Tuesday, March 20, 2007 2:55 PM CDT
Column: Cheney like 然asputin,’ but right about idiocy of pulling out of Iraq
By Harry Reynolds, Editorial Page Editor
Charleston’s Jack Sanders Sr. stirred some JG/T-C online comment with his prediction in a letter published on this page Friday, March 16, that “Scooter” Libby would be pardoned by President Bush.
“Libby will stay out of prison on appeals until Bush is in his last days in office, at which time Bush will pardon him. And, there is not one thing the people of this country can do to prevent one criminal from pardoning another,” Sanders wrote.
I’m inclined to agree that Libby has a good chance of staying out of prison until the last days of the Bush administration. Bush could well exit the presidency with a pardon for Libby.
Frankly, I see nothing wrong with this. Presidents have that power. Since it is highly unlikely any occupant of that office will ever be stripped of it through an amendment to the Constitution, there’s no use getting indignant over its employment.
Besides, I think Libby has thrown himself in front of the judicial train to protect Vice President Dick Cheney, who over the years has evolved from a sensible human being into a modern day Rasputin.
Cheney lurks behind the throne, highly secretive, straight-out, hard-line on the war in Iraq and given sometimes to vindictiveness.
Having said all that, I still think the vice president’s right about the idiocy of unilaterally withdrawing from Iraq until that nation is stabilized, or setting a concrete deadline for withdrawing American forces.
As for Bush being a “criminal,” politics has degenerated to the point where if one does not agree with the policies of a president (Democratic or Republican), the trend is to label the fellow a criminal.
Within the confines of this column, I’m running my favorite snippets of the roughly 40 comments posted online.
-- Early Bird:
“It’s only speculation on my part, but I think this administration might fear that Libby could blow the whistle before going to jail, and a pardon may be the only way to get him to keep his mouth shut. Who knows, this thing could be a repeat of Watergate, and go all the way to the top guy again. A promise of a pardon would keep that from happening. Personally, I think Libby is being used as a patsy here, and the real culprit is Cheney, not Bush.”
-- Logical:
“First and foremost the Libby trial was a witch hunt. Can you remember what and why you talked to some particular person three years ago? Secondly, you can read the transcripts from the Plame hearing this week and Rep Waxman could also be prosecuted in court as he quoted the wrong executive order during his initial ramblings.”
n Nothing:
“This was a nothing story that only played out like it did because of the zeal of a federal prosecutor who knew LIbby was not guilty of the original supposed sin (Armitage did that); knew that Plame was not a covert agent (no matter how she tries to spin it); and all, especially the media, were hoping for higher targets in the administration. Instead we get one poor guy with a faulty memory convicted of perjury and one other guy, Joe Wilson, who we know lied (even the N.Y. Times admitted that) who is still being celebrated. A world turned upside down.”
-- gomez:
“Wait a minute, didn’t Clinton get it for perjury? all he ever said was that the public didn’t agree with was that he didn’t have sexual relations with that woman. I’m not minimizing, I’m only making a point.”
-- Libby Never Should Have Been On Trial:
“If anyone should have been on trial, it’s Joe Wilson. This entire fiasco is nothing but a fishing expedition to prove that Bush lied about prewar intelligence.”
-- TFH:
“To Libby shouldn’t have been on trial guy: Can you point to your sources on it being Joe Wilson that outed his wife and Fitzpatrick isn’t independent and unbiased? Libby lied under oath to a grand jury, same as Clinton (oops I invoked Clinton). Regardless of what the lie was, we need to take that serious. Who decides what lies are really bad and what ones are OK? As to Fitzpatrick, he really does seem to be an unbiased prosecutor, look at the investigations he’s leading here in Illinois. From George Ryan to Mayor Daley to Rod Blagojevich, and, yes, Scooter Libby.”
-- Answer:
“According to the CIA Valerie Plame was a covert agent. I continue to be amazed at the far right’s defense of a politically motivated abuse of power that harmed America’s national security. This administration is the most corrupt administration in American history, to defend them you must be blind.”
-- Where were all of you...:
“As the most unpopular, and probably most crooked VP since Agnew, Cheney is going to hang onto what little sense of decency he has left. Scooter should not have to go to jail for that reprobate, Cheney. I hope Bush does pardon him. Bush should go along with the pardon, but should insist Cheney resign immediately. I don’t see that happening, because I think Cheney dictates what happens in this administration. I really don’t think Bush has the #$%#s to stand up to him.”
-- Now come on answer:
“How dare you say the FBI knew more than our east central Illinois right wingers do. I doubt if the FBI guys sit glued to Fox News all day and night like these guys do. And never forget, Fox is fair and balanced. (hee hee)”
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