While I'm not surprised that Scooter Libby is serving no hard time I am surprised that his sentence was commuted rather than him being given a full pardon.
From the WaPo:
President Bush commuted the sentence of I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby yesterday, sparing Vice President Cheney's former chief of staff 2 1/2 years in prison after a federal appeals court had refused to let Libby remain free while he appeals his conviction for lying to federal investigators.
Bush, who for months had sidestepped calls from conservatives to grant Libby a reprieve, broke his silence early yesterday evening, touching off an immediate uproar from Democrats who accused the White House of circumventing the rule of law to protect one of its own.
The president announced his decision in a written statement that laid out the factors he had weighed. Bush said he decided to "respect" the jury's verdict that Libby was guilty of four felonies for lying about his role in the leak of a covert CIA officer's identity. But the president said Libby's "exceptional public service" and previous lack of a criminal record led him to conclude that the 30-month sentence handed down by a judge last month was "excessive." moreHowever I wouldn't be at all surprised if someone affiliated with the GOP paid off Scooter Libby's fines and he either lands a cushy lobbying job or ends up working for the GOP. Not to mention the fact that W can still slip in a parting presidential pardon.
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