Right smack dab in this column yesterday by Tom Brune of Newsday (link via Raw Story):
WASHINGTON — Now that top White House aide Karl Rove is off the hook in the CIA leak probe, President George W. Bush must weigh whether to pardon former vice presidential aide I. Lewis “Scooter” Libby, the only one indicted in the three-year investigation. […]
“I think ultimately, of course, there are going to be pardons,” said Joseph diGenova, a former prosecutor and an old Washington hand who shares that view with many pundits.
“These are the kinds of cases in which historically presidents have given pardons,” said the veteran Republican attorney.
Surprise, surprise that a Republican flack like diGenova is calling for a pardon. The only interesting question is who is behind this story: the White House or Libby?
(cont.)
Brune’s “story” goes on to speculate that Libby’s defense stratgy so far has been intended to force the issue of a pardon, by risking increasing disclosure of Cheney and the White House’s role in the Plame affair in the pre-trial discovery and trial phases of the litigation. That may be. And Libby may indeed be the source for this story.
But I wouldn’t put it past Karl Rove to be sending up a trial (pardon the puns) balloon about a pardon for Libby so soon after his own butt’s no longer in a sling.
Oh, and look who’s quoted at the very end of the article. Our very own Lieberman campaign manager in the Senate, Chuckie Schumer, who tells us this:
Democrats have already indicated they will go on the attack. Last fall, their congressional leaders wrote Bush urging him to pledge not to pardon Libby. Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) said Bush did not respond.
“I think it would be very wrong to pardon Scooter Libby, and I doubt the president would do it,” Schumer said Friday. “It would cause him real damage.”
Do you know the expression “whistling past the graveyard”? That fits our Chuckie Boy to a T, don’t you think?
Sounds like the talking points were sent to all of the usual suspects. Bill Kristol was pushing for a Libby pardon this am on Faux News Sunday. The basic premise was that there was no crime originally committed and that this has somehow been proven. It all comes from the premise that if you say something often enough people will believe that its true.
it’s only a crime if a Democrat does it.
So…by that definition, is Schumer a criminal?
Or simply not a Democrat.
Or, of course…both.
AG
It is of my opinion only, that when it comes to feces such as this, they (republicans) tend to drag the democrats in the mix by huffing and puffing such as they do. It yet has to come to trial and now we are discussing a pardon! Give me a break. Have they totally lost their whole mind althgether! We yet have to prove Libby guilty, bless his little heart and no pund in tended here.
They have the ordacity to even think about this right now! They have too much time on their hands, if you ask me. I would think that if we win the house and senate, they would have a hard time doing many things, or am I wrong on that one as well. When we need the democrats to speak out, they clam up like nothing, but when they need to keep their frugal mouths shut they are open to let all the flys in. Bless all there wicked little hearts. Chuckie ought to be worrying about his seat nest if you ask me. Nothing is ever assured of anything in this old world except of paying taxes and dying….and the first one doesn not count. I do not care when and where someone serves to become our next democrat. I do, however care, if they can connect with me and the other half of this polulation out here that needs help and saved from this disaster…Let me put it this way, Anyone who can save America and the world from this a**hole and his adm.and from what he has done to us all, is a blessing in everything, that I can think of.
Also, let me say this too, I am originally from IL. My friend an dfamily in IL who think the sun rises and sets in Obama, want me to think likewise too. I have a nother thought about this. He is also another establishment person. Sure he can talk a good speach, but can he get the job done? This is yet to be seen in my opinion. I want to see more concrete behavior out of him instead of just mouthing the party line….after all he, as a jr senator, has Leiberman as his mentor. God help us all!!!!!
Well, hell, here I go again trying to condense yet this whole thing. I am trying to wrap my mind and thoughts around a huge diary that I need to condense and I am doing this with my thoughts in comments..Please excuse me here.,,
The quick turnaround of confidence in the admin, especially Rove, along with the Leopold conflicting story leaves the best guess at Rove having been indicted and pardoned already. This prevents a trial going forth (Libby’s) because the protection from having to testify can be included in all/any pardons granted to date. One more, only this one public, and it’s all over…just like BushCo is saying these days. I think it finally came down to it and Bush granted them all under the protection of seal or state secrets so it doesn’t have to be disclosed.
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sorry about that.