Commuting Scooter

Thinking about freedom today and what it really means. So much talk about Bush commuting I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby's jail time.

As best as I can tell, here's how The Plame Affair went down:

1. Ambassador Wilson blasted Bush/Cheney in a New York Times op-ed, saying that part of the Iraqi war justification regarding Saddam Hussein seeking uranium in the African country of Niger was false, that the Bush administration knew it, but told it to the American people as fact in a State of the Union speech anyway.
2. Cheney was incensed and devised a plan to punish Wilson.
3. Cheney tells Scooter to punish Wilson by revealing that his wife, Valerie Plame, is a covert CIA operative.
4. Cheney assures Scooter that the President is on board and that there will be no jail time.
5. Scooter and his cronies out Plame by calling conservative columnist Robert Novak.
6. Subsequent trial convicts Scooter and a judge, appointed by Bush, sentences him to 3 years in jail + fine and loss of law license.
7. As promised, Bush commutes Scooter's jail time.

This puts Bush above the law of the land. Just have a minion do the dirty work and then pardon them afterwards. With this philosophy, what can't the President do? THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE! This is why people say Bush thinks he's king. Our republic was established on the ideals that we didn't want to be ruled by a king — something to be aware of on this Independence Day!

Of course, the neo-cons were at the ready with an argument that Clinton pardoned people, too. Apparently, when Clinton does something you hate he is devil spawn; when he does something to justify your actions, he's held up as a shining example of what's right with the world.

Yes, Clinton pardoned many. Even criminals. But the difference is that he wasn't involved in the scandal and the people he pardoned didn't work for him. He didn't pardon or commute the jail time of Susan McDougal who was convicted as part of the Whitewater land development scandal. She spent 18 months in prison including 7 weeks in solitary confinement for civil contempt of court.

Don't muddy the waters. Clinton and Bush are separate issues. Let's debate one and then the other.

If you missed it, watch this clip from Keith Olbermann last night. I am now firmly in the IMPEACH DICK camp. We gotta get rid of him before Bush so he doesn't become President...at least officially.

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