Will W pardon Scooter? Should he?

[mburbank]

Weigh in, test your prognostigative skills.

I believe he will, and I don't think he'll wait until after the 2008 election.

I don't think he gives a flying Ph*ck about his fellow Republicans AND I think Libby knows where all the bodies are burried, plus Dick Chenney is his pal.

On the 'should he' question, I'd say no. Not that I don't think Libby is the fall guy, not that I don't think the administration is rife with folks just as guilty of lots of things as he is. I do think that. True justice would land Scooter a lot of company in jail. But none of that changes the fact he's guilty. And I don't buy for a second that he outed, purged and obstructed in the 'service of his country'. He did it to further and protect the power of a small group of ugly people, a group he belonged to.

Is it fair if he's the only one who gets punished? Not at all. But letting him off wouldn't make it fair. Only filling cells with his hoorid little frat buddies would do that.

[Cosmo Electrolux]

According to Newsweek:
...there's one significant roadblock on the path to Libby's salvation: Vice President Dick Cheney's former chief of staff does not qualify to even be considered for a presidential pardon under Justice Department guidelines.

From the day he took office, Bush seems to have followed those guidelines religiously.

Stolen from 'Top Ten Conservative Idiots"

[Preechr]

*sigh*

Max, I know you know this because we discussed it already. Richard Armitage was the one that "outed" Plame, if anybody, and Fitzpatrick KNEW that before the hearings began. This was simply a witch-hunt for process crimes from the beginning. Maybe they were looking for tips of your larger iceburgs, but if all they could come up with to that end was contradictory testimony that highlighted other contradictory testimony, why are you so proud to call this a victory? This is no where near on the same level as Sandy Berger, whom I know you disapproved of yet didn't use to paint the Clinton Royal Family red with the blood of innocent babies...

In answer to your question: I don't know. I think Bush "allowed" the investigations to prove they'd done nothing wrong, and the perjury charge was an unforeseen complication. I think they already know whether or not they can do it, and have already figured out what they're gonna do in any case. Probably has something to do with the appeals process and how that goes down.

[mburbank]

Why Berger wasn't charged is beyond me. Since the lstt time we talked about him, I've read more and he should be in jail, there is no question about it at all.

as far as "Richard Armitage was the one that "outed" Plame"
1.) Richard Armitage was one of the people who outed Plame. So did several others including Libby.
2.) The charges were obstruction of justice and perjury. Those are crimes. Even if it was entrapment, which I think is a stretch, since at very least it was entrapment for lying about what they actually would have liked to charge him with, it is a crime. When Clinton lied about cigar shenanigans while being questioned about real estate shenanigans, it was a crime. Senior government officials commit crimes all the time I'm sure. But like cops, soldiers and superheros, they should accept the risks that come with the territory.
3.) Al Capone was 'entrapped' and found guilty of tax evasion. While it's my least preferred method of prosecution, I still don't think Capone would be in line for a Presidential pardon. And before you ask, I think the 'gang' that 'Scooter' is a part of is responsible for a whole lot more dead people than Capone.

Ironically, I believe it was on 'Baretta' that the phrase 'Don't do the crime if you can't do the time' was coined.