The Cocktail Weenie That Saved Scooter Libby

Craptacular.  Via Froomkin:

Mike Allen writes for the Politico: "White House loyalists have begun arguing that clemency for I. Lewis 'Scooter' Libby -- either a pardon or a commuted sentence -- would be a way for an embattled President Bush to reassert himself, particularly among conservatives.

"The White House has not ruled out a pardon for Libby, sources say. But several Republicans, who sense a movement in Libby's favor, said a more likely possibility might be a presidential commutation -- a reduction or elimination of Libby's 2½-year federal prison sentence. Such a move, they said, would be less divisive for the country. . . .

"The lobbying is subtle, according to participants. They say that making the case directly to the president or his top aides would be insulting and could backfire. Instead, friends of Bush and Libby have been quietly working cocktail parties and other venues, laying out their logic for a pardon."

So does that mean they're lobbying people like Allen himself, rather than Bush? Writes Allen: "In an effort to get their messages to the top echelons of the White House, Libby's friends cooperated with recent articles by Jim Rutenberg of The New York Times and John Dickerson of Slate, whose piece bore the subhead: 'No way Scooter Libby is going to prison.'"

Comments

[BuggyQ]

Shorter Mike Allen: "Stop listening to Rutenberg or Dickerson. Really. It's all bullshit--except for me, of course."

Shorter BuggyQ: "Stop listening to any of them. Really. It's all bullshit. Especially Mike Allen."

[Hoppy]

The Constitution gives the President the power to pardon anyone he wishes to pardon, but it gives him no power to commute a sentence - change a sentence to a shorter one. That is a power only the judicial branch of the government has. So, would Bush really violate the Constitution by commuting a sentence of Libby? Sure, why not, the Constitution hasn't stood in his way yet.

[flory]

Interesting conundrum.

A commutation would leave Scooter a convicted felon. Do you suppose that would ever interfere with his getting a security clearance in this or any other Republican administration?

[The_Other_Sarah]

Whiskey.
Tango.
Foxtrot.

Genuine possibility of slapping justice in the face and letting a traitor go free?

CHIMPEACH NOW.

[Duckman GR]

Bush can't commute dick, so it's a pardon or nothing. I wonder if Allen mentions that anywhere, either to his cocktail weenies or in his writings.