Cheney Speaks Out on Libby (disagrees with Bush's decision)

[sabra]

Source: Weekly Standard

Former vice president calls prosecution a "serious miscarriage of justice" and disagrees with Bush's decision.

Former Vice President Dick Cheney disagreed publicly with his boss just four times in the eight years they served together. Yesterday, however, on the first day after the official end of the Bush administration, Cheney disagreed with George W. Bush once more.

...

Asked for his reaction to Bush's decision Cheney said: "Scooter Libby is one of the most capable and honorable men I've ever known. He's been an outstanding public servant throughout his career. He was the victim of a serious miscarriage of justice, and I strongly believe that he deserved a presidential pardon. Obviously, I disagree with President Bush's decision."

Bush's decision not to pardon Libby has angered many of the president's strongest defenders. One Libby sympathizer, a longtime defender of Bush, told friends she was "disgusted" by the president. Another described Bush as "dishonorable" and a third suggested that refusing to pardon Libby was akin to leaving a soldier on the battlefield. They believe that the prosecution of Libby was riddled with inconsistencies and double-standards. Not least of those is the fact that former deputy secretary of state Richard Armitage, who leaked the identity of former CIA operative Valerie Plame to at least two reporters, was never charged. And Fitzgerald had known from the outset of his investigation that Armitage was the leaker.

...

So why did Bush refuse to pardon Libby? There are some indications that he believes Libby was guilty. When Bush commuted Libby's 30-month prison sentence in the summer of 2007, he issued a statement that suggested a pardon for Libby would be unlikely. "I respect the jury's verdict," Bush said at the time, noting only that he found the sentence "excessive." He added: "The consequences of his felony conviction on his former life as a lawyer, public servant and private citizen will be long-lasting." Earlier, Bush had praised special prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald for running his investigation in "a very dignified way."

Read more: http://www.weeklystandard.com/Content/Public/Articles/0...

[Catshrink]

1. Call a waaaaaahhhhhhumulance for Crashcart.

[Aviation Pro]

2. Now that these two fuckers have been separated.....

...it'll be fine entertainment to watch the war that erupts between them. I'm sure Wimpy Daddy Nutsack is going to lead the charge to protect Two Shoes and damage Shitstain Shoots-Guy-In-Face as much as possible. And, no doubt, the Silver Douchebag will chime in with her acid tongue.

Stocking up on popcorn now.

[Patsy Stone]

6. I endorse your poetic prognostication.

Move over.

[Soylent Brice]

9. i like you're thinking.

watching rethugs eat their own is what i call
ENTERTAINMENT!!!!!!!

[Baby Snooks]

12. The Family Bush...

That is exactly what will happen. Daddy Bush will lay all the blame on Cheney and probably will be giving an interview soon to do just that and while he's giving the interview Mama Bush will be visiting the Cheneys and cutting the brake lines on the wheelchair while no one is looking and then offering to take Uncle Dick out for a nice leisurely stroll. Down the hill to the park. For some fresh air.

The Family Bush. One of the rare Mafia families with a dona instead of a don.

Reality is by not pardoning Libby the appearance of legitimacy is lent to the legacy. The appearance. Not the reality. Libby was a scapegoat for Cheney. And Cheney should thank his lucky stars that he did not become the scapegoat for Bush. And Bush should thank his lucky stars.

Libby is of course blocked from telling the truth at this point. It would be dismissed by all because he was obviously seeking revenge for not having been pardoned. Well, why should he have been pardoned? He broke the law. The Bushes respect the law. Obviously. That's why Libby wasn't pardoned.

The Family Bush. One step ahead of everyone.

[paparush]

24. Stands-With-Fist, Dances-With-Wolves, Shoots-Guy-In-Face

[UpInArms]

28. spot on terminology and analysis!

[Jennicut]

3. Someone needs to take Dick to the top of a very long steep road and just let the wheelchair go

[Frustratedlady]

8. Oh, my! The visual is so fulfilling.

Cheney should just be glad Fitz didn't charge him, as I'm sure he is the one who gave the orders.

It would have been a whole lot faster and simpler to indict the whole, dang bunch and be done with it. They would have beaten each other to a pulp by now.

[mike_c]

4. why is Cheney still not in prison...?

Who gives a rat's buttocks what the war criminal Cheney thinks about his partners in crime?

[driver8]

5. Libby was covering Cheney's ass...of course he disagrees with Shrub.

Fuck you, Cheney -- go count your kickback money or something...just please shut the hell up!

[Mind_your_head]

7. I think cheney/bush are doing a good cop/bad cop thing here

Cheney is saying this to appeal/appease the people in their 'base' who were flabbergasted by 'no pardon' for Libby.

There were some big risks/downsides to giving Libby a pardon.

[hamsterjill]

10. That could be.

I think that Bush pretty much KNOWS that his time in the spotlight is over. He has resigned himself to go back to drinkin' and carryin' on, etc.

But Cheney may not feel his "time" is over.

Memo to them both: You are both SO over. Shut up and let us try to put our country back together.

[EFerrari]

31. I think you're right. Both of them need Libby to be their scapegoat

and everybody knows it.

[Duer 157099]

33. That's it, exactly.

It's all theater, smoke and mirrors to confuse the unwitting.

But it's all according to plan, don't doubt it for a minute.

Cheney's plan.

[Politicalboi]

11. Let's hope

Cheney gets to talk to Libby from the cell next door. Talk about a miscarriage of justice.

[Sal Minella]

13. Libby was convicted of obstructing justice, stonewalling to the end about trying to out Plame.

Fitz couldn't get anywhere near trying Libby for outing Plame because Libby lied consistently -- so Fitz couldn't get him on anything but the "obstructing justice" conviction -- lying to the jury.

Even * is bright enough to understand how foolish he'd look pardoning that kind of felony conviction. Lying to a jury is lying to a jury. Nothing partisan about it.

Bush doesn't really want to make himself look MORE stupider.

"Lying to a Grand Jury is okay. I'm George Bush and I approve this message" was not something our appearances-conscious ex-Precedent wanted floating in his wake.

[Career Prole]

14. "Dick Cheney disagreed publicly with his boss just four times"

Which can also be read, "Almost without exception bush did exactly as dick instructed."

[NewsDrunk]

15. Is he serious?

Come on... Libby was of course guilty of obstructing justice. I mean, his job was to give the administration leeway to do whatever it wanted.

http://tv1.com/playlists/123

[whistle]

16. Dick Cheney is feeling the wind on his ass, come on Scooter expose this bastard

[florida08]

17. am still wondering

why Fitzgerald who was suppose to be investigating the leak gave Armitage a pass. I agree about Cheney..it's his fault Libby took the wrap. Libby should have been smarter. Why didn't Fitzgerald indict Armitage? Libby lied about hearing about Valerie's name from Tim Russert which wasn't true but was justice really served?

[iandhr]

18. Cheney Differs With Bush — Wanted Libby Pardoned

Source: NYTIMES

At least there’s still Barney. Now that they are out of office, even former Vice President Dick Cheney is taking issue with former President George W. Bush.

Of course, in Mr. Cheney’s case, he is not questioning the handling of the Iraq war, terrorism or the economy, but is critical of his former boss’s decision not to pardon I. Lewis “Scooter” Libby, the vice presidential chief of staff who was convicted of lying in the C.I.A. leak case.

Read more: http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/01/22/cheney-di... /

[NYC Liberal]

19. Methinks Dick is just mad that he didn't get a pardon of his own. nt

[Dennis Donovan]

20. No he didn't! If he did, it would've happened...

If Scooter were pardoned, he would've been forced to testify against Cheney and would lose his 5th amendment right in the Plame case.

IF Cheney wanted this to happen, he would've MADE it happen! Instead, Cheney waits 2 days after leaving to bitch about it? Bullshit!

[Gidney N Cloyd]

23. Scooter's a 'Bonesman.' 5th or no, he's not going to rat anyone out.

(On the other hand, I wonder if Cheney's exempt from the skull and bones code... ? )

[acmavm]

21. So, Chimpy finally got tired of taking orders? The non-pardon

for Libby is the one thing that really surprised me.

[HillWilliam]

22. Neither Cheney nor Rover

got pre-emptive pardons either. Heh. A bit of shitting up the back, there, Dick?

Ya gotta admit, the whole pardon thing is pure-dee GeeDumbya, right down the line: using people to get where and what he wanted. Then when he got it, he turns his back and lets the hammer fall on them while he walks away. Poppy always bought him out of his troubles and probably will again (should they live so long). The rest? As far as GeeDumbya is concerned, they're on they're own and fuck'em.

Typical amoral, sociopathic Bush.

I have a sneaking feeling that similar loyalty will be returned when indictments start getting handed out. Things are changing so fast that I doubt the GOP can keep up with the ass-covering any longer. This week alone has been loaded with bombshell revelations and it ain't over yet.

The fun's just started.

[HopeHoops]

25. Ah,from Batman Returns - Penguin and Catwoman have a spat. How lovely.

[Timefortruth]

26. Mary Matalin is disgusted by Bush

And it took this.

[No Elephants]

32. She's a shill. She'd never criticize Bush if he were still in office. He could have pardoned

Libby any time, but she did not open her mouth until now. She and her husband should rot.

[benld74]

27. He's capable and honorable men , just like me - NOT

[Gman]

29. Cheney's probably even more pissed that he didn't get a pardon

before Bush left office and now he's fair game for the prosecution.

[Titonwan]

30. Anyone that stops pursuing justice on these criminals

is just a jailhouse bitch. Those few of you that say "just shut up and go away" are going to be the ones bending over, the next time, saying "thank you sir, may I have another!". There is no forgive and forget shit going on. if you do, it's just guarandamnedteed to happen again. And again. If Ronnie Raygun had been brought up on charges over the Iran/Contra debacle by Slick Willie, we wouldn't of had the nightmare that is Junior and Dickless. You think Jewish investigators that are STILL pursuing Nazi War Criminals are persistent? You haven't seen JACK yet... This has become a lifelong mission for me (and many other fellow patriots) and if you give a rat's ass about this country you inhabit, it should be yours too. Put the remote DOWN and STEP AWAY.

[Titonwan]

34. Dick Cheney is a prime argument in favor

of elderly abuse. I'm not talking withholding Oprah for a day or two. I'm talking brass knuckles and St. Louis phone book abuse. Asking him if it hurts and then replying "SO!".

[tanyev]

35. GWB is a vindictive SOB who will eventually screw over every person who deals with him.

Every single person. It's taken some people 8 years to finally learn that lesson. Not that I think he should have pardoned Libby--it's just funny to watch the people who believed in him get shafted, too.

[santamargarita]

36. We're going to see your ass in jail too, stumpy!

"Ding dong the Dick is gone"