MyDD :: Libby Sentence Commuted: Inexcusable

Libby Sentence Commuted: Inexcusable

by Rep Earl Blumenauer, Mon Jul 02, 2007 at 07:18:48 PM EST

To say I'm disappointed with the President's decision to commute Scooter Libby's felony prison sentence is an understatement.

If Paris Hilton served time for her reckless personal behavior, Scooter Libby should serve his time for lying to investigators and engaging in one of the worst cover-ups since Watergate. President Bush's action today tells America that it's ok to lie, mislead, and obstruct justice, as long as you are loyal to his Administration.

Instead of commuting and by default sanctioning this obstruction, he should come clean with the American people about his Administration's role in outing a covert operative for political reasons. After all, the courts, with Libby's conviction, determined there was a role, and this shameful decision by the President does not change that fact.

It is time for the President and his Administration to stop covering up and stop misleading the American people and representatives in Congress. Instead, it is time to restore some openness and accountability in government, which belongs to all Americans, not just his selected few appointees.

Tags: Oregon, Portland, Blumenauer, Congress, Libby, President, Bush, Pardon (all tags)

Permalink :: 12 Comments :: Post a Comment

Re: Libby Pardoned: Inexcusable (none / 0)

We The People say Bush and his gang are CRIMINALS!

Washington Woman

Progressive Blue

by kevin22262 on Mon Jul 02, 2007 at 07:19:33 PM EST

Re: Libby Pardoned: Inexcusable (3.00 / 1)

Okay,

It's time to take another look at Impeachment

"I don't oppose all wars...what I do oppose, is a dumb war" ~ Barack Obama

by BlueDiamond on Mon Jul 02, 2007 at 07:20:46 PM EST

Re: Libby Sentence Commuted: Inexcusable (none / 0)

its a slap in the face, my only hope is that it puts a fire under Leahy.

zombies are coming

by leewesley on Mon Jul 02, 2007 at 08:08:33 PM EST

Re: Libby Sentence Commuted: Inexcusable (3.00 / 1)

I'm not really a pro-impeachment guy but seriously, these people are running our government like a crime family. Something has to be done or the bar will remain this low forever.

"Another problem we have...is that in election years we behave somewhat as primitive peoples do at the time of the full moon." --Harry Truman

by Steve M on Mon Jul 02, 2007 at 08:35:18 PM EST

Re: Libby Sentence Commuted: Inexcusable (none / 0)

If that's how you feel Congressman, then why don't you do something about it? Impeach the bastard - impeach him for obstruction of justice, violation of civil rights, and failure to uphold his duty of office. If you are not going to impeach him - then shut the fuck up!

by bushsucks on Mon Jul 02, 2007 at 08:42:12 PM EST

Mr. Blumenauer... (3.00 / 1)

It's a delight to see you blog on MyDD and see you weigh in on Libby's sentence being inexcusably commuted.

But I want to ask you, what is it going to take, for you, to support investigations for impeachment? Not Congress, not your party, but just you. What would you need to see?

If John Dean of Watergate fame can write a book called, WORSE THAN WATERGATE, why isn't Congress' bells and whistels going off? If the guy who lived Watergate can write a book with a title like that, how can a majority of Congress NOT wake up and take it seriously?

It would be great to see you respond to all of us, in this diary.

Thanks and be well.

Brattlerouser.
Brattleboro, Vermont

by Brattlerouser on Mon Jul 02, 2007 at 10:00:04 PM EST

END THE WAR! (none / 0)

(n/t)

by Winston Smith on Tue Jul 03, 2007 at 12:01:24 AM EST

Re: Libby Sentence Commuted: Inexcusable (none / 0)

Impeach Gonzalez first.Get a scalp.

by Democraticavenger on Tue Jul 03, 2007 at 01:42:55 AM EST

Re: Libby Sentence Commuted: Inexcusable (none / 0)

It has made me sick to my stomach. The thing is, we have a President who doesn't care about his approval rating- he doesn't care what anyone thinks. Another President might see how the American public disapproves of his job performance and change things- but not this one. He can go to 0% approval and he still won't care.

by reasonwarrior on Tue Jul 03, 2007 at 01:48:55 AM EST

Re: Libby Sentence Commuted: Inexcusable (none / 0)

No shit, Sherlock.

What are you going to do about it?

by babusrinivasan on Tue Jul 03, 2007 at 02:12:04 AM EST

We know what Bush should do (none / 0)

and we know that he won't do it. More importantly: what are YOU going to do about it?

"I do not support Roe versus Wade. It should be overturned."--John McCain

by lorax on Tue Jul 03, 2007 at 02:21:27 AM EST

POTUS to pardon self, next (3.00 / 1)

Dear Congressman:

As I read Article II, Section 2 of the Constitution, the president is not forbidden to pardon himself for "offenses against the United States, except in cases of impeachment." If you buy the unitary executive notion, he already worked that loophole today. But in any case, you can be damn sure that minds creative enough to argue the VP is not part of the executive branch are easily capable of reading Article II as I do: the president has the power to pardon himself.

Now, if the POTUS can pardon his own self, he is literally immune to the law, and presidential terms are nothing but 4-year installments of monarchy. That's not what I signed up for, when I took my citizenship oath.

If impeachment is "off the table" or politically unworkable, I beseech you to take the next best step: introduce a constitutional amendment to restrict presidential pardons to persons who are not the president.

Make a big deal of it: press releases, speeches on the floor, anything that makes some noise. The point would not be to pass the thing in time to have legal effect on Dick and Dubya, obviously. The point would be to show David Addington and the other legal geniuses in this regency that we're on to their next, predictable, constitutional innovation. A little pre-emption never hurts :-)

-- TP

by Rethymniotis on Tue Jul 03, 2007 at 03:37:42 AM EST

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