I sure hope I don't look surprised, because anyone who's been reading this blog for the last few months knows I'm not in the least bit surprised that Scooter Libby didn't get what he deserved. Jane Hamsher sums it up:
If you were to watch the elite punditocracy bloviating on the cable news shows you’d think that Scooter Libby’s liberation from justice would induce big sighs of relief on the part of the American public, but the reality seems to be quite different. According to a new SurveyUSA poll, people actually do care about this case and don’t like what has happened — 60% think Libby should serve his sentence. Only 21% agree with the President’s decision.
Contrary to the GOP talking point that Bush is playing to his base, he’s not. It’s clearly not about poll numbers. Bush is covering his own tracks and obstructing justice.
Americans Think Scooter Should Do the Time
It wasn't hard to predict, really. I did it months ago, and I doubt I was anywhere near the first one. All you have to do to figure out what George W. Bush is going to do is figure out what's in his best interest and ignore all other considerations. They're superfluous in this equation. In this case, Bush's interest was keeping Libby quiet. That was going to be much harder to do if Libby went to jail. Ergo,
I'll make another prediction - this won't hurt the Republicans one bit. The next national election is more than a year away. Americans will have mostly forgotten about this by then, once again anethsetized by the latest celebrity gossip or tales of missing white women attacked by pirahnas. The Democrats, who with rare exceptions are nearly as feckless as Republicans and considerably less competent as politicians, won't be able to figure out how to make hay of this, since it will require them to take risks and be criticized by the right wing pundits they're deathly afraid of.
If you really want to know more, check out Christy's article at FDL. Senator Chris Dodd gets the last word here, from a quote I found at the FDL link:
By commuting Scooter Libby’s sentence, the President continues to abdicate responsibility for the actions of his Administration. The only ones paying the price for this Administration’s actions are the American people.”
That about sums it up. The Republicans won't do anything. The Democrats won't do anything useful, and we'll be left with less security and a government that's out of control.
UPDATE: Amb. Joe Wilson's reaction, with a transcript at DKos. A reaction from Larry Johnson and SusanUnPC at No Quarter.
6 comments:
Iraqi people and the US soldiers and marines are also paying a heavy price.
True, although the latter two are part of the American people. Much of the world is paying a price, I suppose, including most of the Middle East.
So when Bush said "anyone who was involved with the leak of a CIA agent's name will not be working in my administration anymore", I guess we should have taken him at his word. Libby isn't working in the Bush administration anymore.
His next job will probably be as a commentator on Fox News. After all, isn't that where all the president's men end up? (Maybe Libby and Olive North can do a show together.)
If only Libby had been borderline mentally retarded. Then Bush would have had him executed.
If Libby had been mentally retarded, he might have dictated a statement like "My boss Dick told me to tell you that Mister Wilson's wife is a secret agent" into his iPod, and mailed it to Keith Olbermann.
I'm getting to the point where we should burn DC to the ground and then salt the earth.
BTW Cujo, I added you to my Blogroll.
Hey, thanks, Bustedknuckles. As for DC, I think a good airing out might do the trick. Unfortunately, the place was built on a swamp. The stink inevitably returns.
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