Wall Street Journal To Bush: Save Scooter Libby

The editors of the Wall Street Journal, in their infinite whatever-passes-for wisdom, are beseeching President George W. Bush to offer Scooter Libby a full pardon on the grounds that it would "[undo] a measure of the injustice inflicted" upon him. But wait! Didn't Scooter basically get off scot-free? Apparently there are lingering malignancies, specifically the fact that "as a felon, Mr. Libby is barred by law from voting or practicing law." I really had no idea that the survival of our Republic depended so much upon the resumption of Scooter Libby's legal career. Surely he's free to vie for any number of "shovel-ready" infrastructure jobs!

The Journal, nonetheless, is uniformly unimpressed with the case against Libby. They've got their own urgently laid out version of the events that landed Libby in dutch with prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald that unfortunately largely hangs on whether you buy in to this nonsense:

Based on the trial record and our own long experience with Mr. Libby, we also don't think Mr. Libby lied. As Mr. Fitzgerald's prosecution circled back again and again, Mr. Libby's defense that his memory faltered in recalling the details of long ago conversations is entirely plausible for a busy White House aide.

Emphasis mine, because that is so ADORABLE. My, my! This "Journal" from "Wall Street" must be new to the traditional behaviors and convenient neurological ailments of political figures under indictment! Naturally, we wonder why the editors would place such value on their "long experience" with a White House aide (read: source) whose memory was always faltering!

Anyway, if you do not believe Libby should be pardoned on what we will call "the merits," that's okay, because there's another important reason to show Libby the additional favor of a Presidential pardon:

The pardon power is granted to the President by Article II of the Constitution -- and is not to be taken lightly. At its best, the power should be used not for political favors but to correct injustice in cases where the courts have erred. The most important pardons have often been controversial, from Andrew Johnson's pardons of Confederate soldiers after the Civil War to President Ford's pardon of President Nixon. With perspective, they have helped to close the book on political mistakes, struggles and mismanagement, returning history's judgment from minor actors to the President.

This is the first time I've ever heard it explained that the value of a pardon is equal to the amount of controversy it generates. I had previously believed that the pardon power was an important tool in mitigating legal controversy.

Oh! And, "President Ford's pardon of President Nixon" managed to "close the book on political mistakes, struggles and mismanagement?" Really? Frost/Nixon's not doing brisk business? Dick Cheney's not echoing Nixon's "mistakes, struggles and mismanagement" on teevee? Why, it's almost as if the failure to hold people accountable ensures that lawbreaking continues or something!

Comments

[rosiebond007]

PLEASE - NO

[Amalek]

Scooter deserves a pardon, because he was not the mastermind of this crime. That was Dick Cheney, who should go to jail. No indictment for Cheney, no pardon for Scooter WSJ.

[1dogs2]

Presumably then, the WSJ has no problem with Clinton's pardon of Marc Rich and will oppose Republican efforts to hold up Obama's nomination of Eric Holder for AG.

Oops, sorry. I forgot that consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds.

[Oonagh]

Of course he is going to pardon Libby.... that is not rocket science...

[Carolab]

Make no mistake. He'll pardon Libby or risk Scooter squealing on Dick.

[angler]

The WSJ, a one time geat newspaper, lost it's way years ago when it allowed ideology to overcome common sense. Today it is not much more that an organ for the neocons.

[matt t]

Another mission accomplished.

[CarmanK]

Rupert Murdoch is a foreigner and does not really understand why the 4th esiate is so necessary to the survival of a true democracy. Truth will prevail, only if it is widespread and the people are informed. I remember watching Murdoch bragg on thei Charlie Rose show, how proud he was of his father who was such a great news man!! I wonder what his father would be thinking about Rupert's performance. Murdoch has taken the power of the press to a new level of self gratification. I stopped listening to what the WSJ had to print, it just doesn't have any real creditibility even with the business community. It is ashame. God help us all, if he ever gets his hands on the paper he covets most, The New York Times. I really think it is time for the FCC to take another look at the media markets and put a halt to the expansion of power among too few in the media empires. I hope Obama is aware and willing to take this on. After all he was victimized by Faux News.

[sloreader]

Offer him exoneration and immunity in exchange for turning on Dick.

[Clavis]

Perhaps we're missing the bigger picture here.

Recall that Attorney General Alberto Gonzalez also famously couldn't remember a darned thing.

Isn't it clear that occupants of the White House are engaging in the ingestion of illicit substances? It really is the only reasonable explanation.

After all, as the Wall Street Journal has pointed out, there's no reason to question the integrity of Scooter Libby or, indeed, any Republican White House worker. They are beyond reproach, by dint of their power, wealth and influence.

[Pat15]

With all the lies they have to tell...it gets confusing ...so easy way out is that "I dont recall" ...famous three words used by all corrupt republicans ...

[lungfish]

Since Cheney just admitted that he outed Plame himself I think that Scooter and Co are fall guys for the VEEP who is a traitor in every sense of the word.

CHENEY IS A TRAITOR>>>>>>.

[METAL]

Only a traitor to America would pardon this guy. Do we all need to go to ethics class?

[jsgaetano]

The WSJ has as much credibility as Faux News. Oh wait... they are part of the same company.

Never saw this coming.

[FantasticJuan]

Its funny how as a profession in general, lawyers have to memorize case law, court cases and a mountain of other information to get their JD, pass the bar and to in most cases to practice, but Libby suddenly seems to be the forgetful type in court.

I would have figured he would have ended up at some think tank or on a TV/Radio show.

[suntzu]

Let us not forget why Libby was convicted. He was convicted for perjury in the investigation of the leak, not for perpetrating the leak itself. So even if the WSJ makes the case that Libby did not participate in the leak, he still lied in the investigation, to protect his boss, Cheney. The WSJ is doing a smokescreen job, nothing more.
As far as the leak itself, it appears the Libby and Rove were accessory to the fact, even if they did not actually do the leak. Nobody has been charged for the leak, but Fitzgerald pointed the finger at Cheney saying there was a "cloud" over Cheney's office regarding the leak.
Cheney may be loosening up now because he knows he will get a blanket pardon from Bush.

[heartsick]

That's my take on Cheney's new found talkativeness, as well. Cheney is just laying out all the elements of the Presidential Pardon that has already been written.

[swanie]

He was convicted, not because of what he did, but BECAUSE HE LIED UNDER OATH ! !

Disgusting, and more so for the WSJ to stick up for a legally convicted felon ! !
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