June 05, 2007
For Pres. Bush, loyalty is a one-way street
A federal judge sentenced Scooter Libby to prison today, for lying to an investigator looking into the Plame Kerfuffle -- meanwhile, Richard Armitage, the favorite State Department official of Democrats and the Press, the guy who really did leak Valerie Plame's name to the press, goes unindicted.
What did the White House have to say about the prospect of Libby going to prison?
"The President said that he felt terrible for the family, especially his wife and his kids."
--Deputy White House press secretary Dana Perino, with Pres. Bush on Air Force One, Tuesday
Bill Kristol, the editor of the Weekly Standard, delivers a stunning rebuke and a scathing indictment in response.
I FEEL TERRIBLE for Scooter Libby's family. Millions of Americans feel terrible for Scooter Libby's family. But we can't do anything about the injustice that has been done. Nor can we do anything to avert a further injustice looming on the horizon--Judge Reggie Walton seems inclined not to let Libby remain free pending appeal.
Unlike the rest of us, however, George W. Bush is president. Article II, Section Two of the Constitution gives him the pardon power. George W. Bush can do something to begin to make up for the injustice a prosecutor appointed by his own administration brought down on Scooter Libby. And he can do something to avert the further injustice of a prison term.
Will Bush pardon Libby? Apparently not--even if it means a man who worked closely with him and sought tirelessly to do what was right for the country goes to prison. Bush spokeswoman Dana Perino, noting that the appeals process was underway, said, "Given that and in keeping with what we have said in the past, the president has not intervened so far in any other criminal matter and he is going to decline to do so now."
So much for loyalty, or decency, or courage. For President Bush, loyalty is apparently a one-way street; decency is something he's for as long as he doesn't have to take any risks in its behalf; and courage--well, that's nowhere to be seen.
Many of us used to respect President Bush. Can one respect him still?
It's become increasingly difficult to remember why I liked Bush; in retrospect, the best reason for having cast a ballot for him was the fact that it was a vote against the other guy.
As Dean Barnett notes, Bush is a guy whose emphasis on loyalty prevented him from firing an incompetent Attorney General; led him to nominate an unqualified friend to the Supreme Court; and I must also add, reward the horrendous director of the CIA with the Medal of Freedom. Barnett calls the impending incarceration of Libby a national disgrace, and I can't think of a reason to disagree.
Posted by Mike Lief at June 5, 2007 05:24 PM
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Comments
Bush is no Republican. He is a fool of a man. He has turned his back on his Republican base. He has turned his back on the American people with his Amnesty push for illegal aliens.
When our generals called for overwhelming force in the early days of the Iraq campaign, Bush turned his back on our troops by doing it his way.
Are we to be surprised now when this circus clown of a president turns his back on a guy who was loyal to him?
Posted by: Brad at June 5, 2007 06:59 PM