Does anyone remember how long Reagan lied about not knowing anything about Iran-Contra? …was smart enough to sacrifice all of the underlings and keep Reagan afloat.

Yes, I remember, who could forget all the Poindexter jokes.

If you look at him – he does look sort of sweet and harmless. But what he did was serious in obstructing the investigation of a CIA agent’s outing. Yes Clinton did the same and it was terrible- but he finally admitted it and apologized. Yet many still see that as a political witchhunt by the right.

Does anyone remember how long Reagan lied about not knowing anything about Iran-Contra? It could have turned into Watergate redux, but Nancy was smart enough to sacrifice all of the underlings and keep Reagan afloat. But anyone from the Reagan era usually refers to overzealous prosecution motivated by political foes.

My point is that if you believe enough in the person, you are clouded from seeing the truth. The conservative spin on talk radio and Libby’s support among the Republican elite saved his skin. Also helps that he knows where all the skeletons are buried in the Bush WH!

The “hard” or “far right” is probably less than 18% of the non-liberal half of the public (less than 9% of the total public). It has no real presence, much less power, in Washington, in fact less so than the radical left (e.g, ACLU, Children’s Defense Fund, and so on).

What incentive does he have, politically, to let Libby go to jail and piss off his base? None.

More to the point, he has a larger group he can consider, his opponents, particularly partisan Democrats or fervent leftist ideologues (more the former than the latter), who say “Bush is bad” about every event, sometimes even the positive.

By letting Libby get out of jail, he was able to slap back at the Democrats as well as achieve other goals. Now, the “I didn’t pardon Libby” argument (which can be raised by Bush) is shallow and won’t sway anybody critical of what Bush did; plus, we know he’s likely to pardon Libby after the election, anyway.

The question is what other people besides those who already loathe Bush would be offended by the commutation and I believe the answer is many more, and that this is being treated the same as if Bush had issued a full pardon (which we expect him to do eventually).

How can any “conservatives” back Libby?

I’d suspect they’re more partisan or even cliquish (among Bush’s or Bush, Sr.’s friends) rather than “conservative,” in this case. For that matter, that’s probably true about those remaining so-called 100%-loyal-to-Bush people about whom I hear, but I’ve yet to encounter anywhere I’ve gone.

Bush is toast

I don’t consider that an example of a polarizing comment, K. Nor does it appear incorrect in the slightest.

Libby lied to protect Dick Cheney (and probably others in the administration) out of a misplaced sense of loyalty and misguided sense of patriotism from a perceived partisan witch-hunt. He is not a bad guy. Neither is Clinton. Both suffered consequence…

They set themselves up for charges of hypocrisy by shouting rule of law in Clinton’s impeachment and then shouting “excessive” punishment, and memory lapse for this situation. IMO, this verdict was fair because our national security was involved, where Clinton’s case involved his own personal failings. Only 18% of the hard right believe that Libby should be pardoned – that’s not enough to win an election.

Indeed Bush has nothing to lose. But McCain, Guilianni, Romney, Thompson et all do.

Then again, I’d say Bush had already done enough to ensure none of them stood a chance anyway.

After all, a man willing to do all that Bush has done to totally wreck the GOP to date surely would have no problem piling this on.

I think the President needs to do more to win back the base and I have an idea that will do just that.

DLS- Face it- Bush is toast-

Yes, which is why he didn’t have much to lose making this decision. Personally, I don’t think Presidents should to things like this and I believe this action by Bush was a mistake. But seriously, what did he have to lose? He was at the point where nothing he could have done (short of resign) would satisfy his enemies on the left. What incentive does he have, politically, to let Libby go to jail and piss off his base? None. That’s not an excuse, but if you look at it objectively, I think few politicians would have done differently.

It sends the clear message that the only injustice Bush cares about are injustices to his friends. If you are just some random American with an unfair punishment, well, that’s just too bad.

Yeah, because Clinton and past presidents never did that.

This whole thing is idiotic. How can any “conservatives” back Libby? He lied while under oath. The whole legal system is built on not lying under oath. It’s pretty simple.

How can any “liberals” care. The exposé on Cheney last week reported that he knowingly committed war crimes in the truest sense of our law by ordering torture. He even approved something that Yoo said went to far. That’s quite an accomplishment.

Talk about fighting partisan battles for the sake of it.

Bush is once again thumbing his nose at our system of laws and justice to achieve crass political ends (satisfying outcry from the conservative base). Compassion and mercy are only qualities that surface when the subject is one of his own.

Commuter in Chief.

That said, what’s saddest to me in many ways is that Bush used his powers on this case specifically and not in so many other cases. Even if you believe that Libby was convicted wrongly or that his punishment was too severe, it can do nothing but pale in comparison to many other injustices which have been brought before Bush in clemency requests where he chose to do nothing. It sends the clear message that the only injustice Bush cares about are injustices to his friends. If you are just some random American with an unfair punishment, well, that’s just too bad. But if you are well connected or supportive of Bush, then you (and only you?) deserve clemency.

We’ve all known that one of Bush’s great failings is valuing loyalty over almost all other virtues. This is just another example.