The Right Thing to Do

Bush Grants Clemency to Libby

Bush has commuted Libby's prison term, leaving intact the quarter million dollar fine, and probation. Now, I can't imagine that the jury was not disgusted by Libby's apparent lying under oath, but we all have to wonder what drove a special prosecutor ONE MILLISECOND past the moment his investigation was informed that Richard Armitage a long time State Dept employee was the 'culprit' in revealing Valerie Plame's name and job.

Since Mr, Libby did not commit that crime, and neither, BTW did Mr. Armitage commit a crime, and since NO ONE was charged with the crime the investigation was designed to uncover I can conclude that Mr. Fitzgerald created a crime by driving the investigation to Martha Stewart excess.

This entire episode makes a farce of investigations which are serious. Had Mr. Fitzgerald been conducting himself in such a manner in 1972, Richard Nixon would have quietly served his full second term after the entire idea of a special prosecutor would have been revealed for the joke it is.

I'm sure the reader is astute enough to recognize the difference between this and the Marc Rich case, and the ends of both.

Libby committed a crime, judged by a jury and still stands guilty. His ABSURD prison sentence for a crime committed only because the investigation PURSUED him after realizing no base crime ocurred stands in stark contrast to the full pardon Marc Rich, and others obtained from Bill Clinton during the penalty free days of his exit.