Libby poll

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(etyler88 @ Jul 3 2007, 08:07 AM) [snapback]472184[/snapback]</div>

I don't think Libby was the one that gave the name. Could be wrong though, haven't paid that much attention to it.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(etyler88 @ Jul 3 2007, 09:07 AM) [snapback]472184[/snapback]</div>

Appearing on Sep. 30, 2003 at the University of Chicago, the President took a few questions. Here's a transcript:

Q Do you think that the Justice Department can conduct an impartial investigation, considering the political ramifications of the CIA leak, and why wouldn't a special counsel be better?

THE PRESIDENT: Yes. Let me just say something about leaks in Washington. There are too many leaks of classified information in Washington. There's leaks at the executive branch; there's leaks in the legislative branch. There's just too many leaks. And if there is a leak out of my administration, I want to know who it is. And if the person has violated law, the person will be taken care of.

And so I welcome the investigation. I -- I'm absolutely confident that the Justice Department will do a very good job. There's a special division of career Justice Department officials who are tasked with doing this kind of work; they have done this kind of work before in Washington this year. I have told our administration, people in my administration to be fully cooperative.

I want to know the truth. If anybody has got any information inside our administration or outside our administration, it would be helpful if they came forward with the information so we can find out whether or not these allegations are true and get on about the business.

Yes, let's see, Kemper -- he's from Chicago. Where are you? Are you a Cubs or White Sox fan? (Laughter.) Wait a minute. That doesn't seem fair, does it? (Laughter.)

Q Yesterday we were told that Karl Rove had no role in it --

THE PRESIDENT: Yes.

Q -- have you talked to Karl and do you have confidence in him --

THE PRESIDENT: Listen, I know of nobody -- I don't know of anybody in my administration who leaked classified information. If somebody did leak classified information, I'd like to know it, and we'll take the appropriate action. And this investigation is a good thing.

And again I repeat, you know, Washington is a town where there's all kinds of allegations. You've heard much of the allegations. And if people have got solid information, please come forward with it. And that would be people inside the information who are the so-called anonymous sources, or people outside the information -- outside the administration. And we can clarify this thing very quickly if people who have got solid evidence would come forward and speak out. And I would hope they would.

And then we'll get to the bottom of this and move on. But I want to tell you something -- leaks of classified information are a bad thing. And we've had them -- there's too much leaking in Washington. That's just the way it is. And we've had leaks out of the administrative branch, had leaks out of the legislative branch, and out of the executive branch and the legislative branch, and I've spoken out consistently against them and I want to know who the leakers are.

Thank you.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(PaPrius @ Jul 3 2007, 08:28 AM) [snapback]472200[/snapback]</div>

Wow, he told us his intentions right from the start... was there ever any doubt that Libby would be taken care of?

Of course, it reminds me a quote from Formula 51 (with Samuel L. Jackson)... After the dumb escort kills the scientist, the other one says "I told you to take care of, not take care of him!"

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(etyler88 @ Jul 3 2007, 09:07 AM) [snapback]472184[/snapback]</div>

Libby didn't leak the name, or at least he wasn't charged with the leak. I think this whole administration stinks and likewise leaking the name was inexcusable, but I also suspect that Libby is being left holding the bag. I would like to see the real guilty parties pay for this, but it's not going to happen. The best that can be expected is some political fallout.

Tom

 

To take a slightly controversial position, I have to admit that I voted yes. Here is my reasoning:

Of course he pardoned him. Why is anyone surprised? One thing that the Bush administration is not, and that is politically stupid or shortsighted. Yes, <strike>pardoning </strike>(sorry, commuting his sentence) Libby may create a furor. It may even cause Shrub's approval to slip 1-2 points. When your approval rating is in the 20s and you are a lame duck, who cares? This is purely a move aimed at the future. It does two things:

1. It shows loyalty to a dedicated party crony. It sets the tone for all future neo-con true believers to support us and expect loyalty, and to cross us at the peril of (insert penalty here i.e. your wife's secret identity being exposed) without consequence.

2. It protects other important neo-cons from embarrassment. We can't have Scooter rolling over and implicating Darth Cheney, or even worse Sith Lord Rove. These people have to be able to function in 8 years or so to take back the White House. Remember that the conservative right can afford to give up the White House until Supreme Court Justice Stevens is ready to retire. Think I'm paranoid? Read this link: http://www.eagleforum.org/court_watch/

I expect we'll see a full pardon by the end of the term.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Mad Hatter @ Jul 3 2007, 11:54 AM) [snapback]472293[/snapback]</div>

At this point, it would be safe to say that's a foregone conclusion. There's simply no reason for him not to grant Libby a full pardon. I'm sure Bush was hoping that Libby's lawyers would be able to forestall his reporting to prison for sometime to come, maybe even until after the 2008 election. This would fall into line with the whole modus operandi of the Bush administration, i.e., do something nefarious, then stonewall and delay any investigation for as long as possible.

Unfortunately for Bush, the court wouldn't allow Libby to stay out of prison during what will likely be lengthy appeals (which might very well go on until Bush grants Libby a full pardon). Bush's only choice to keep Libby out of prison, other than a full pardon, then became to commute Libby's sentence, thus removing any chance Fitzgerald might have had in using Libby to get to the bottom of the whole sordid affair. The threat of prison time was the only thing that Fitzgerald had to get Libby to reveal what really happened.