 pm
JL3rd,
Yep, Eurabia is on the march. All these “liberated”, progressive, cosmopolitan pointy-heads here and in Europe will make the perfect dhimmies. Of course they may have the good fortune of dying of natural causes before seeing their children or grandchildren paying the jizyah tax, so they can afford to be in denial. So why would they care if their descendants curse them for their feckless cowardice in not defeating Islamic fascism when they had the chance?
Given that liberals have convinced western peoples that abortion is legitimate and having many children is not only a potential drain on the world’s resources but can lower one’s standard of living, the Muslim is quickly outbreeding western peoples or immigrating en mass with little desire to assimilate and adopt more civilized and libertine views. It’s strictly a question of will, ideology and demographics, not bigotry.
29 Laughing@You // Jun 6, 2007 at 11:24 pm
Say, the world really dislikes Der Dumbyah, don’t it?
“I forgot”; what color ribbons for Scooter?
“If you do da crime, you gotta do da time”! All the do da day.
Wolfowitz says if “Scooter” had never met him, “Scooter” would never have been in trouble. Oh, but there are so many who could say that about Wolfer.
30 JanetMae // Jun 6, 2007 at 11:43 pm
Quite apropos, but you left out Russert!
31 Hawkeye // Jun 7, 2007 at 6:41 am
Mr. Armitage, Mr. Novak, Mr. Woodward, Mr. Fitzgerald, Ms. Plame and Mr. Wilson remain at large.
That line still cracks me up every time I read it. Thanks for brightening my day Scott.
32 rightlinx.com » Blog Archive » Laugh Links - With Open Trackbacks! // Jun 8, 2007 at 12:58 am
[...] Scrappleface reports Bush Ignores Blowback For Libby Case Pardon! [...]
33 angus the scot // Jun 8, 2007 at 5:36 pm
How about a pardon for Paris…France that is!
Hilton, dragged out of the court room!
34 angus the scot // Jun 8, 2007 at 5:41 pm
Did I remember to tell you guys I got married January 27th this year.
Long time single, since the last ended in December, 1984.
Going on Vacation this coming weekhave fun blogging ya’ll.
nick j.
35 Beerme // Jun 8, 2007 at 7:24 pm
Congrats, Angus!
Oh, and MsRW, perhaps Fred and I could swing by the bunker on the way. We could save your thumb all that work!
36 nomoregore // Jun 16, 2007 at 8:28 pm
Shouldn’t he also pardon Sandy Burglar and Spooge-Bill No-Pants while he’s at it?
You must log in to post a comment.