Bush strikes again

The doofus-in-chief has again displayed his utter contempt for the rule of law by commuting the sentence of Dick Cheney’s former chief of staff, I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby. This came as a total surprise, since everyone expected Bush to pardon Libby outright.

George Bush, the world-renowned legal expert, said in his statement:

I respect the jury's verdict. But I have concluded that the prison sentence given to Mr. Libby is excessive. Therefore, I am commuting the portion of Mr. Libby's sentence that required him to spend 30 months in prison.

Legal Eagle George says Libby is still being punished, yesiree:

My decision to commute his prison sentence leaves in place a harsh punishment for Mr. Libby. The reputation he gained through his years of public service and professional work in the legal community is forever damaged. His wife and young children have also suffered immensely. He will remain on probation. The significant fines imposed by the judge will remain in effect. The consequences of his felony conviction on his former life as a lawyer, public servant and private citizen will be long-lasting.

Fine? What fine? Fatcat Republican Party donors will pay that off with pocket change. Reputation damaged? Not with the right wing, who consider Libby’s falling on his sword to protect Cheney and the Administration to be a mark of high honour, one that will be rewarded with a lucrative job with some well-connected company or lobbying firm. Libby, in other words, is getting off.

Bush’s action is all spin: Letting Libby off completely, without removing the actual conviction as a pardon would have done. He’s trying to have it both ways.

We will probably never know the full extent of the criminality in this case. Libby’s silence is bought and paid for, and the other guilty parties are hardly likely to confess. In an administration that thinks that sending official email via third-party email servers at the Republican National Committee so that no copies are kept is a sensible and legitimate thing to do, and with a Vice President who thinks he’s not part of the Executive Branch, and therefore above scrutiny, what likelihood is there that even the most diligent Special Prosecutor—or US House Judiciary Committee—will ever find the smoking gun?

Remind me again: How long is it until this crowd is gone? And, why again is it that they haven’t been impeached?