In this video, “With a snarky grin, Vice President Cheney essentially admits (unapologetically) that he declassified the identity of covert CIA agent Valery Plame, wife of former Ambassador Joe Wilson who was sent to Niger at the behest of the CIA to investigate the claim of uranium sales to Iraq.
See my other video of what former President Bush Sr. had to say about those who reveal the names of covert agents: here.”
By Barry Grey:
President Bush’s commutation of the 30-month prison sentence of I. Lewis Libby, the former chief of staff to Vice President Dick Cheney, is a monument to the lawlessness of the Bush administration and the utter corruption of the American ruling elite.
It is one more expression of the government’s brazen contempt for both the law and the American people. A recent poll showed that 72 percent of the population opposes a pardon for Libby.
Bush issued his order of presidential clemency within hours of a ruling by the US Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit rejecting Libby’s appeal of a decision last month by the trial judge in his perjury and obstruction of justice case. Judge Reggie B. Walton had ruled that Libby could not remain free while he appealed his jury conviction. Monday’s appeals court ruling meant that Libby was to begin serving his sentence within weeks.
In a cynical and perfunctory statement, Bush outlined the objections to the judge’s sentence leveled by right-wing supporters of the administration and fascistic bloggers and talk radio hosts who have been conducting a “free Libby” campaign to demand that Bush pardon Cheney’s former top aide.
The character of the forces whipped up in the campaign for Libby was indicated in an extraordinary statement by Judge Walton at last month’s hearing on Libby’s bail request. Walton said he wanted to put on the record the fact that he had received threatening letters.
See also here.
From the blog of Paul Begala in the USA:
George W. Bush is One Tough Hombre
Tough enough to execute Karla Fay Tucker — and then laugh about it. Tough enough to sign a death warrant for a man whose lawyer slept through the trial — and then snicker when asked about it in a debate. Even tough enough to execute a great-grandmother who murdered her husband — after he abused her. A friend of mine at the time asked Bush to commute her sentence, telling him, “Betty Lou ain’t a threat to no one she ain’t married to.” No dice.
Mr. Bush is tough enough to invade a country that was no risk to America, causing tens of thousands of civilian deaths and shedding precious American blood in the process. Tough enough to sanction torture. Tough enough to order an American citizen arrested and held without trial.
But if you’re rich and right-wing and Republican, George is a real softie. As George W. Bush demonstrated in giving Scooter Libby a Get Out of Jail Free Card, he is only compassionate to conservatives.
Correction: hundreds of thousands of civilian deaths in Iraq.
See also here.
Libby oil trail: here.
Libby’s fine: here.
‘WMD’ in Iraq: here.
Evidence indicates that the contract for 28 Marine One helicopters to an Italian firm was a payoff to the Italian government for supplying the forged documents showing Saddam had obtained weapons grade uranium from Niger: here.
*Bush … Libby … and what is still hidden*
Posted by: “hapi22” hapi22@earthlink.net robinsegg
Mon Jul 2, 2007 6:56 pm (PST)
In thinking about Bush’s commutation of Lewis Libby’s sentence, we need
to keep a few things in mind:
(1) Libby was prosecuted by a U.S. Attorney (Patrick Fitzgerald) whom
President George W. Bush appointed
(2) Libby was tried in a court presided over by a Judge (Judge Reggie B.
Walton) whom President George W. Bush also appointed
(3) Libby was found *guilty* on 4 *felony counts* by a 12-person jury of
his peers: two counts of PERJURY, one count of making false statements,
and one count of obstruction of justice.
(4) Libby was sentenced by the Judge, using sentencing guidelines that
matched the seriousness of the crimes
(5) when Libby appealed his having to go to jail before he had exhausted
all of his appeals (which could have taken years), the three judge panel
on the D.C. Circuit Court that denied Libby’s appeal was comprised of
two hard-core rightwing judges (appointed by Republican presidents) and
one judge appointed by a Democratic president — the Court’s denial of
Libby’s appeal was UNANIMOUS.
(6) Bush has the Constitutional right to commute the sentence of anyone
he wants to, but there are Dept. of Justice guidelines (which Bush is
not required to follow, but in the past Bush has been very strict about
following similar guidelines) that most presidents would abide by. Here
are the Dept. of Justice’s guidelines for commutations, from the DOJ
manual on Commutations
(emphasis added) …
– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
Section 1-2.113 Standards for Considering Commutation Petitions
A commutation of sentence reduces the period of incarceration; it
does not imply forgiveness of the underlying offense, but simply
remits a portion of the punishment. It has no effect upon the
underlying conviction and does not necessarily reflect upon the
fairness of the sentence originally imposed. *Requests for
commutation generally are not accepted unless and until a person has
begun serving that sentence.* Nor are commutation requests generally
accepted from persons who are presently challenging their
convictions or sentences through appeal or other court proceeding.
http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/014963.php
– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
Clearly Libby had NOT begun serving his sentence and, as far as we know,
may still appeal his felony convictions to the Supreme Court, which
would also violate the Dept. of Justice guidelines for granting
commutations.
(7) although Special Counsel Patrick Fitzgerald has been scrupulously
careful not to express any personal opinions in any part of his
investigation and prosecution, he did release this statement, this
evening, after Bush commuted Libby’s sentence.
– – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
We fully recognize that the Constitution provides that commutation
decisions are a matter of presidential prerogative and we do not
comment on the exercise of that prerogative.
We comment only on the statement in which the President termed the
sentence imposed by the judge as “excessive.” The sentence in this
case was imposed pursuant to the laws governing sentencing which
occur every day throughout this country. In this case, an
experienced federal judge considered extensive argument from the
parties and then imposed a sentence consistent with the applicable
laws. It is fundamental to the rule of law that all citizens stand
before the bar of justice as equals. That principle guided the judge
during both the trial and the sentencing.
Although the President’s decision eliminates Mr. Libby’s sentence of
imprisonment, Mr. Libby remains convicted by a jury of serious
felonies, and we will continue to seek to preserve those convictions
through the appeals process.
http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/014974.php
– – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
(8) Libby must know some Very Significant Stuff that Bush and Cheney are
desperate to keep from the American people, and I am certain they were
fearful that before Libby set one foot inside a jail he would open up
and tell those things to Fitzgerald in the hope of making a deal to
escape doing time in jail. I am convinced that Bush would rather take
the heat for this commutation than risk having the world find out WHAT
Libby knows about White House involvement in leaking the identity of a
COVERT CIA operative who was working to keep nuclear weapons out of
the hands of terrorists.
(9) Libby will suffer no money problems … the rightwing thugs around
the White House will take up a collection to pay his fine
(10) Bush could still grant Libby a FULL pardon at any time.
READ the */”United States Attorney’s Manual Standards for Consideration
of Clemency Petitions/*” at: http://www.usdoj.gov/pardon/petitions.htm
Libby Commutation An Impeachable Offense…
Posted by: “G. Myrick” garymyrick@sbcglobal.net garymyrick
Tue Jul 3, 2007 1:37 am (PST)
I found this to be interesting.
———————————————————-
>From Judiciary In ’74-“If The President Be Connected In Any Suspicious Manner With Any Person…”
The following is from a report written and released by the Judiciary Committee in 1974 in the aftermath of the Watergate crisis.
In the (Constitutional) convention George Mason argued that the President might use his pardoning power to “pardon crimes which were advised by himself” or, before indictment or conviction, “to stop inquiry and prevent detection.” James Madison responded:
If the President be connected, in any suspicious manner, with any person, and there be grounds to believe he will shelter him, the House of Representatives can impeach him; they can remove him if found guilty…
Madison went on to say contrary to his position in the Philadelphia convention, that the President could be suspended when suspected, and his powers would devolve on the Vice President, who could likewise be suspended until impeached and convicted, if he were also suspected.
———————————————————-
Read this at http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2007/7/2/193014/5401
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Posted by: “James & Cherie Mabrey” jtmabrey@comporium.net catawbademocrat
Tue Jul 3, 2007 9:53 am (PST)
I’m outraged. President Bush commuted Scooter Libby’s prison sentence
wiping away two and half years of jail time with the stroke of a pen.
President Bush ignored Libby’s felony conviction for lying to investigators,
ignored the jury’s guilty verdict, and ignored the rule of law that governs
our nation.
We expect more from our President. We expect honor and integrity, we expect
moral leadership. We expect our President and his staff to be held to a
higher standard.
Tell
President Bush that you are appalled by his actions. Sign our
petition today letting President Bush know that this outrageous conduct
won’t be tolerated by the American people.
Sincerely,
Chuck Schumer
Here’s a good way to let bush know what you think.
From: Cherie
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*The Scooter Libby Defense Trust *
Posted by: “hapi22” hapi22@earthlink.net robinsegg
Tue Jul 3, 2007 9:27 am (PST)
Here are some phone numbers of people you can call and actually get to
talk to a person:
David Addington (Cheney’s office): 202 456 9000
Fred Fielding (White House Counselor):202 456 2632
Todd Beyer (Dept. Asst. to Pres.): 202 456 5332
– – – – – – – –
Some tidbits:
– – – – – – – –
Lewis Scooter Libby’s legal defense website is hosted by Smart Tech Corp
and that his fund-raising is handled by edonation.com.
Fred Thompson is on the advisory board of Libby’s legal defense fund.
We need to go after any of the Republican candidates — such as *Fred
“Law & Order” Thompson* and *Rudy “I was a federal prosecutor” Giuliani
*for their enthusiastic support of Bush’s commutation of Libby’s sentence.
If any more Republican candidates make supportive statements, we need to
spread the word about them, too.
Who are these “champions of justice” that make up Libby’s fund-raising
effort ? A roll call:
– – – – – – – – –
The advisory committee of Libby’s trust is made up of developers,
investors, publishers, think-tankers. There’s former senator Fred
Thompson, the “Law & Order” star and Republican presidential
aspirant — who even held a fundraiser for Libby at his McLean home,
according to Carlson….
There are former Cabinet-level officials, including Ed Meese, Jack
Kemp and Spencer Abraham. There is conservative thinker Bill Bennett
and political philosopher Francis Fukuyama. There’s Ron Silver, of
“West Wing” fame. There’s Mary Matalin, a former Cheney adviser, and
Nina Rosenwald, chairwoman of the Middle East Media Research
Institute. There is Steve Forbes, who knows a thing or two about
writing checks.
– – – – – – – – –
SEE “The Scooter Libby Defense Trust” at: http://www.scooterlibby.com/
—————————————————-
* Contacting the White House *
*Mailing Address *
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20500
*Phone Numbers *
Comments: 202-456-1111 – if busy, keep trying
Switchboard: 202-456-1414
FAX: 202-456-2461
*E-Mail * Please send your comments to comments@whitehouse.gov
. ]
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*who are currently the power ELITE in Washington D.C.?*
Posted by: “hapi22” hapi22@earthlink.net robinsegg
Tue Jul 3, 2007 9:28 am (PST)
Just so you and I can know the identities of some of the crooks who are
currently the power ELITE in Washington D.C.
———————————————————-
*ADVISORY COMMITTEE MEMBERS*
* of the *
*”The Scooter Libby Defense Trust”*
http://www.scooterlibby.com/*
*
~ ~ ~ ~
*Ambassador Mel Sembler, Chairman** *
Mel Sembler is the Chairman of the Board of the Sembler Company, a real
estate and shopping center development company. He served as United
States Ambassador to Italy under President George W. Bush from 2001
through the summer of 2005.
~ ~ ~ ~
*The Honorable Spencer Abraham*
Spencer Abraham is Chairman and CEO of The Abraham Group, an
international strategic consulting firm based in Washington, DC. After
being nominated by President-elect George W. Bush, Spencer Abraham was
sworn in as the tenth Secretary of Energy in United States history on
January 20, 2001
~ ~ ~ ~
*Honorable William J. Bennett *
William J. Bennett is one of America’s most important, influential and
respected voices on cultural, political, and education issues.
~ ~ ~ ~
*Mr. Lawrence E. Bathgate II *
Mr. Bathgate is the senior partner at Bathgate, Wegener and Wolf,
attorneys-at-law, Lakewood, NJ. The firm represents many domestic and
multi-national corporations in a variety of business-related matters.
~ ~ ~ ~
*The Honorable Wayne Berman *
Wayne Berman is a Principal at the Federalist Group. He also was the
founder of Berman Enterprises, a business development consultancy that
merged with the Federalist Group in January 2004.
~ ~ ~ ~
*Ambassador Stuart Bernstein *
Stuart Bernstein was sworn in as Ambassador to Denmark on August 16,
2001 and served through January 2005. As Chairman of the Bernstein
Companies, Stuart Bernstein was a recognized leader in real estate
development, investment and management in the Mid-Atlantic region, with
the focus of his business efforts centered in Washington, DC.
~ ~ ~ ~
*Ambassador Richard Carlson *
Richard Carlson is Vice Chairman of the Foundation for the Defense of
Democracies, a policy institute focusing on terrorism. He has experience
in journalism and diplomacy and is a former United States Ambassador.
~ ~ ~ ~
*Mr. David Flaum *
Mr. Flaum is a leading real estate developer in upstate New York and is
the founder and CEO of Flaum Management Company, Inc. of Rochester, New
York.
~ ~ ~ ~
*Mr. Steve Forbes *
Forbes is Editor-in-chief of business magazine Forbes as well as
president and chief executive officer of its publisher, Forbes Inc.
Forbes was a candidate in the U.S. Presidential Republican primaries in
1996 and 2000.
~ ~ ~ ~
*Professor Francis Fukuyama *
Francis Fukuyama is Bernard L. Schwartz Professor of International
Political Economy at the Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International
Studies (SAIS) of Johns Hopkins University, and the director of SAIS’
International Development program.
~ ~ ~ ~*
Ambassador Charles A. Heimbold, Jr. *
Charles A. Heimbold, Jr. served as the United States Ambassador to
Sweden from September 2001 – February 2004.
~ ~ ~ ~
*The Honorable Shelly Kamins *
Mr. Kamins is a Washington area real estate developer, venture capital
investor and a long-time Republican activist.
~ ~ ~ ~
*The Honorable Jack Kemp *
Former Vice-Presidential candidate, Secretary of Housing and Urban
Development and Congressman from New York, Jack Kemp has been one of the
nation’s leading advocates for strong economic growth, free markets and
lower tax rates.
~ ~ ~ ~
*The Honorable Jeane Kirkpatrick (1926 to 2006) *
Former United Nations Ambassador Kirkpatrick was called “a giant among
the diplomats of the world” by former President Ronald Reagan.
~ ~ ~ ~
*Ambassador Howard Leach *
Howard Leach was sworn in as U.S. Ambassador to France on July 16, 2001.
He arrived in Paris on July 17, 2001, and presented his credentials to
President Chirac on September 4, 2001.
~ ~ ~ ~
*Professor Bernard Lewis *
Professor Lewis is the Cleveland E. Dodge Professor of Near Eastern
Studies Emeritus at Princeton University and the author of The Middle
East: A Brief History of the Last 2,000 Years, a National Book Critics
Circle Award finalist; The Emergence of Modern Turkey; The Arabs in
History; and What Went Wrong?: Western Impact and Middle Eastern
Response, among other books
~ ~ ~ ~
*Ms. Mary Matalin *
Mary Matalin served as assistant to President George W. Bush and
counselor to Vice President Dick Cheney from January 2001 through
January 2003, and was the first White House official to hold that double
title.
~ ~ ~ ~
Frederic V. Malek
Fred Malek is Founder and Chairman of Thayer Capital Partners, a
Washington D.C. based merchant bank that has $1.5 billion of equity
under management and focuses on management buyouts. Mr. Malek is also
Founder and Chairman of Thayer Hotel Investors, a hotel investment
company that has acquired and owns approximately $1.4 billion of hotel
assets.
~ ~ ~ ~
*Honorable Edwin Meese, III *
Former U.S. Attorney General Edwin Meese was among President Ronald
Reagan’s most important advisors. As Chairman of the Domestic Policy
Council and the National Drug Policy Board, and as a member of the
National Security Council, he played a key role in the development and
execution of domestic and foreign policy.
~ ~ ~ ~
*Honorable Don Nickles *
*Senator *Don Nickles is Chairman & CEO of the Nickles Group, LLC, which
he founded in 2005. Senator Nickles supervises the firm’s government
relations and consulting practices, and oversees the management of
business development and client issues.
~ ~ ~ ~
*The Honorable Bill Paxon *
A member of Congress from 1989 to 1999, Bill Paxon played a key role as
chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee in electing
and re-electing the first House Republican majorities since the 1920s.
~ ~ ~ ~
*Mr. Marty Peretz *
Marty Peretz is the Editor-in-Chief of The New Republic. Peretz taught
for 39 years at Harvard University. He is also a cofounder and member of
the Board of Directors of TheStreet.com.
~ ~ ~ ~
*Ambassador Mercer Reynolds *
Ambassador Mercer Reynolds III is the co-chairman of Cincinnati-based
investment firm Reynolds, DeWitt & Co., and Chairman and CEO of Reynolds
Plantation in Greensboro, Georgia.
~ ~ ~ ~
*Ms. Nina Rosenwald *
Rosenwald is Chairman of the Board of the Middle East Media and Research
Institute and Vice President of the Jewish Institute for Near East Policy.
~ ~ ~ ~
*Ambassador Dennis B. Ross *
Ambassador Dennis B. Ross served as Special Middle East Coordinator,
from 1988-2000, playing the leading role in shaping U.S. involvement in
the Middle East peace process and in dealing directly with the
negotiations.
~ ~ ~ ~
*Mr. Ron Silver *
Silver has starred in dozens of films, television shows and stage
productions such as “Silkwood,” “Reversal of Fortune,” “Billionaire Boys
Club,” “The West Wing,” “Law and Order,” and “Speed the Plough” for
which he received Tony and Drama Desk awards. Silver is the former
President of the Actors’ Equity Association and the founding President
of the Creative Coalition. He was appointed Chairman of the Millenium
Commission by then Mayor Rudy Giuliani.
~ ~ ~ ~
*The Honorable Alan Simpson *
Alan K. Simpson served as a Senator from Wyoming from 1979 to 1997. From
1985 to 1995 he was Republican Whip in the Senate and also served as
Chairman of the Veterans’ Affairs Committee.
~ ~ ~ ~
*Mr. Allan Tessler *
With a specialization in the area of turnaround financing, Mr. Tessler
combines extensive management experience with proficiency in corporate
and securities legal matters.
~ ~ ~ ~
*The Honorable Fred Thompson *
A former United States Senator from Tennessee (1994-2002), former
prosecutor and accomplished film and television actor, Thompson
currently appears in the Emmy Award-winning drama series “Law & Order”
as the District Attorney.
~ ~ ~ ~
*The Honorable R. James Woolsey *
Former CIA Director, R. James Woolsey joined booz Allen Hamilton in July
2002, as a Vice President and officer in the firm’s Global Assurance
practice located in McLean, Virginia.
~ ~ ~ ~
*Mr. Michael Green, Trustee *
Michael Green is a partner in the Washington, DC office of the law firm
Dickstein Shapiro Morin & Oshinsky LLP.
Read this WITH LINKS to long biographies of each person, at:
http://www.scooterlibby.com/committee/
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*newspaper editorials all across America slamming this commutation*
Posted by: “hapi22” hapi22@earthlink.net robinsegg
Tue Jul 3, 2007 10:01 am (PST)
I know the White House phone lines are busy, and it is impossible for us
to know if it is the case that the phones are over-loaded with irate
calls or if the White House simply pulled the plug.
But, I think it is worth it to keep trying, and here are three other
phone numbers that someone said he was getting thought to a person on.
David Addington (Cheney’s office): 202 456 9000
Fred Fielding (White House Counselor):202 456 2632
Todd Beyer (Dept. Asst. to Pres.): 202 456 5332
I am sure Bush doesn’t give a rat’s a___ what we think, but we still
need to make sure the American public hears the FACTS regarding this
story, since we know the media whores are already spinning this story
furiously as being “no big deal” — which is the opposite of what it is.
I am convinced that Bush did not dare take a chance that — if Libby saw
jail-time staring him in the face — Libby would start singing like a
canary about the involvement of Bush and Cheney in disclosing the
identity of a covert CIA operative (who was working to keep terrorists
from obtaining nuclear weapons) in order to silence a critic of their
invasion of Iraq — a critic who was exposing their lies.
~ ~ ~
Editor & Publisher has excerpts from newspaper editorials all across
America slamming this commutation:
“*Editorials Hit Libby’s Get-Out-of-Jail-Free Card*” at:
http://www.editorandpublisher.com/eandp/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003606531
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Posted by: “hapi22” hapi22@earthlink.net robinsegg
Tue Jul 3, 2007 10:23 am (PST)
I think most commentators and editorial writers are missing the point
about WHY Bush issued this commutation at THIS time.
/Number One:/ Lewis Libby’s appeal to the D.C. Circuit Court had just
been denied two hours earlier (Bush couldn’t do it before the Court’s
denial ), and Libby KNEW he was headed for time behind bars. Libby was
certain to start trying to cut a deal with Special Counsel Patrick
Fitzgerald to avoid jail time. Bush could not take any chances, since
Libby knows the FACTS of Bush’s and Cheney’s involvement in the leaking
of a covert CIA operative’s identity — they had done it in order to
silence her husband who was revealing the Big Lie Bush and Cheney had
told to get us into the war in Iraq.
/Number Two: / Libby’s wife, at least, had warned that Libby wasn’t
going down alone.
/Number Three: / All of the senators and House members are OUT of town
on the July 4th recess and cannot be contacted by irate constituents.
/Number Four: /Almost no one is at his or her desk in the White House
and available to answer phone calls from irate Americans.
/Number Five: /Since the Fourth of July comes on Wednesday, many
COMEDIANS have taken the week off (Jon Stewart and David Letterman ran
OLD shows last night) and, so, are not around to RIDICULE and bash Bush
for this commutation.
The timing was carefully chosen by the White House for maximum freedom
from criticism and impact.
LikeLike
7.
*Mrs. Libby’s threat*
Posted by: “hapi22” hapi22@earthlink.net robinsegg
Tue Jul 3, 2007 11:17 am (PST)
This is the only link I have to Mrs. Libby’s threat, but I think the
source is a reliable one.
“Mrs. Libby has said publicly, in no uncertain terms, that if her
husband is going down, he isn’t going down alone. The question
immediately arises as to whether Harriet Grant Libby has enough bait
at her disposal to catch two slippery little weasels. I’m betting
that neither Cheney nor Karl Rove particularly wants to risk the
chance that she does.”
— written July 2, 2007, at 2:55:11 a.m. EDT — fifteen hours before
Bush issued the Libby commutation (at 5:45 p.m. )
http://www.benningtonbanner.com/ci_6279258?source=most_viewed
/Alden Graves is a Bennington [VT] Banner columnist and reviewer.
———————————————————-
8.
Fitzgerald COULD investigate Libby commutation.
Posted by: “G. Myrick” garymyrick@sbcglobal.net garymyrick
Tue Jul 3, 2007 12:10 pm (PST)
John Dean of Watergate fame (and others) had some compelling things to say on “Countdown” yesterday about Libby’s commutation.
(Links below.)
———————————————————-
OLBERMANN: Does the special prosecutor, we asked David Shuster about Mr. Fitzgerald’s reaction to this, does he have anything here to pursue an obstruction of justice investigation on the commutation issue?
DEAN: Well, Keith, he’s the one who left the cloud over the vice president during the trial. I think he’s left a cloud over himself if he doesn’t try to clear that away. There is a very real potential, there’s an ongoing obstruction of justice going on here, and this was part of the package. And until he satisfies himself that that isn’t the case, I think there’s some things to be looked at.
He could very easily put Libby in front of a grand jury and immunize him so he couldn’t plead the Fifth, and see if he wants to lie again, and go through this again.
OLBERMANN: Could that actually be played out at this point? Could he, could, since there is no recourse here, I presume there is, there’s no recourse from any further prosecution for Mr. Fitzgerald of Mr. Libby from what exists now. Could he actually do that? Could he immunize him and, as you suggest, bring him in front of a grand jury? Would Libby be able to go to the Fifth? Would he try for some form of executive privilege? Where would we go from there?
DEAN: Well, he could well plead the Fifth, but the prosecutor has the power to immunize him, so he can’t rely on the Fifth, because he has no jeopardy from his own testimony at that point. Then it would become a question of executive privilege. We know from U.S. versus Nixon that the courts don’t look very favorably on presidents declaring executive privilege in prosecution matters.
So there’s not much there. I think that there’s a good possibility, if Fitzgerald wants to pursue this and wants to remove the cloud, he’s certainly got a lot of room to move, and probably would do so quickly.
OLBERMANN: Does Congress have any recourse, John?
DEAN: They do indeed. They have the same possibility.
———————————————————-
Further, repeating what I earlier posted in the group, I think the information below is relevant. Whether there is the will to actually uphold and APPLY these principles is another question.
“In the (Constitutional) convention.George Mason argued that the President might use his pardoning power to ‘pardon crimes which were advised by himself’ or, before indictment or conviction, ‘to stop inquiry and prevent detection.”‘James Madison responded:
‘If the President be connected, in any suspicious manner, with any person, and there be grounds to believe he will shelter him, the House of Representatives can impeach him; they can remove him if found guilty… ‘
Madison went on to say contrary to his position in the Philadelphia convention, that the President could be suspended when suspected, and his powers would devolve on the VICE PRESIDENT, who could likewise be suspended until impeached and convicted, if he were also suspected.”
———————————————————-
(From http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2007/7/2/193014/5401)
(Olbermann-Dean transcript at http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/19581765/ ).
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12.
Cindy is Back – “Call out the Instigator”
Posted by: “Charles Jenks” charles@traprockpeace.org chaspeace
Tue Jul 3, 2007 4:21 pm (PST)
http://www.traprockpeace.org/traprock_blog/
Call Out the Instigator
Cindy Sheehan
Call out the Instigator
Because there ²s something in the air
We got to get together sooner or later
Because the revolution ²s here
You know it ²s right!
Thunderclap Newman
I ²m not backing off. I tried to remove myself from the political realm of the US, what BushCo is turning into an Evil Empire, but the blatant audacity of George commuting Scooter ²s sentence (he ²s not ruling out a full pardon —and you know he will) has dragged me kicking and screaming back in. I can ²t sit back and let this BushCo drag our country further down into the murky quagmire of Fascism and violence, taking the rest of the world with them!
I have sat quietly back these past five weeks as the slaughter in Iraq sorrowfully surges along with George ²s bloody escalation—and as the philosophical opposition to the war has soared to almost four out of every five Americans. I have remained silent when Senator Barack Obama said that impeachment is only reserved for ³grave, grave ´ breeches! Well, BushCo has created hundreds of thousands of graves dug by their lies and greed. For cripes ² sake, George admitted to breaking the FISA Act (which is a felony) that also breeched the 4th Amendment to our Constitution that already prohibited illegal search and seizure. How was Bill Clinton ²s offense graver than George’s, Dick’s, or Scooter’s? Did we ever think that the criminality and arrogance of the Nixon White House would be eclipsed in our time with nary a ³baaaah ´ from the Sheeple in Congress?
George has said that America doesn ²t ³do torture ´ when we have all seen the images of torture from Abu Ghraib (don ²t believe your lyin ² eyes) and know that hundreds of people sold to the US Army for an immoral bounty are incarcerated within the inhumane confines of Guantanamo Prison which is right in our own back yard.
I have had to bite my tongue—HARD—as the George and Dick crime cabal, (formerly known has the executive branch) have claimed that their offices are not to be held up to the same standards of accountability and control as any other entity in the human race, governmental or private.
It has been recently reported that Nancy Pelosi said that impeachment is not ³worth it. ´ Her faulty reasoning is that impeachment would take too much time because they don ²t have the votes. If they could ³whip ´ their own Democratic caucus into shape to defend and protect our Constitution and the people of Iraq and our soldiers as they whupped, cajoled, threatened and browbeat the caucus into attaching ³non-binding ´ time lines onto the last war funding bill, then impeachment would not only be possible, but likely.
The recent commutation of I. Scooter Libby ²s sentence, however, was the straw that broke my camel ²s back of exhausted ennui. Patrick Fitzgerald is a thoughtful and thorough prosecutor who did a heroic job of bringing at least one of the Bush Crime Mob to justice. Even though we were all very pleased, we knew that it was not enough and that Mr. Fitzgerald would delve deeper into the feces infested executive branch. The lawlessness of the Bush Administration has reached wild west proportions and the inmates definitely have control of the US(A)sylum.
A very dear friend of mine, Rev. Lennox Yearwood of the Hip Hop Caucus, is being harassed by the Air Force for ³Conduct Unbecoming an Officer and a Gentleman ´ because ³The Rev ´ fulfills his duty as an Officer and a Gentleman honorably by protesting Iraq and the Fascist Bush Regime almost constantly. The Rev is still in Individual Ready Reserve so the Air Force believes it is within its parameters to pursue the charges, although every ³Officer and Gentleman(woman) ´ should be protesting the atrocious mistakes in the Middle East. After The Rev ²s hearing on July 12th, (in Macon, GA) he is going to begin a ³symbolic ´ walk from the Reverend Martin Luther King ²s grave (Atlanta, GA) to DC—I am going to be there for him and to begin the march, but I am not going to make it symbolic.
We are going to walk from Atlanta, GA to Congress beginning July 13th and ending up in DC on July 23rd to send the mis-leaders back home to face the music of justice in their own districts.
It is about time us ³peasants ´ (in the eyes of the Fascist Ruling Elite) march on DC with our ³pitchforks ´ of righteous anger and our ³torches ´ of truth to demand the ouster of BushCo. I have a dream of the detention centers that George has built and filled being instead filled with Orange Clad neo-cons and neo-connettes.
If Congress won ²t dig BushCo ²s political grave, it is the People ²s job to do so. Thomas Jefferson said that we need a Revolution every 20 years, or so, to keep our Republic honest. Over 225 years have passed since our last Revolution (if you don’t count the War Between the States) and we are long overdue for one. Turn off your TVs, kiss your pets goodbye, bring the kids and flock to the federal seat of corruption, or join us on our walk there, for a People’s Accountability Movement to be in the face of the Criminal BushCo and the Complicit Congress for the last week of session before they go on their undeserved vacations (why do they get vacations when the Iraqi parliamentarians don ²t?)
On the eve of our first revolution: You know it ²s right!
Author ²s note: Please, I already see ³Attention Whore Back. ´ If anyone thinks that I am going to walk hundreds of miles in the Deep South during July for attention, then please join us! We will be publishing our route and plans for Accountability events along the way, within the next few days. Stay tuned.
***
Charles Jenks
Chair of Advisory Board
Traprock Peace Center
103 Keets Road
Deerfield, MA 01342
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Bush can’t even OBSTRUCT JUSTICE right!
Posted by: “G. Myrick” garymyrick@sbcglobal.net garymyrick
Wed Jul 4, 2007 4:14 pm (PST)
Judge Walton Issues New Libby Court Order
Democratic Underground
Tue Jul 03, 2007
It appears that President Bush made a serious mistake in his Commutation Order. As justification for invalidating Libby’s prison sentence, he pointed out that Libby would still be subject to two years probation, a harsh sentence, Bush says (rolls eyes).
Oops!
As Judge Walton just noticed, it looks like Libby WON’T EVEN SERVE PROBATION, since, under the federal system, “supervised release,” as it is called, can only follow an actual prison sentence.
Talk about incompetence. Bush can’t even get Obstruction of Justice right!
(Link: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389×1246846)
———————————————————-
FROM CNN
Judge questions Libby’s probation after Bush clemency
WASHINGTON (CNN) — President Bush spared former White House aide I. Lewis “Scooter” Libby from prison, and his clemency order may wipe out Libby’s 2-year probation as well, the trial judge told lawyers Tuesday.
A conviction remains on Scooter Libby’s record, and he must still pay a $250,000 fine.
Strictly interpreted, the statute authorizing probation indicates that supervised release “should occur only AFTER the defendant has already served a term of imprisonment,” U.S. District Judge Reggie Walton wrote.
Walton ordered lawyers to weigh in with their arguments on the matter by Monday.
(Link: http://www.cnn.com/2007/POLITICS/07/03/libby.sentence/index.html )
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*A Profile in Cowardice**
by Frank Rich
The New York Times
July 8, 2007/
There was never any question that President Bush would grant amnesty
to Scooter Libby, the man who knows too much about the lies told to sell
the war in Iraq. The only questions were when, and how, Mr. Bush would
buy Mr. Libby’s silence. Now we have the answers, and they’re at least
as incriminating as the act itself. They reveal the continued ferocity
of a White House cover-up and expose the true character of a commander
in chief whose tough-guy shtick can no longer camouflage his fundamental
cowardice.
The timing of the president’s Libby intervention was a surprise. Many
assumed he would mimic the sleazy 11th-hour examples of most recent
vintage: his father’s pardon of six Iran-contra defendants who might
have dragged him into that scandal, and Bill Clinton’s pardon of the tax
fugitive Marc Rich, the former husband of a major campaign contributor
and the former client of none other than the ubiquitous Mr. Libby.
But the ever-impetuous current President Bush acted 18 months before his
scheduled eviction from the White House. Even more surprising, he did so
when the Titanic that is his presidency had just hit two fresh icebergs,
the demise of the immigration bill and the growing revolt of Republican
senators against his strategy in Iraq.
That Mr. Bush, already suffering historically low approval ratings,
would invite another hit has been attributed in Washington to his desire
to placate what remains of his base. By this logic, he had nothing left
to lose. He didn’t care if he looked like an utter hypocrite, giving his
crony a freer ride than Paris Hilton and violating the white-collar
sentencing guidelines set by his own administration. He had to throw a
bone to the last grumpy old white guys watching Bill O’Reilly in a bunker.
But if those die-hards haven’t deserted him by now, why would Mr.
Libby’s incarceration be the final straw? They certainly weren’t whipped
into a frenzy by coverage on Fox News, which tended to minimize the leak
case as a non-event. Mr. Libby, faceless and voiceless to most
Americans, is no Ollie North, and he provoked no right-wing firestorm
akin to the uproars over Terri Schiavo, Harriet Miers or “amnesty” for
illegal immigrants.
The only people clamoring for Mr. Libby’s freedom were the pundits who
still believe that Saddam secured uranium in Africa and who still hope
that any exoneration of Mr. Libby might make them look less like dupes
for aiding and abetting the hyped case for war. That select group is not
the Republican base so much as a roster of the past, present and future
holders of quasi-academic titles at neocon think tanks like the American
Enterprise Institute.
What this crowd never understood is that Mr. Bush’s highest priority is
always to protect himself. So he stiffed them too. Had the president
wanted to placate the Weekly Standard crowd, he would have given Mr.
Libby a full pardon. That he served up a commutation instead is
revealing of just how worried the president is about the beans Mr. Libby
could spill about his and Dick Cheney’s use of prewar intelligence.
Valerie Wilson still has a civil suit pending. The Democratic inquisitor
in the House, Henry Waxman, still has the uranium hoax underlying this
case at the top of his agenda as an active investigation. A commutation
puts up more roadblocks by keeping Mr. Libby’s appeal of his conviction
alive and his Fifth Amendment rights intact. He can’t testify without
risking self-incrimination. Meanwhile, we are asked to believe that he
has paid his remaining $250,000 debt to society independently of his
private $5 million “legal defense fund.”
The president’s presentation of the commutation is more revealing still.
Had Mr. Bush really believed he was doing the right and honorable thing,
he would not have commuted Mr. Libby’s jail sentence by press release
just before the July Fourth holiday without consulting Justice
Department lawyers. That’s the behavior of an accountant cooking the
books in the dead of night, not the proud act of a patriot standing on
principle.
When the furor followed Mr. Bush from Kennebunkport to Washington
despite his efforts to duck it, he further underlined his embarrassment
by taking his only few questions on the subject during a photo op at the
Walter Reed Army Medical Center. You know this president is up to no
good whenever he hides behind the troops. This instance was particularly
shameful, since Mr. Bush also used the occasion to trivialize the
scandalous maltreatment of Walter Reed patients on his watch as merely
“some bureaucratic red-tape issues.”
Asked last week to explain the president’s poll numbers, Andrew Kohut of
the Pew Research Center told NBC News that “when we ask people to summon
up one word that comes to mind” to describe Mr. Bush, it’s
“incompetence.” But cowardice, the character trait so evident in his
furtive handling of the Libby commutation, is as important to
understanding Mr. Bush’s cratered presidency as incompetence, cronyism
and hubris.
Even The Wall Street Journal’s editorial page, a consistent Bush and
Libby defender, had to take notice. Furious that the president had not
given Mr. Libby a full pardon (at least not yet), The Journal called the
Bush commutation statement a “profile in non-courage.”
What it did not recognize, or chose not to recognize, is that this
non-courage, to use The Journal’s euphemism, has been this president’s
stock in trade, far exceeding the “wimp factor” that Newsweek once
attributed to his father. The younger Mr. Bush’s cowardice is arguably
more responsible for the calamities of his leadership than anything else.
People don’t change. Mr. Bush’s failure to have the courage of his own
convictions was apparent early in his history, when he professed support
for the Vietnam War yet kept himself out of harm’s way when he had the
chance to serve in it. In the White House, he has often repeated the
feckless pattern that he set back then and reaffirmed last week in his
hide-and-seek bestowing of the Libby commutation.
The first fight he conspicuously ran away from as president was in
August 2001. Aspiring to halt federal underwriting of embryonic
stem-cell research, he didn’t stand up and say so but instead unveiled a
bogus “compromise” that promised continued federal research on 60
existing stem-cell lines. Only later would we learn that all but 11 of
them did not exist. When Mr. Bush wanted to endorse a constitutional
amendment to “protect” marriage, he again cowered. A planned 2006 Rose
Garden announcement to a crowd of religious-right supporters was
abruptly moved from the sunlight into a shadowy auditorium away from the
White House.
Nowhere is this president’s non-courage more evident than in the
“signing statements” The Boston Globe exposed last year. As Charlie
Savage reported, Mr. Bush “quietly claimed the authority to disobey more
than 750 laws enacted since he took office.” Rather than veto them in
public view, he signed them, waited until after the press and lawmakers
left the White House, and then filed statements in the Federal Register
asserting that he would ignore laws he (not the courts) judged
unconstitutional. This was the extralegal trick Mr. Bush used to bypass
the ban on torture. It allowed him to make a coward’s escape from the
moral (and legal) responsibility of arguing for so radical a break with
American practice.
In the end, it was also this president’s profile in non-courage that
greased the skids for the Iraq fiasco. If Mr. Bush had had the guts to
put America on a true wartime footing by appealing to his fellow
citizens for sacrifice, possibly even a draft if required, then he might
have had at least a chance of amassing the resources needed to secure
Iraq after we invaded it.
But he never backed up the rhetoric of war with the stand-up action
needed to prosecute the war. Instead he relied on fomenting fear, as
typified by the false uranium claims whose genesis has been covered up
by Mr. Libby’s obstructions of justice. Mr. Bush’s cowardly abdication
of the tough responsibilities of wartime leadership ratified Donald
Rumsfeld’s decision to go into Iraq with the army he had, ensuring our
defeat.
Never underestimate the power of the unconscious. Not the least of the
revelatory aspects of Mr. Bush’s commutation is that he picked the
fourth anniversary of “Bring ’em on” to hand it down. It was on July 2,
2003, that the president responded to the continued violence in Iraq,
two months after “Mission Accomplished,” by taunting those who want “to
harm American troops.” Mr. Bush assured the world that “we’ve got the
force necessary to deal with the security situation.” The “surge”
notwithstanding, we still don’t have the force necessary four years
later, because the president never did summon the courage, even as
disaster loomed, to back up his own convictions by going to the mat to
secure that force.
No one can stop Mr. Bush from freeing a pathetic little fall guy like
Scooter Libby. But only those who paid the ultimate price for the
avoidable bungling of Iraq have the moral authority to pardon Mr. Bush.
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Posted by: “bigraccoon” bigraccoon@earthlink.net redwoodsaurus
Sat Jul 14, 2007 2:37 am (PST)
Republican Rep. Exposed Himself to Female Employee,
Chased Her Screaming, “Suck It”
http://www.alternet.org/blogs/peek/56796/
At least this one, North Carolina Rep. David
Almond had the decency to resign almost as soon
as word of his inappropriate behavior came out.
The North Carolina House Republicans are trying
to keep his transgression a secret, but they did
force him to resign. An insurance agent, Almond
was serving his second term in the House.
Impeccable DWT sources tell me he exposed himself
in front of a female employee and chased her
around the room yelling “Suck it, baby, suck it.”
It is unclear whether or not there was physical
contact. She filed a personnel complaint.
In a one-sentence letter to House Speaker Joe
Hackney, the two-term Republican lawmaker from
Stanly County immediately resigned his seat
representing the 67th House District.
“A complaint has been filed against me with the
Speaker. I intend to defend myself against these
charges in whatever forum may be appropriate,”
Almond said in a written statement released by
House GOP leaders.
“In the meantime, I have concluded that it is in
the best interest of my family and the
constituents of my district to resign from the
General Assembly.”
Hackney said he received “a personnel complaint”
involving Almond last week, but said state and
federal confidentiality laws bar him from giving
any details.
…Hackney, D-Orange, didn’t meet with Almond
personally, delegating that job to House
Republican leader Paul Stam, who announced
Almond’s decision at a news conference Thursday
but also declined to give details.
“Sadness” was Stam’s response to the complaint,
which he said he first heard about late Monday
afternoon, and to Almond’s resignation, Stam
said.
Stam, R-Wake, said Republican leaders asked
Almond to resign “if the allegations were true,”
but that Almond resigned on his own.
“He did it himself. The leaders of the caucus
asked him to resign if the allegations were true.
We don’t know the truth or not,” Stam said.
In true Republican fashion Almond was the vice
chairman of the House committee on children,
youth and families.
http://www.thesnaponline.com/local/local_story_194084456.html/resources_prin
tstory
Rep. Almond under investigation
Thursday, July 12, 2007— N.C. House Rep. David
Almond, R-Stanfield, is under investigation on
claims severe enough he’s consulted legal council
and will likely resign his post.
Although specific details of the allegations
against Almond remain unconfirmed, the local
insurance agent’s behavior is up for discussion
today among House Republicans.
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“Loyal Bushie” Judge Dismisses Valerie Plame’s Lawsuit
Valerie Plame risked her life to stop terrorists from getting WMD’s and murdering innocent Americans. But when her husband Joe Wilson dared to tell the truth about Bush’s pre-war lies, Karl Rove declared her “fair game” and conspired with Dick Cheney and Scooter Libby to expose her identity, destroy her career, and endanger the lives of everyone she worked with to protect us.
Valerie Plame sued Cheney, Libby, and Rove. But of course the case went before a “loyal Bushie” judge named John D. Bates, who made his “bones” with the Bushies as a Whitewater prosecutor under Ken Starr. Bush appointed Bates as a Federal judge in 2001, and a year later he dismissed the GAO lawsuit demanding Cheney’s Energy Task Force documents. In 2006, Chief Justice John Roberts put Bates on the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court to turn a blind eye to Bush’s illegal wiretapping of millions of Americans.
Today Bates dismissed Plame’s lawsuit by claiming the conspiracy against Wilson was “unsavory” but “within the scope of [their] duties.”
http://www.democrats.com/loyal-bushie-judge-dismisses-plame-lawsuit
What Cheney, Libby, and Rove did wasn’t unsavory – by shutting down a crucial anti-terrorist network, endangering the lives of everyone involved, and undermining the security of the United States, they committed treason.
Valerie Plame will never get justice – and our nation will never be safe – by relying on the Bush-controlled Federal courts. It is way past time for Congress to Impeach Dick Cheney.
Tell your Representatives to support H.Res. 333, Articles of Impeachment against Vice President Cheney:
http://www.democrats.com/peoplesemailnetwork/73
Tell the House Judiciary Committee and Speaker Pelosi to hold hearings on H.Res. 333:
http://www.democrats.com/topelosiandjudiciary
Lots more here:
http://www.afterdowningstreet.org/cheney
_______________
Cindy Sheehan’s March from Texas to Arrive in D.C. on July 23
Cindy Sheehan is leading a march/drive from Crawford, Texas, to New York City. Participants in this Journey for Humanity share the goals of ending the occupation of Iraq, impeaching Cheney and Bush, restoring New Orleans, and funding human needs at home and in Iraq and Afghanistan. The march has already made big news in several states. Watch this video of a heated discussion between Cindy and an Alabama chickenhawk. Here’s Cindy’s route – show up if you can!
July 20 Charlottesville VA rally at 6 p.m. at Downtown Mall
July 21 Richmond VA
July 22 Arlington VA
July 23 Washington D.C. 10 a.m. at Arlington Cemetery, march to U.S. Capitol
July 24 Philadelphia PA
July 25 Allentown PA
July 26 New York NY
July 27 United Nations Action
July 29 Gathering of Hearts Fest, location to be announced
http://www.thecampcaseypeaceinstitute.org
_______________
The Orange Revolution Begins July 23
On July 23, 2002, the head of British intelligence reported that Bush and Cheney were intent on invading Iraq and planned to “fix the intelligence and facts around the policy”. Five years later a million people have died in Iraq as a direct result of these lies with no end in sight. Torture has been institutionalized, habeas corpus eviscerated, and illegal spying made routine. New Orleans lies devastated along with the Constitution and the rule of law. And Bush and Cheney are making a mockery of the Democrats’ feeble gestures towards accountability.
Enough is enough, and this July 23rd we will launch a new phase in the movement for peace and justice. We call it the Orange Revolution because starting that day wearing orange will signify that you want Congress to START IMPEACHMENT and STOP THE WAR. The majority of Americans, who want to see Bush and Cheney impeached and want an immediate end to this war, are made effectively invisible by a complicit media. Wearing orange will be our signal to each other, and to the world, about where we stand. Anything orange will do: a t-shirt, a wristband, your shoelaces. Get creative and send us your ideas. Here are a some great items you can wear designed specifically for the Orange Revolution:
http://www.democrats.com/orangerevolution
The Orange Revolution will be launched with acts of civil disobedience in Washington, D.C., and elsewhere to show Congress that we are serious.
In Washington, D.C. on July 23, Cindy Sheehan, Ray McGovern, Rev. Lennox Yearwood, Ann Wright, Debra Sweet, Dave Lindorff, David Swanson, Jodie Evans, Medea Benjamin, Kevin Zeese, Tina Richards, and others will march from Arlington National Cemetery to the office of Congressman John Conyers. They will sit in Conyers’ office reciting the U.S. Constitution until they are either arrested or he agrees to start impeachment. You can also come and choose not to risk arrest. Meet at 10 a.m. outside the Arlington National Cemetery Metro stop: http://www.afterdowningstreet.org/sit
Similiar actions will take place the same day in the offices of Rep. Howard Berman in California and Rep. Pete Visclosky in Indiana, and at Rep. Conyers’ district offices in Detroit. If you are willing to go to jail for justice, you are encouraged to come to Washington to participate in the civil disobedience, or to stage a sit-in at your congress member’s district office, either on the 23rd or another day. Using our new tool, you can pledge to take part only if 20 others do the same: http://www.democrats.com/sit
If you cannot join in on the 23rd, please wear orange in solidarity, and please phone Congressman Conyers’ office that day asking him to please move forward on impeachment: (202) 225-5126.
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