Breaking news from the DC Circuit Court of Appeals, in an opinion issued just moments ago, Judges Sentelle, Henderson and Tatel say the following:
“Upon consideration of the motion for release pending appeal, the opposition thereto, and the reply, it is
ORDERED that the motion for release pending appeal be denied. Appellant has not shown that the appeal raises a substantial question under 18 USC Sec. 3143(b)(1)(B). See United States v. Perholtz, 836 F.2d 554, 555 (D.C.Cir. 1987) (per curiam) (substantial question is one that is “close” or that “could very well be decided the other way”).
It it a per curiam opinion issued on July 2, 2007, and initialled by all three of the judges. That would be no bond to continue, which means absent some reversal by a higher court (the full panel of the DC Circuit, for example, or the US Supreme Court — which is all that is left for appeal for Scooter’s legal team), Libby is headed to jail. And, frankly, gaining freedom on appeal from the full panel or from the US Supreme Court is an increasingly difficult prospect considering how truly weak the grounds were put forth on Libby’s appeal behalf and how few of these cases are ever accepted for certioriari.
What this says to me is that Libby — or, as I like to call him Inmate 28301-016 — is headed to jail. Do not pass go. Do not collect anything.
Related posts:
- SF Tobacco Law Survives Challenge; Attention Turns to Pending SCOTUS Commercial Speech Decision
- Innocence Ended: Uighurs Still Seek Fair Day in Court
- BREAKING: Obama Does 180 on Release of Abuse Photos
- With Pressure Growing over Torture Pics, Obama Turns to Supreme Court to Stop Release
- Cheney Refused to Release the Journalists





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Ya!! Cooool!!! And Hi Christy!
Spinning Refresh
zed?
tres…
‘Caw, caw!’
quatro…
Of interest along the same lines: WaPo Link
Now we need someone with some huevos in the judiciary who will enforce subpoenas!!
A 3-0 decision. Nice.
Equal justice under the law!
is the frog marching?
BWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA-HAHAHAHAHAHAHAAA!!!
Cue the wailing DC pundits! Can’t wait to hear from Law-and-Order Fred!
Scooter Libby, convicted felon, is going to prison.
4th of July present. Barbeque and drinks all around…
AZ Matt @ 7
Would that be Hologram Knodell??
That ululating you hear is a mob from AEI marching toward 1600 Pennsylvania… Bush’s summer – presiding over the implosion of the GOP – just got a lot worse.
Que huevos! Mas, por favor.
> And, frankly, gaining freedom on appeal from
> the full panel or fromthe US Supreme Court is
> an increasingly difficult prosecpect consider
> how truly weak the grounds were put forth on
> Libby’s appeal behalf and how few of these
> cases are ever accepted for certioriari.
Given how blatant this week’s Supreme Court rulings were, and that Roberts was certainly vetted for his support of the Unitary Executive theory prior to nomination – is it actually out of the question that the Supreme Court would intervene and take some action on Libby’s behalf?
Cranky
Go to jail, Scooter. Go directly to jail. Do not pass GO, do not collect $200.
This denial may force Bush into having to pardon Libby. IMHO, they should have handcuffed Libby the day of the sentencing, and frog marched him into prison. This has gone on now for too long!
Oh, I can’t bear it! My poor little Scoots is going to jail. Oh dear God, have mercy on him.
-The AEI Amen Caucus
Biodun @ 14
Sounds good to me!! ****G*****(that is Big Grin!)
“Did he break trust with President Bush?”
Pardon me while I puke!
Anyone continuing to defend Libby by bashing the Wilsons is participating in a continuation of the conspiracy which is the underlying crime of the obstruction of justice.
Great news. The three judges appeared to be quite fair and even handed when they decided the Judith Miller matter and they were likewise so here.
Ah, I knew a lurker just couldn’t get lucky enough for the zed.
so? when might we see Scooter in his tiny orange jumpsuit?
Hahaha. Does Scooter still have the crying lawyer?
From CNN:
“In an order handed down Monday, a three judge panel wrote Libby “has not shown that the appeal raises a substantial question” that regular appeals court will consider when its next term begins in September.
[Snip]
A court official told CNN Libby’s attorneys may still file for relief from the US Supreme Court, to try to keep Libby out of confinement pending his appeal.”
–As I read it, Libby’s going to spend some time in jail unless the Supreme Court intervenes or the appeals court changes its schedule for hearing the appeal from September to an earlier date.
pinson @ 17
Yep. Throw a bone to the bitter 26%-ers or infuriate an already surly 74%.
Quite the dilemma.
-GSD
mui @ 28
Still, or again. Take your pick.
JohnSwifty -
It’s the white hot light! :))
Let it shine, let it shine, let it shine!
LS @ 24
oh, you know what a bunch of partisans those judges are! caring about the rule of law and all that silly jazz….
Libby to prison now..hopefully followed by 100’s or 1000’s later.
Earl Scheib @ 13
Cohen wept.
Jane Hamsher @ 25
Can it be the even some of these very conservative judges will start to nudge to the center in the face of the outrageous abuses perpetrated on America by the Bushites and their doe-eyed lackeys from Regents U?
-GSD
I fear for the emotional well being of Mary Matlin’s kids.
Biodun @ 14
I’m boiling the potatoes for the salad as we speak. I ain’t the 4th without potato salad.
Aren’t the rest of the judges on vacation? I thought that the 3 judge panel was just for emergencies. So the DC Circuit wouldn’t likely take up the case until they got back. SCOTUS has also finished its term so there is again a question whether they are going to rush around either to take this up.
Biodun @ 14
The Fitz of July?
My mood just lightened considerably with this news.
ooo – the Fitz of July! I like it, Evil Dr.!
I’m thinking that the recent flooding in Texas will be minor compared to the river of tears Mr. Wells must be working on right now…
-S
Hugh at 39 — Yes, I believe the full panel is in recess until September — and the Supreme Court isn’t likely to take it up as an emergency at this point at the end of the term either, to be honest. Oh, woe, to the Free Scooter minions.
EvilDrPuma @ 31
Scooter should hire a lawyer who can do those Greek tragedy moans and wails and groans.
mui @ 45
But that would be an admission of the protagonist’s hubris!
How soon til the media starts in on “activist judges”?
I hope Marcy is doing a Snoopy Dance!!
Cha-cha-cha!!!
Scooter lovin wingnuts marchin down Pennsylvania Avenue with pitchforks and torches demanding an immediate pardon for the potted meat product.
“Hello, Pat – can we talk?”
Shhhhhhhhh……
I think I hear the beans spillin’!
Dedicated Public Servant now Inmate #28310-016
Grace falls
Christy Hardin Smith @ 44
Ain’t justice great? You can fool some of the people some of the time but you can’t fool…..
I think Libby might try the Supremes, but I don’t think he’s going to get very far with them, given that the circuit court seems to think his argument had all the strength of a wet Kleenex.
Until President-VICE Richard B. Cheney intervenes.
I bet Scooter is going on Larry King to whip up some more baaahaha! ” public support ” for his appeal which last I checked had less public support than Bush has. Please keep this story going Scooter the comparisions between you and Paris in the public mind are doing wonders for the Left. I wonder what Karl’s “math ” is telling him about how this issue is effecting Bush’s poll numbers? The great thing is Rove wants the pardon issue open for himself he has to keep trying to get Scooter off nomatter how much this hurts Bush!
rwcole @ 49
They can each have a glossy photo of their hero. I think an eight-by-ten would be very appropriate.
newtonusr @ 50
I’m thinking that phone call is taking place as we speak…
QuakerGirl @ 51
Mom.
LS @ 24
Have you seen this ThinkProgress post? Wilson: Proponents Of Libby Pardon Are ‘Accessories To An Ongoing Crime’
Inmate 28301-016, formally known as Scooter, needs a case pepto for his upset tummy.
Hey Scooter – Remember those beans that you decided you were never going to spill?
Now might be a good time to revisit that decision…
Moderators: Just a head’s up the comments linky on the new post upstairs seems to be on the blinky.
Weren’t we just saying we needed another Comey or whistleblower?
It’d be nice if there was a phone call happening right now, but I’d be surprised.
Now THAT would be a great 4th of July present.
Stephen Parrish, CPA @ 59
Thanks! I’m going to go read it!
Meanwhile, Kenny Boy is busy getting the guest house ready in Paraguay…
Scooter Libby, Libby, Libby’s going to jail, jail, jail…..
Woo hoo! Once in a while our justice system still works as it’s supposed to.
Christy:
The phantom thread upstairs is still on my monitor…
Hurrah for the judges and justice.
And on the horizon we see the pardon, ’cause Bush is, you know, compassionate.
The pardon/not pardon issue is, I think, causing Rove and GOP pols heartburn. The downside for GOP-Bush for no pardon is pretty clear; I am not sure how much blow-back there would be if a pardon is granted. The MSM will fall in line and say it was the right thing to do.
newspaperbrat at 62 — I pulled the “new post” back because I mistyped the timestamp on it — and made a note in the comments up there to that effect. Stay here — the next post will be forthcoming in due time. It was my tyop. *g*
newspaperbrat @ 62
From the phantom thread upstairs…
Scoots can see Cheney’s fortunes failing at every turn… surely he is smart enough to start cutting a deal with Fitz.
Some wingnuts are pushing for Bush to offer “Clemency”- allowing scoots to stay out of jail pending appeal…they think that’s totally safe politically and the least the head clusterfucker can do for his hit man.
Excellent work, thanks for the update and analysis! Yup Oldcoastie and I think it would be wise for Libby to have begged and copped a plea from the beginning. He should have ran and told the special pros everything he knew…
If Libby gets pardoned, the uproar will be deafening.
Biodun at 67 — That’s because you clicked through on the post and you have a residual image in your cache. As I said, both in this thread and the other one, I mistyped the timestamp on the post. If you refresh your whole screen, it will be gone until the correct time for which it is now set. Sorry for the confusion folks, but with the breaking news, it happens…
OldCoastie @ 72
I wouldn’t bet on that. Zealots can be stubborn.
Scooter’s legal bill, $4 million dollars. Scooter’s fine $250,000. Thirty months in jail. Priceless.
LS @ 75
I believe you are correct again! And, with his numbers at a new Low, can Bush afford even an outcry over clemency, if not a full out pardon?
I think not.
McClatchy does it again. The only news service that isn’t totally corrupted
EPU’d:
Can’t wait for the pearl-clutching on this one!
PEOPLE Please!
No gloating at the misfortune of such a dedicated public servant and loving husband and father.
Just because he lied his a** off, outed a CIA agent, ruined her career, destroyed her cover company, covered up for Darth & Rove & W. . . . . all that means is that he got caught with his hand in the cookie jar. Surely prison is too severe a punishment.
never mind. I got sick just writing the above.
Go ahead and gloat!
If Libby spent four million for the defense he’s gotten so far- he should never have been trusted with a penny of the taxpayer’s money!!
How quaint, Scooter got a verdict, THEN a sentence.
Silly justice system.
If the Supremes do spring Scooter X then they get tarred with the same Scooter aproval rating Given the expected African American outrage as parents are told their kids now have to leave good schools in white areas which I think is the result of the Supremes latest ruling. Well I wonder just how low their approval can go? Are any of the Democratic Presidential Candidates coming out against this ruling yet it seems to be a great way to pick up African American votes.
Bustednuckles @ 85
LOL!
demi @ 79
If he’s worrying about his legacy, he won’t pardon him. If he believes his legacy is so bad that it won’t matter, he will.
Frank33 @ 78
And don’t forget that the $4 mil went to DEMOCRATIC TRIAL LAWYERS.
They’re for them unless they’re against them.
EPU’ed on this but I thought it was important so:
Gordon has been beating the wardrums with Iran since February 10 of this year when his first article accusing Iran of shipping EFPs to Iraq. He continues to do so and needs to be slapped down everytime he does. The case began shaky and has not improved with age. As usual Gordon misses the point entirely. Of course, Iran is deeply immersed in Iraqi affairs, but to date their military involvement while not zero has been very circumspect. At the same time, Gordon ignores Saudi support for the insurgency which has gotten a lot more American troops than anything the Iranians have tried. It is a typical case of exaggerating what those this Administration does not like are doing and glossing over what our “friends” are doing for their part.
Shill, stenographer, propagandist, access journalist, Gordon is all of these and so much less.
LS @ 75
Puh-leeze. Where’s the “uproar” going to come from? The media? Yeah, right. They’ll be all over this just as vigorously as we Dems, Liberals,Independents and Republicans still capable of independent thought are. We’ll take it like we always do- sitting down.
Face it- we are AMAZING at sitting at a computer and bitching and moaning- horrified by the latest blatant assault on our civil liberties, citizens, environment and country. But, if you expect this “uproar” to include any more than ranting on blogs, you’re as delusional as the sheeple.
Unfortunately, this is tomorrow’s headline….
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/07…..ref=slogin
They’re blaming Iran for US deaths in Iraq.
Have Bushie issue a 4th of July pardon then
we could impeach him!
Christy @ 76:
No problem. Was just wondering.
Scooter’s name needs to change to Flipper.
RevDeb @ 89
They’re against them unless they need them.
AZ Matt @ 77
Libby won’t talk..he will be thinking of the risk to his future economic and physical security. He outed a CIA agent for trivial reasons; he knows what would happen if he “outed” Cheney/Bush.
newtonusr @ 50
In my dreams.
Never Doubt
Helpless Dancer @ 96
And they seem to need them with remarkable frequency.
Thanks for the quick post of the opinion, or parts of it. It’s much appreciated.
Libby’s hopes of persuading the judicial branch have pretty much been sunk – all he can do now is run up legal bills to exhaust all possible avenues of reversal.
Just gotta say it.
fitz!
I’m seeing the pardon happening on the same day W declares war on Iran.
Helpless Dancer @ 96
Also, take a look at the resumes of Libby’s legal team.
I don’t think you are going to find any references to Regent University School of Law.
cboldt at 101 — That’s the whole of the opinion — retyped it above from the PDF of the order. It’s a one page “NO” from the judges.
midwestvoter @ 91
I have to respectfully disagree with you. We do more than bitch and moan. Not only are people here highly informed, but we reach out to congress with phone calls, faxes and emails. It makes a difference. Didn’t Hatch and Grassel just join Specter to vote with the Dems on the supoenas? There is movement, slow for sure, but movement nevertheless towards opposition to the current paradigm in DC. Polls show that US citizens have had enough.
well, considering that no defense was offered at trial, it is hard to find grounds for appeal-unless it’s for incompetent counsel. and I don’t think that they’re gonna try that one. unless Scooter fires his high-priced lawyers.
I think that they figured that they didn’t have to defend anything-in the right wing echo chamber this wasn’t a crime anyway-and they are all sorta surprised that some conservative legal minds have drawn a different conclusion.
Christy Hardin Smith @ 105
Ouch.
midwestvoter @ 91
The media is comprised of a bunch of people sitting at computers, bitching and moaning – horrified by the latest blatant assault by us bloggers.
EvilDrPuma @ 100
And that frequency is gathering speed. Pretty soon there won’t be enough of those democratic trial laywers to go around. Pity.
Dear Libby,
Spill the beans on Rove, Cheney and Bush, and I’ll get you out of prison. Call me.
Signed,
Fitz
Via Raw Story: Here’s Christy!!
>> If Libby gets pardoned, the uproar will
>> be deafening.
> Puh-leeze. Where’s the “uproar” going to come
> from? The media? Yeah, right.
Midwestvoter gets a bit harsh in the remainder of his reply, but the fact is that the majority of the Washington DC insider press, and Time Magazine at least, are already on Libby’s side. And Pelosi is now saying she ruled out impeachment even before taking the Speaker’s office. So there would be no uproar of any significance.
Cranky
EvilDrPuma @ 108
I guess the short opinion is designed to prevent Libby’s legal team from using its patented “long opinion = close legal question” argument.
I just got to the computer today and had to share my joy with you all. I haven’t read the comments yet, so I hope there isn’t anything to dampen the good news.
Hugh @ 90
Just to clarify, that’s M Gordon, not GordonM, right?
If it wasn’t for the blogosphere, Libby would be a non-story; possibly he would never have been convicted in the first place. So, I reject the notion that uproar on the net is irrelevant.
Raise some more money Freddie- Scooter needs yer help…..
Meanwhile Mrs. Scooter (a sane dem) was heard givin the Scooter Man holy hell! “I told you you were runnin around with LOSERS! You and your asshold gooper buddies running around playing cowboy and indian to save Uncle Dickie’s fat ass- but Who’s goin ta jail? Not fat assed Uncle Dickie- YOU- YOU are goin ta jail you deranged idiot”
GordonM @ 116
Correct. And it’s not Commissioner Gordon, either.
GeorgeSimian @ 103
That’s not funny. It’s too awful to contemplate.
Cranky at 113 — Well, gosh, maybe you are right. I mean, people were saying no one would ever get indicted, and yet someone did. Then people were saying that Libby would never go to trial — and yet we had a multi-week, full public trial. Then people were saying he would never get convicted, and yet he was. Then folks were saying he’d never get a jail sentence, and yet…he did. And then folks were saying that the DC Circuit panel would find an excuse to let him out on a technicality…and yet, they decided he should go to jail instead.
But hey, we can always give up and let the media cover this the way they want to now because all the damn work we;ve done on this case for years now has gotten us absolutely nothing…
Well, except for the fact that we know a whole helluva lot about the secret inner workings of the WH and Veep’s pushback machinery, that Dick Cheney personally ordered the Wilson payback with his op-ed annotations, that Cheney owns Tim Russert, that…well, I’m sure you get the picture, eh?
Diane @ 37
That’s very funny!
One down, now how many more to go?
me too tw3k
fitz!!
Next Free Scooter X talking point “the horrible conditions in our prisons” I hope they go there we need a national debate on this plus it will knock the ground out from under the free Scooter X GOP Presidential Candidate’s law and order lock the criminals up and throw away the key talk.
The jails ain’t big enough to handle all the goopers who need ta go there.
Why is it that most sources don’t seem to be aware that Libby IS NOT Bush’s man?
Libby worked for Cheney not Bush, so I can’t see Bush’s famous “loyalty” playing into a pardon scenario. From what I have seen, Bush’s loyalty seems to be a one way street, flowing from his minions to him, not the other way round.
Bush isn’t going to pardon him or commute the sentence – the shrub is into “punish Dick” mode…
because, after all, he “is the President!” (”I am! I am!”, he keeps insisting!)
Na Na Na Na
Na Na Na Na
Hey Libby
GOODBYE!!!
I think I shall now do a happy dance.
You know you’re addicted to firedoglake when:
I was pulling out of a gas station last week and caught sight out of the corner of my eye of a sign at a little home business that said “Scooter Jail.” How nice, I thought — A politically aware sign.
The next time I went by, I looked more carefully, and the sign actually says “Scooter sale” — the other kind of scooters, the ones with 2 wheels and a set of handlebars.
Ya see what ya want to see?
GordonM @ 116
LOL
Christy Hardin Smith @ 121
Amen, sister. And, you go, girl!
rwcole @ 73
Not only is it NOT “totally safe politically”, it’s also a big legal minefield. Giving clemency but not a pardon suggests that even Bush thinks that Libby is guilty of obstruction of justice in the investigation of a crime in which both Bush and Cheney were potentially involved. It also says that Bush doesn’t think Libby should have to do the time for his crime. Any half-decent prosecutor would see that as obstruction of justice. And Fitz is authorized to investigate any potential obstruction of justice charges arising from his investigation. An offer of clemency, after 11 jurors found him guilty, the trial judge said evidence of his guilty was “overwhelming”, and three appeals court judges said that Libby’s appeals with neither “close” nor “could very well be decided another way”, would lead to a Fitz vs Fielding showdown. My money would be on Fitz.
I really don’t see a pardon or clemency on the horizon. I think Libby is either going to take the Shooter’s bullet, or he’s going to flip and offer up Cheney. If it’s the latter, Rove will try to paint Cheney as the bad guy in this adminstration. Anything that went wrong (and that includes pretty much everything) will be blamed on Cheney, while all of the good things this administration has done (good luck on this part) will be credited to Bush. Cheney will be shoved under the bus in an attempt to save Bush.
Fresh thread, up and running for everyone.
Putin translater lol:
“We’ve seen the worms and we appreciate the wormness we have received”
AAbshier @ 82
demi @ 106
and I have contibuted in every calling/letter writing/email campaign, etc. But, we are running out of time, folks. They are going into Iran and we all know it. F- Bush’s reputation or legacy regarding Libby. Does anyone actually think these guys care one iota what the citizens of this country or the world think about Bush? Seriously?! These guys are evil enough to pre-emptively attack and murder the people of a non threatening country while offering up for slaughter our own service men and women. Who the hell cares if Libby gets a pardon. With or without- we are heading toward Iran. THAT should be our focus- Impeaching both Cheney and Bush should be our focus. Can we stop with the distractions and stick to the shit that if we succeed we will actually save lives? This is so freaking depressing watching how quickly we get distracted. Unless we Impeach these crimminals there will be first- another major terrorist attack and then they go after Iran. What the hell are we doing about THAT?
Personally I would be more than happy for an “uproar” to break out over Libby’s pardon. Looking at the politics and the traditional media I don’t see it happening. By this point in the Nixon Administration Watergate had broken the dam and dozens of newspapers were in full investigative attack mode. We have had the Libby treason, the US Attorney scandal, the Cheney shadow presidency, the illegal wiretapping evidence, the Foggo contracts run through the OVP, and several more without the traditional media being much concerned. And unlike Cheney and Abramoff they _like_ Libby (see Joe Klein on that subject).
And for the record, people also said that Fitzgerald always flips from the bottom up, that once he got the first conviction dominoes would start to fall, and that no one ever appeared before a Fitzgerald grand jury 3 times without being indicted (Rove).
Cranky
midwestvoter @ 135
Well, yikes.
I’m off to the dentist, but I’ll try to stop the Iran invasion on my way home.
Have a cup of tea. It might not help your depression. But, it might be a momentary distraction of your frustration.
Frank Probst @ 132
The WaPo Angler series was the opener in that gambit.
Frank Probst @ 132
Actually accepting a pardon is an inherent admission of guilt. It’s part of what a pardon is.
another good day for valerie & joe wilson. (waving & sending my best ~)
i sincerely hope that someday, someone in the republican party will finally acknowledge publicly that it was the wilson family who were deeply effected, (& put in danger), by the CRIME libby has been found guilty of, rather then making such a show about how the libby family is being effected.
any “price” the libby family are paying, was brought on by libby’s own, (illegal), loyalty to this administration’s (illegal) actions, & now it seems he will be paying the price for that.
i don’t feel any real pleasure from the fact that it seems more likely libby is going to jail. i passed anger about this administration years ago. instead i feel sad that our country has been so manipulated that the differences which used to make our democracy such a desirable place, have now been twisted, (by rove & other republican strategist’s), & turned into a weapon that has been used to divide us
in ways not seen here since the civil war. as john dean said, “worse then watergate”.
“divide & conquer” is probably the only military strategy the bush admin can say brought about their desired result.
not the the way my great-grandparents, grandparents, parents nor i were taught america is supposed to function, but when the people in power are blind to everything that doesn’t serve their own ambitions…..
i am reminded of this quote:
“Let them hate us, as long as they fear us.”
Caligula (Gaius Caesar) 12 AD – 41 AD
I guess we ought keep in mind that Bush can pardon Libby for offenses not even yet charged. See Murphy v. Ford 390 F. Supp. 372 (U.S. District Court, W. District of Michigan, 1975). The Gerald Ford pardon precedent.
So, the idea that a post-pardon Libby could then be forced to testify truthfully under threat of subsequent perjury is a non-starter. Bush can indemnify Scooter totally, put him beyond the reach of the law.
y’all need to start thinking outside of the box.
‘Pardon’ is the third rail.
I’d look for something more creative, like Libby having a sudden life threatening attack or illness that requires hospital or rehab.
hey, if it worked for Sharon, Lay, Foley (and almost for Paris), why can’t it work for Scoots?
Diane @ 37
How do we tell all the children that wrote letters to Judge Reggie, on behalf of Scooter. Scooter cannot play with them anymore, at an undisclosed loction.
Gunga Djinn @ 142
I’m with you that one.
Why the persons on this site take joy in Libby going to prison is beyond me. Libby is a distressing icon of a failed generation, at least politically. And it is mortifying to the Country to have such persons as Libby in positions of importance. But instead, in some churlish, chisldish way you all see a victory of sorts. What is the victory? The system works? Gimme a break.
That “stare of death” photo of Libby just says it all, doesn’t it? I don’t think he’d look that pale if he knew a pardon was in the bag.
leftdcin72 — The man broke the law, and obstructed a case in which the Vice President of the United States is implicated. I take no joy in anyone going to prison, but he was sentenced and deserves to go — just like everyone else under similar circumstances. Period. Whatever Eeyore bullshit you have to spew about the fact that the rule of law has been upheld in this case — involving a very high level Bush Administration official who tried to cheat his way out of accountability for his actions, I am not in the mood for it.
You want to be a Libby apologist? That’s your business. But do not start bitching about Libby paying the legal penalty as required by law and think that sort of apologist crap will go unanswered just because it gets dropped at the end of a thread. It’s wrong. Libby broke the law, he was convicted by a jury of his peers, and he is still covering for Dick Cheney’s ass — if you want sympathy for the man, you’ll have to look elsewhere for it.
has it been said already?
“Fitzmas in July”
:-)
leftdcin72 @ 145
Exactly.
Why? What did you do?
mui @ 45
My vote is for the impeccable “Dr. Zachary Smith” type of moan/whine:
Oh! Please! Please Will!! Don’t send me to PRISON! Please…!
demi @ 106
Demi – Sometimes I feel we are just complaining but as I read each blog I see that people are sharing and influencing. While it may feel that way to me sometimes, too, in reality many of us are die hard activists. I hold my three guys’ feet to the fire weekly and have another network I urge to call them on various issues. I have to deal with two Reps and one Dem and I treat them equally. They all hear from me and I insist they take my name and respond to my inquiries or respond to a vote. They know people are watching. This is my personal lobbying and influencing. I’m still naive enough to think I have a say even when it doesn’t feel like it. When I’m disappointed in their position I’m back on the phone to them. If nothing else I aim to be their worst constituent nightmare.
we’re all doing the best we can and you guys are doing more, better than most
I’d be stocking up on cigarettes, Scoots. I hear they’re good for keeping the “wolves” at bay.
Yeoowww!!
(I can go to work happy) :)
Now, appeals to the full District Court and the Supreme Court will follow from Libby’s defense.
When, not if, will Bush pardon Libby?
The Bushboys have a hot potato on their hands.
Christy Hardin Smith @ 147
Pleaseeee! I’m begging ya – put disclaimers on these….Eeyore bullshit…. the cats fell out of the cat-tree! They’re still giggling.
….my computer screen can’t take much more coffee & potato chips (late breakfast – ok, brunch).
Yep – the ole’ end of the thread sneak attack bullshit.
Wordsmith @ 155
alright, Bush, Cheney and Libby can all burn in hell. No bull.
After Libby serves his sentence can he be deported to Israel. It’s about time the U.S. begin the process of deportation for Republicans in service to foreign powers.
[CHS notes: Let’s be careful about tossing out accusations on this without also linking up actual proof, shall we?]
Can I mention my take is displayed on my blog?
No? Okay, pretend I didn’t.
I imagine his boss in the fourth branch of non-government, somewhere in the Seventh Dimension is getting that uncomfortable feeling of a noose tightening around his rather hideous neck.
Kevin Hayden @ 158
That IS a pretty picture!
Off to work – to spread the good news.
Christy Hardin Smith @ 147
Wow, the expletives. I guess I was not clear. You want to spend my tax dollars paying for Libby to spend time in prision. No, you pay for it. It’s just expensive theatre and you know it. Sentence the guy to xyz hours of community service cleaning up something dirty and disbar him. Fine him the cost of his prosecution (whoops, can’t do that)
Don’t spend any more tax dollars on him. There is no social benefit to sending the jerk to prison and for you to claim otherwise is nonsense. Prison time is a waste of time and tax dollars in this case.
The rest of your rant is just hyperbole.
leftdcin72 — Ahhh, yes, why didn’t I see it that way before? Libby deserves special treatment because he’s one of the genteel class. Society gets no benefit from enforcing the laws across the board and equally for everyone, regardless of status — instead, we get something from enforcing them to the benefit of those of Libby’s sort. Yes, I see…
And yet, I wholeheartedly disagree. Again. Libby broke the law, he did so knowingly, having worked as an attorney representing clients who were convicted of perjury. As an attorney, he disrespected the rule of law – under oath — and he violated national security interests to do so. He has shown no remorse whatsoever for the commission of said crimes — and he deserves no special favors or breaks. Period. For you to claim otherwise is simply wrong.
What Will Happen Next
You know all those people who have reported that The Dick has withdrawn his claim that he constitutes a Fourth Branch of Government? He hasn’t — he’s just withdrawn it as the basis for his purported exemption from the oversight of ISOO.
Thus, watch for this: The Dick tells Dubya that Libby was a member of the Fourth Branch, and therefore the Judiciary can’t send him to jail. Dubya agrees, but in keeping with his usual MO of letting The Dick do the dirty work, he issues a new Executive Order delegating his pardon power to The Dick. The Dick then pardons Scooter.
Don’t laugh. It could happen.
Christy – thanks again for your on-the-spot reporting…
“Upon consideration of the motion for release pending appeal, the opposition thereto, and the reply, it is
ORDERED that the motion for release pending appeal be denied. Appellant has not shown that the appeal raises a substantial question under 18 USC Sec. 3143(b)(1)(B). See United States v. Perholtz, 836 F.2d 554, 555 (D.C.Cir. 1987) (per curiam) (substantial question is one that is “close” or that “could very well be decided the other way”).”
I do hope the courts switch to English sometime this century…
litigatormom @ 162
Oh, is that twisted!!
YES!!!
Christy Hardin Smith @ 161
You have the last word and you did a great job reporting on the trial
Sharon @ 148
Hi, Sharon! (waves)
He has been freed by BUSH> BREAKING NEWS