Olbermann Unloads on Lewis Libby's Liberation

I give Olbermann credit for having good writers. He's dead on for the first one minute and fifty nine seconds of the clip. Then he devolves into the partisan Dubya hater that he is.

h/t to C&L

W's Leniency Liberates Libby

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." more

However 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.

Libby's Liberty Lost

or Scooter Screwed or Sucks to be Scooter
Judge Won't Delay Libby's Prison Term for Appeal

By Amy Goldstein and Carol D. Leonnig
Washington Post Staff Writers
Thursday, June 14, 2007; 2:32 PM

A federal judge today ordered I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby to report to prison within weeks to begin serving a 30-month sentence for lying to federal investigators about his role in disclosing a covert CIA officer's identity to the media.

In ruling that Vice President Cheney's former chief of staff must begin his prison term, probably within six to eight weeks, U.S. District Judge Reggie B. Walton rejected defense attorneys' request to allow Libby to remain free on bond while his attorneys appeal his conviction for perjury and obstructing justice.

At the conclusion of a two-hour hearing today, Walton, who presided over Libby's trial, said he disagreed with defense attorneys' contention that Libby's trial had generated a series of close legal questions and judicial rulings that might be reversed by higher courts.

Libby's lawyers said they plan to ask the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit to issue an emergency order delaying the sentence.

When he imposed sentence last week, Walton told Libby that the evidence of his guilt had been "overwhelming" and warned that Libby was unlikely to win a reversal of his conviction in appellate courts.

For that reason, Walton said, he was not inclined to release Libby on bond during his appeal, a process that could last until the end of President Bush's term in office in 2008. The judge agreed, however, to defer his decision until today. more

One problem with being in a high profile case is that there's always a good chance the judge might make decide to make an example of you. I'm betting that the emergency appeal is shot down and Scooter is left hanging in the breeze praying for a pardon (which he'll get).

Libby Sentenced to 30 Months in Prison, Fined $250K

By Amy Goldstein and Carol D. Leonnig
Washington Post Staff Writers
Tuesday, June 5, 2007; 3:30 PM

I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby, former chief of staff to Vice President Cheney, was sentenced today to 30 months in prison and fined $250,000 for lying to investigators about his role in leaking the identity of an undercover CIA officer.

The federal judge who presided over the case indicated that he may not be sympathetic to allowing Libby to remain free pending appeal, but scheduled a hearing on the matter for next week.

"Evidence in this case overwhelmingly indicated Mr. Libby's culpability," U.S. District Judge Reggie B. Walton said moments before he handed out the sentence. The judge said he was sentencing Libby "with a sense of sadness. I have the highest respect for people who take positions in our government and appreciate tremendously efforts they bring to bear to protect this country."

At the same time, Walton said, "I also think it is important we expect and demand a lot from people who put themselves in those positions. Mr. Libby failed to meet the bar. For whatever reason, he got off course."

Just before Walton pronounced the sentence, Libby briefly appealed to the judge. After thanking Walton for the court's courtesy and kindness during the lengthy proceedings, Libby said: "It is respectfully my hope that the court will consider along with the jury verdict my whole life. Thank you your honor."

As the judge announced the sentence, Libby stood between his two lead attorneys, utterly impassive.

The judge sentenced Libby three months after a federal jury found Cheney's one-time top aide guilty of four felonies for failing to tell the truth to a federal grand jury and the FBI about the disclosure of former CIA agent Valerie Plame's identity. Libby was convicted of two counts of perjury, one count of making false statements to FBI agents, and one count of obstructing justice. He was acquitted of a fifth count. more

Let the pardon countdown begin!

Anyone know if an online betting pool is legal?

In all seriousness the judge will decide next week if Mr. Libby can stay out on bail until his appeal is heard. So it is possible that if his attorneys stall enough and W pardons him he'll never see the inside of a cell.