Libby, The Law and The Bush Decision

Is there a fixed and certain standard within the Bush administration regarding the rule of law or is it a hodge-podge pattern of using the law to accomplish some nefarious mission?

Supporters and Critics alike have their own answers, yet so will the public and so far the overwhelming response to the President's decision to derail Scooter Libby's jail sentence is yet more reason to provide lower and lower approval for the 2-term president. I have to think that since the commutation order came within 5 hours of an appeals court ruling which said Libby must begin the jail term while the appeal process continued, then the decision and accompanying press release was made weeks if not months ago.

I do have great trouble in reconciling the Bush edicts that allow for people to be held in secret and non-secret jails without being charged or tried, and the notion that 2 and a half years in jail for obstructing justice and perjury in a national security case is "excessive."

"Excessive" is also the minimum sentence for such cases, and minimum sentencing has been constantly championed by Bush. Going from "excessive" jail time to none?

Clemency, pardons and commutations have never been a part of the Bush technique:

"Bush has granted fewer pardons -- 113 -- than any president in the past 100 years, while denying more than 1,000 requests, said Margaret Colgate Love, the Justice Department's pardon attorney from 1990 to 1997.

In addition, Bush has denied more than 4,000 commutation requests, and hundreds of requests for pardons and commutations are still pending, Love said."

There is also the infamous case of Karla Faye Tucker, whose request for a life sentence instead of the death penalty fell on deaf ears -- and included this response from Bush during an interview with Tucker Carlson in 1999:

"In the weeks before the execution, Bush says, a number of protesters came to Austin to demand clemency for Karla Faye Tucker. "Did you meet with any of them?" I ask. Bush whips around and stares at me. "No, I didn't meet with any of them", he snaps, as though I've just asked the dumbest, most offensive question ever posed. "I didn't meet with Larry King either when he came down for it. I watched his interview with Tucker, though. He asked her real difficult questions like, 'What would you say to Governor Bush?'" "What was her answer?" I wonder. "'Please,'" Bush whimpers, his lips pursed in mock desperation, "'don't kill me.'" I must look shocked — ridiculing the pleas of a condemned prisoner who has since been executed seems odd and cruel — because he immediately stops smirking."

Your complaints (or your praise) for this action can be sent to your congressional reps, but they have left town for vacation. The media will move on to report about 4th of July cookouts, toy robot movies, the war, the random attack, on to a commercial and back with more on the wrestler who had some steroid rage and a new Harry Potter movie!!!

History (or those who write it, I should say) may find some favor for Bush - no matter the reaction or response to his decisions, he never looked back (or ahead) with a different mind.

Some say the case against Libby should never have reached the courts -- however, what is certain is that the criminal investigation of a national security breach was stopped dead just outside the doors of the Oval Office by Libby's interference.