Someone leaked the name of a covert CIA agent to the press. And they did it in a time of war.
The first act is a felony. The second act is treason.
The first penalty is prison. The second penalty is death.
At no point in this discussion does the word "pardon" come up. And at no point in this discussion has anyone been charged with this crime; one that we all witnessed. Whoever leaked the name of covert CIA agent Plame will go unpunished.
If I was in the CIA, I would be alarmed.
If I was a Conservative, I would be outraged.
As it is, I am disappointed that our justice system provides completely different results depending on the defendant (poor people go to prison; rich people get acquitted). I am frustrated that people are able to intentionally commit crimes and avoid punishment by hiding behind the process and media obfuscation. And I am disgusted that cases like these revolve around political party not personal responsibility or merit. When Democrats are lenient on Democrats and Republicans protect Republicans, all Americans lose.
I would be much happier in a country where we treated each other as Americans. A country where rich and poor alike were treated the same by the government. And most of all, a country where lying is punished, not rewarded.
A jury looked at the evidence and very clearly found that Libby lied to the Grand Jury and to the FBI. This case did not involve "liberal judges" or political machinations. If you have any respect for our justice system and our police agencies, you would want to see Libby, and anyone else that did the same thing, punished.
The verdict and punishment should have absolutely nothing to do with what political party Libby is in or his personal relationship to the President or anyone else. Lying is bad; Lying to the government is a crime. You are a hypocrite of the worst kind if you now argue that lying is only a crime if the liar is not on your side and lying is understandable if the liar is on your side.
We talk a lot about character but character means a) dont lie to begin with and b) if you are caught, admit your guilt and serve your penance. Those are the lessons your parents taught you in kindergarten and they have never changed.
The trial is over. Do us all a favor and serve the time without appeal. Or pardon.
Libby's Backers Push for Pardon
Conviction of Cheney Aide Sparks Conservative Calls, But Raises Stakes for 2008
March 7, 2007
Wall Street Journal
The conviction of Vice President Cheney's former chief of staff, I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby, threatened to spark a new political battle, with some conservatives pushing for a presidential pardon based on what they claim is prosecutorial excess.
Mr. Libby wasn't charged with leaking, but with perjury and obstruction of justice for comments he made to FBI investigators and a federal grand jury. His supporters have long argued he shouldn't have been tried since he wasn't the original leaker and say his inaccurate comments to investigators were misstatements based on a faulty memory. With the conviction, these backers are turning their efforts toward seeking a pardon.
Within hours of the verdict, the conservative National Review published an online editorial calling for a pardon and stating that the verdict "conclusively proved only one thing: A White House aide became the target of a politicized prosecution set in motion by bureaucratic infighting and political cowardice." The Wall Street Journal editorial page also called for a pardon2.
