Yesterday afternoon I received a call from Orange County Register reporter Martin Wisckol asking me for my thoughts about the decision by president George W. Bush to commute the 2 1/2 year sentence of vice president Dick Cheney’s Chief of Staff, former White House aide “Scooter” Libby. While Libby did not receive a presidential Pardon, he will not be locked up in a cell somewhere.
Although we discussed several related issues, Martin did his job and is correct in what was published today. What he failed to include is my remarks that perhaps someone higher up the food chain was more responsible for any alleged crime than Mr. Libby. My main illustration in our interview related to those with connections and those on the lower rungs such asJose Alonso Compean and Ignacio Ramos, two Border Patrol agents, who are now serving 12 and 11 years respectfully for shooting a drug smuggler in the buttocks as he tried to escape.
What a joke. One of the charges against the agents included a Civil Rights violation against a drug dealer who had 800 pounds of marijuana in the back of his van. Why don’t we simply tie the hands of our agents in the field as they attempt to perform Homeland Security measures. No wonder our war against drugs is such a dismal failure.
What is beyond belief is our government brought this drug smuggler back to the U. S., gave him immunity, and provided for his medical treatment. While Compean and Ramos may have violated some government policies, to sentence them to 12 and 11 years is over the top. I wonder what the rules of engagement are when you confront a drug smuggler who is attempting to escape but that’s not my area of expertise.
To summarize. If President Bush felt that a 30 month sentence for Scooter was “excessive” and warranted his intervention, than I shall use the same argument on behalf of these two men. Drop them from the Border Patrol but set them free. Let them do two years of community service as their punishment.
And now for you the Juice readers. What are your thoughts on this story?
As we leave very early tomorrow I will not be able to respond personally for the next eight days. That is not a cop out!
Have a safe 4th of July.
Libby should go to jail. To the same jail the convicted border agents are doing their time at.
At least he (Bush) could comute the two agents sentences also.
Libby should have gone to jail.
You do have to wonder – was Bush afraid of the tales Libby might tell? Would workers within the Administration feel obliged to expose other misdeeds if the President allowed Libby to serve time in jail?
Bush has earned a place in history. During his term in office, ordinary citizens have gained the right to be arrested, whisked away to remote locations and tortured – all without being charged. In contrast, members of his political elite can escape jail time even when convicted of a serious crime.
Inspiring.
George W. Bush, his administration, and his congressional and media allies currently applauding this shameful pre-pardon of a convicted felon … together they all compose the the greatest out-in-the open danger to our rights as freeborn human in a generation. Al Quaeda my eye! If Bush were half as good at catching those criminals as he is at guaranteeing fist fulls of dollars for military contractors, cronies, and Saudi princes who fund Al Quaeda we could get back to the real task of human progress. The Bushies know no “rule of law” that does not privilege their candied butts.
Deflect, deflect, deflect.
That is all you bonehead reeps know how to do
Hey, all you head-in-the-sand neocons.
July 02, 2007 has gone down in infamy.
DEMOCRACY IS DEAD!
Checks and balances have disappeared.
We’ve had a runaway rogue Executive Branch in our government since 2000.
How much does the Carlyle Group and the J. Birch Society pay you clowns anyway?
You bunch of hypocrits….Mark
Rich…every heard of him? Naahh,
or…anyone? Bush is the President
of the United States of America.
George Bush…has plenty of failings…but not when it comes
to Scooter Libby. This is just
another Iran-Contra affair. The
prosecutor couldn’t nail anyone
on the facts..so he let go the
P-Bomb…..meaning that whatever
you say…is going to be “Contempt
of something!”
Enough… President Bush and Vice
President Cheney….are doing just
fine that you…very much!
We hope he Pardons Libby completely
say in 18 months! Then he can say
he was just following in Bill Clintons foot steps!
Not quite enough is being made of the fact that as governor of Texas George Bush executed a record-breaking 152 people, refusing to commute the death sentences of a mentally-retarded man with an IQ of 60, a grandmother who murdered her abusive husband, and a guy whose lawyer famously slept through his trial. We’re not talking about setting them free. We’re talking just about not killing them.
In his autobiography, Bush explained his decisions this way: “I don’t believe my role is to replace the verdict of a jury with my own.”
Ha ha. Very funny.
As opposed to here, in California, where if you execute the death penalty on a man who murdered 5 people and raped little girls, half the state screams racism and/or cruel and unusual punishment. It’s borderline insulting to the victims of those unspeakable acts and the justice system itself.
Perjury is a very serious crime and should be treated that way, regardless of which party the criminal is in.
I’m glad I’m not the only Republican to feel this way.
There were detractors in the president’s own party, including north suburban Congressman Mark Kirk (R-Northbrook), who expressed his disappointment.
“He was indicted by a grand jury and convicted beyond the shadow of a doubt by one of the best prosecutors in America, Patrick Fitzgerald, and didn’t have a single member of a 12-member jury stand up with him,” Kirk said. “At that point, if you’ve done the crime, you should do the time.”
http://cbs2chicago.com/homepage/local_story_183225657.html
Here’s something from the grave, to think about Ryan:
The Framers, ever sensitive to the need for checks and balances, recognized the potential for abuse of the pardon power. … “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:
“[I]f 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. . . .
Not only did Mason and Madison anticipate a presidential scoundrel like Bush. They anticipated Cheney.
“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.”
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/blog/2007/07/03/BL2007070301366.html?hpid=topnews
Hey Rian Trabuko,
Deflect, deflect, deflect…
A typical Republican’t if I ever smelled one. You just can’t stay on topic.
Meanwhile, back at the ranch…
Educate yourself on #8 & #9’s history lesson and don’t accept any of the distortions of the US Constitution your party has belched out.
Have you ever driven east on the 91 and noticed that “200 Years of Freedom” painted on the side of the dam right off the 71 expressway? Whoever put that up there must have been a prophet. This country has had just about 200 years of freedom. It was a good run, though, unfortunately we are now in uncharted territory…
Put that in your pipe and smoke it!
Last night, Keith Olbermann said it all in his commentary on MSNBC:
Bush, Cheney should resign
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/19588942/
Watch the video — it’s powerful.
Poster #5 reminds me of Rod Richardson telling me and my wife at a Catholic Families meeting:
“The Supervisors are doing a fine job, and so is Bob”
This days before the implosian of the counties finances.
Ron and Anna are either nuts or stupid, keepo drinking the punch you guys. This is the biggest F-JOB in fifty years. My Godson, Nephew, Brother (CNN cameraman), nextdoor neighbor and daughters best friend have been to IRAQ, three of the five came back alive.
What are you thinking?
A fine job????
Talk about out of touch!