thoughtful-fitzgerald.jpgEmptywheel arrived in CT today.   In much the same way that George Bush received cosmically appropriate gifts from the heavens when congress gave him a blank check to fund his pet war, we got home to find that Fitzgerald had released his  sentencing memo in the Libby case (PDF).

Favorite part so far:

III. Response to Certain Arguments in Mitigation

In this case, as is his right, Mr. Libby maintains that despite his conviction, he is totally innocent.  He has expressed no remorse, no acceptance of responsibility, and no  recognition that there is anything he should have done differently – either with respect to his false statements and testimony, or his role in providing reporters with classified information  about Ms. Wilson’s affiliation with the CIA. 

Instead, on Mr. Libby’s behalf his supporters have submitted to the probation office and the Court a variety of arguments challenging the propriety of his prosecution.  These arguments for leniency paint Mr. Libby as the victim of an improper, unnecessary, and  politically motivated investigation, an unfair indictment, and a wrongful conviction.  These  arguments mirror comments made by the defense’s public relations team and posted on the  defense website, www.scooterlibby.com, before, during and after the trial. The submission  of these arguments on Mr. Libby’s behalf is well known to Mr. Libby and his attorneys, and  while they have not to date explicitly embraced these arguments, neither have they disavowed  them. The government submits that these arguments are completely at odds with the kind of  contrition that normally is a pre-condition to leniency. 

It's pretty hard to make the argument that Barbara Comstock — who worked for the Libby defense fund and was there in court every day actively pitching those stories to journalists both inside and outside the courtroom — could be construed in any way as being separate and distinct from either Libby or his defense team.   Contrition does not seem to be their strong suit.

Paging Reggie Walton…Fitz probably can't be that direct about Monica Goodling's personal Svengali Barbara Comstock and her three inch roots but I can.  

Marcy has more here. 

Update:  Jefress responds — he doesn't want to release the letters written in support of Libby, whose authors could no doubt side gig in the Chamber of Horrors at Madame Tussaud’s:

Given the extraordinary media scrutiny here, if any case presents the real possibililty that these letters, once released, would be published on the internet and their authors discussed, even mocked, by bloggers, it is this case.

I'm kinda hurt here.  Why does he think we'd treat people like Richard Perle, James Wolsey and Mel Sembler with anything less than the respect and dignity that their service to this country so richly deserves?  Maybe it was my shoes. 

(BTW, Libby is being sentenced next week on the 5th and Marcy and I both plan to be there.) 

Related posts:

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  3. Marcy Wheeler on Torture Prosecutions: Liveblog At NN09
  4. SCOTUS Denies Valerie Plame Wilson Her Day in Court
  5. The Bush Fairy Tale on the Libby Pardon