Libby Convicted
Cheney's former cheif of staff has been convicted on 4 of 5 counts.
As is usually the case in these types of trials, it is the effort to cover up one's actions that buries them. Whether revealing Plame's identity was legal or not, the point is that at the time they thought what they were doing was illegal, and they committed crimes trying to hide what they did.
If he gets more than 3 to 5 I'll be surprised.
As is usually the case in these types of trials, it is the effort to cover up one's actions that buries them. Whether revealing Plame's identity was legal or not, the point is that at the time they thought what they were doing was illegal, and they committed crimes trying to hide what they did.
If he gets more than 3 to 5 I'll be surprised.
posted by Praguetwin at
6:24 PM
12 Comments:
I doubt if Libby will serve much (or any) time. But the trial and the verdict (and Libby is planning to appeal) will keep the Iraq controversy in the headlines for a long time. How did we get deceived into invading a country that wasn't a threat to us, and why were Bush/Cheney so ruthless toward anyone who provided conflicting information? These questions will be more prominent than ever.
There must be some sort of unwritten law that the more you try to cover something up, the more you're pushing yourself into the spotlight.
By
Anonymous, at 8:48 PM
This is a good point, Tom.
I think if you put this together with the firings of the U.S. attorneys, it paints quite a bleak, cynical picture of an authoritarian regime.
I think he will do time though. Not much, but some.
By
Praguetwin, at 10:01 PM
18-24 months. But he'll not serve. If they can't delay the jail term until after November '08, then they'll be forced to pardon him and take the political hit. And they'll do that. Scooter's a loyal man, but only if he's not going to have to do any time.
By
Reality-Based Educator, at 3:11 AM
reality-based educator's right 18-24 months, but I'm sure they will find a way to delay having to pardon him until after the elections.
By
Frederick, at 3:43 AM
The more I learn about American democracy and the way it is functioning, or not functioning, the more I am astonished it's reluctance to be countable to the bosses, the people. As adverticed, yours is the society based on laws but the reality has been something totally different lately. Even the belief that you all are equal under the law doesn't seem to exist among you. Did I get this right?
By
Anonymous, at 10:56 AM
You assume that they thought they were committing a crime by mentioning Joe Wilson's wife's employment, but by the time the interviews occurred followed by the Grang Jury, it was common knowledge that Plame had mot be covert in the 5 years prior, an element of the only realistic crime to be charged. I never got why Libby was lying. I'll be surprised if he does a day. His dad pardoned Cap Weinberger. Your commenters seem to be unaware of the serial lies of Joe Wilson, More fools they. Clinton fired every single US Attorney when he became President--cynical picture of an authoritarian regime?
By
Roger Fraley, at 4:04 PM
Mr.Fraley seems to be pointing also out that nothing fundamentally changes in America with the regime change. Everything tends to go to support my hunch about the dysfunctionality of your political processes.
By
Anonymous, at 9:05 PM
If he gets more than 3 to 5 I'll be surprised.
I agree with R-bE, if he doesn't get pardoned, I'll be surprised.
By
Anonymous, at 4:52 AM
Pekka,
I think we try to be equal under the law, and many of us believe in that notion, but we fall short.
Your second comment here is interesting. You will see you are right when the Dems take the white house in 08, and nothing really changes.
Roger,
I'd prefer if he would just clean house, hire new attorneys and let them do their job. Singling out attorneys that are poking their noses where they shouldn't is intuitively wrong, and it acts a warning to the others.
Big difference from what Clinton did.
By
Praguetwin, at 2:59 PM
Would anyone care to review the list of people pardoned by Clinton?
One of the most disturbing names on his list of freed jail-birds was Marc Rich, incontestably a financial criminal of substantial magnitude.
Pardoning people who've suffered unfairly is one thing, but pardoning people who've prospered unfairly is quite another.
By
no_slappz, at 5:06 PM
Would anyone care to review the list of people pardoned by Clinton?
Ahhh...the reciprocity argument, "Clinton pardoned XX people, so Bush should get to pardon YY people."
Indeed there is a difference between those who prospered unfairly and those who suffered unfairly, and using that standard Bill Clinton should receive the biggest apology in the history over zealous prosecution. Shall we take bets on whether that apology will be forthcoming?
By
Anonymous, at 8:59 PM
kvatch, you wrote:
"Ahhh...the reciprocity argument, "Clinton pardoned XX people, so Bush should get to pardon YY people.""
Reciprocity? You missed the point. The issue is unrelated to the NUMBER of people pardoned. My point focused on the transgressions of those pardoned.
Clinton pardoned Marc Rich, a financial criminal known worldwide. He was not a hapless defendant prosecuted on dubious charges or someone who paid his debt to society and then followed a better path. He's an international criminal.
You wrote:
"Indeed there is a difference between those who prospered unfairly and those who suffered unfairly, and using that standard Bill Clinton should receive the biggest apology in the history over zealous prosecution."
As for prospering, perhaps you don't understand how DNC chief Terry McCauliff prospered illegally from Global Crossing, the stock which made him almost $20 million because he benefited from inside information given him by the CEO of Global.
Meanwhile, though I opposed Ken Starr's investigation and saw no desireable goal in it, it was and is incontestable that Clinton lied about Monica.
On the other hand, Libby's situation is so hazy it is the definition of "shadow of doubt."
By
no_slappz, at 4:46 PM
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