Today's scandal trifecta is pretty amazing.
- The jury system works…and Scooter Libby's Guilty, Guilty, Not Guilty, Guilty, Guilty. Calls for Bush and Cheney to at least explain themselves. (Not to mention rumblings about Cheney's impeachment.) But don't hold your breath: Cheney is already stonewalling (“Since his legal team has announced that he is seeking a new trial and, if necessary, pursuing an appeal, I plan to have no further comment on the merits of this matter until these proceedings are concluded,” Cheney said. Earlier, White House spokeswoman Dana Perino issued a similar statement, saying that President Bush saw news of the verdict on television and was also “saddened” for Libby. She said Bush would continue to withhold comment because there is still “an ongoing criminal proceeding” in view of the defense's plan to seek a new trial or appeal the verdict.)
And the White House won't rule out a pardon. The hope of which (on the administration's last day in office?) keeps Scooter from ratting on his boss — especially if the Judge at the July sentencing lets him stay out of jail pending appeal.
- Huge Day on Fired Prosecutors Story. US Attorney 'Pressuregate' scandal (aka “Purged Prosecutors” ) metastasizes. Looks like lots more to come here. And that this scandal will end the careers of some Republican members of the legislature too. And maybe worse?
- And of course there's the Walter Reed scandal. Some scandal containment (at last) by SecDef Gates, but just flopping around at the White House; and I don't think newly appointed investigatory commission co-chair Donna Shalala will do them any favors in her report.
I wonder, though, if the co-chair, Bob Dole, is as safe a choice as the White House may think. I imagine they are banking on Dole's life-long track record of being a rabidly partisan tool when the crunch is on. But this might just be the exception: Bob Dole is said to have bitter memories of his own rehabilitation at the hands of the VA. As the blurb for his book put it,
Dole suffered an arm wound during WWII, and because of the poor army medical treatment he also lost a kidney during his rehabilitation.
And, interestingly, Dole was a physical therapy patient at Walter Reed in 2005.
Not to mention Bin Laden hasn't been caught for something like 2003 days. And, oh yes, there's a couple of wars on…
I went to law school with John McKay’s older brother Mike. Mike was Bush 41’s Washington state campaign manager in 1988. I think that both Mike and John were trained by Jesuits. Even though I never really liked Mike’s politics, he was a decent person. If John is anything like his brother, then I think the Bush family is in for some serious trouble.
Libby perjured himself, and successfully obstructed Justice so as to cover up an act of treason (the betrayal of Valerie Wilson), which itself was done to cover up a greater act of treason (the fraudulent case made for war).
Why exactly should Libby get a minimal sentence of 2-3 years as opposed to the maximum ?