John Dickerson of Slate was cockily sure that Libby would not have to go to jail. Well, annoying (just on the level JD was so cocky) as it is to say, Libby isn't going to prison. Right after the appeals court -- in a brief order -- refused to hold up his prison time, el softie decided to commute the sentence. For perjury and obstruction of justice, he doesn't deserve a day in prison ... the disgrace to his name (as if these people care) and a $250K (easily paid either by his deep pockets or his pals, including supporters like Fred Thompson) fine is enough. Oh, and probation. Jumping over a turnstile might get you more time. But, hey, that is a quality of life crime. Nothing like helping in the outing of a CIA agent to punish someone for calling your people for lying us into war.
The blogs, including Talking Points Memo, are obviously deeply into this thing. For instance, serving time and showing remorse are among the guidelines put out by the Justice Department when considering pardons/commutations. Patrick Fitzgerald publicly called GB on the claim that the sentence was "excessive." The commutation over pardon is actually worse to the degree that Libby can still appeal, use immunity to resist testimony to Congress, and the Bush gang can keep on saying it is an "ongoing investigation." Since this in effect promotes a cover-up, a decent case can be made that it is a blatantly illegitimate use of the commutation power. And so forth.
Color me unsurprised, but as with the normal asshole things some people you know do because it is inherent in their natures, this doesn't mean just sighing and going away. Things of this nature underline what is at stake here. It's like certain MSM sorts saying "well we all know that" when someone raises comments about how troublesome Bush is, but they treat him on a day to day basis as a respectable sort. It's sorta like a story that TPM targeted that implied John Edwards gamed the system to use a charity for political ends ... or rather, said as much, when the evidence simply wasn't there to say that. Meanwhile, we aren't reminded that he doesn't take PAC money (how exactly this is defined is admittedly unclear, but the rule has some teeth, and does help explain his lower funding numbers).
[BTW, I found this a good criticism of a piece over at Slate by a health advisor to Obama responding to Sicko. And, BTC News -- back on board -- has come back with several well worth reading entries on the movie/our health care system. Moore sorta turns me off, but his populist message often rings true.]
We should use things like this to underline that we cannot take this person seriously at all. He still is. The guy and administration clearly has no shame or credibility. But, when Sen. Reid calls some general they fail to re-appoint because the guy might actually be questioned or something "unqualified," it is supposed to be like something we should be worried about. IOW, yes, the administration is still taken seriously. Likewise, any Republican candidate that doesn't strongly reject them should be taken equally as unseriously. Fred Thompson, who supported a pardon, is a prime example. He should be deemed a lobbyist joke who played a prosecutor on Law and Order and was in a Die Hard movie. Ditto other candidates who think Bush is soft on Gitmo (aka Mitt "shove more people there" Romney).
Firedoglake, who was a key go-to blog for this case provides a decent way to end things:
Demonstrating his complete contempt for trial by jury, rule of law and his own Department of Justice appointees, George Bush thumbed his nose once again at the very concept of democracy and the Beltway Brahmins are cheering. The dirty unwashed masses who populate our juries are fit to judge each other, but evidently not the ruling class. David Broder can breathe a sigh of relief that People Like Him are safe from those overly zealous US Attorneys who might want to hold them accountable to the same absurd standards that the little people must live by.
We knew this administration wasn't fit in '04. We surely know now. Act upon it and remember it as a warning of how not to govern a country. This includes not supporting anyone who enables them just too much. Just don't take them as seriously credible. Life is easier that way, anyway.