Incarcerated Scooter

By Michael J.W. Stickings

Update: Well, so much for this post. Bush has commuted Libby's sentence. See here.

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It's off to jail for Libby: "A federal appeals court Monday rejected former White House aide Lewis 'Scooter' Libby’s request to remain free on appeal after his March conviction on federal charges stemming from the leak of a CIA agent’s identity." Which means that his "term will start when the U.S. Bureau of Prisons decides where he will serve his time and sets a date for him to surrender" -- unless Chief Justice Roberts and the Supreme Court decide to intervene on appeal (which is hardly beyond the realm of possibility).

I have little sympathy for Libby. He's getting what he deserves. But I can't help thinking, as I have thought all along, that the real culprit (i.e., Libby's former boss, Cheney) is going free while a functionary plays scapegoat.

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Ed Morrissey: "The politics of this moment seem rather delicious. The President just enraged his base by attempting to push a deeply unpopular immigration bill through the Senate. He could regain a lot of that ground with a commutation of Libby's sentence, or an outright pardon. Will he take advantage of the opportunity?" One hopes not -- although a commutation or pardon could turn attention back to Cheney, which is where it belongs.

Steve Benen: "As a rule, if you're relying on a precedent from 1795 [Washington's "respite directive" for two men involved in the Whiskey Rebellion], it's a bit of a stretch. Nevertheless, expect the pressure on the White House to get quite intense." I'm sure the wackos at The Weekly Standard are frothing fiendishly.