14
Jun
Jail For Scooter
Judge Walton orders I. Lewis “Scooter” Libby to go directly to jail pending appeals. More when stories hit the wire.
***Update***
The federal judge presiding over the trial of I. Lewis “Scooter” Libby today ordered Vice President Cheney’s former chief of staff to report to prison within weeks to begin serving a 30-month sentence for lying to federal investigators about his role in disclosing a covert CIA officer’s identity to the media.
Walton will let Scooter self-report, which means that Libby won’t have to frog march if he doesn’t want to. Oh well.
Jake
Walton proves not every Bush appointee is a hack.
Wilfred
Lewis Libby is a horrible, empty, shallow person, who has spent his entire life being pampered, doted on and catered to by a criminally incompetent group of Republican bosses (why aren’t these people going to jail instead?), all the while swooned over by a pack of psychopaths and the fawning Fox News. He has no concept of reality, no real relationships, no real understanding of love, sacrifice, and true friendship, and lives a shallow but gilded existence. He probably does think what is happening to him right now is unfair, but his poor grasp on reality is not entirely his fault. Unless things change radically for him as a result of this incarceration, he will go on and live out a meaningless and transparently fraudulent public existence, none the wiser that there really is much more to life than the fancy Georgetown restaurants and trips to the American Enterprise Institute.
Yes, he is rich and spoiled, but only in the financial sense. Otherwise, he leads an empty and utterly meaningless existence. I wouldn’t trade places with him for all the money in the world (or in the coffers of the RNC, for that matter). It is entirely possible to loathe and feel sympathetic for this tragic figure.
I do.
tBone
I only hope that as Scooter is led to prison, he can conduct himself with the grace and good humor of Paris Hilton.
Because it would be really awesome to see him sobbing “Mommy!” as he was hauled away.
Crust
Judge Walton orders I. Lewis “Scooter” Libby to go directly to jail pending appeals.
Make that pending appeals and pardons. He wouldn’t report to prison for several weeks, giving Bush plenty of time to pull out the old pardon pen first.
DougJ
It’d be more likely to be “Cheney!”.
The Other Steve
So how’s Tom Maguire handling the news?
Jake
Wilfred, take a bow.
Andrew
So, reading up on pardons, it doesn’t seem like the President can pardon someone without their accepting guilt in the matter, and furthermore, the pardon must trickle through the DoJ and some time must pass after the sentence has already been served.
On the other hand, it seems like El Presidente can commute the sentence at any time.
Andrew
I should add to the first bit: “In most cases. The President can pardon at any time, but usually doesn’t.”
Tsulagi
LOL, that’s probably true.
Maybe Cheney will pardon him. If anyone questions his authority, he’d just tell them to fuck off.
HyperIon
or is it time to get flamed?
Jake
...Sorry. I was going to make a pithy comment but I can’t get past the fact that an adult goes around with a name like Scooter and other adults encourage this sort of thing.
Plus, Perino sounds like she’s been at the quaaludes again.
DougJ
By sending threatening letters to Judge Walton.
tBone
The Decider isn’t a lawyer. He’s not going to let a minor point in the law stop him from doing what’s right for the country.
OniHanzo
You gotta love gems like this:
Shake those feathers, boys! Somebody’s gotta listen!
numbskull
Given Walton’s background, why would anyone think that this isn’t just a grandstanding firewall for Cheney?
Tom Hilton
Even better than the Libby sentencing: Judge Walton smacked down the Borkapalooza brief, saying he wouldn’t accept it from a first-year. Nice. Very nice.
Tulkinghorn
The brief was from Robert “Million Dollar Bruise” Bork? I love it!
conumbdrum
If Cheney is guilty of any involvement in the outing of Valerie Plame (and I think we all agree that he is, right?) then pardoning Libby could land Dick in a world of hurt. This, more than anything, is probably the real reason that Cheney hasn’t been in contact with Scooter (other than he’s the coldest prick imaginable) – he must avoid even the perception that he’s brokering a deal to pardon. Which is, no doubt, why Dick’s GOP minions are wailing and rending their garments on Libby’s behalf, as if he were fucking Emmett Till.
Read this piece by former Nixon attorney John Dean… he explains it far better than I can, and administers a nice smackdown to Cheney toady Fred Thompson as a bonus.
Tom Hilton
Well, Bork and 11 other Prominent! Legal! Scholars!
All of whom just got completely humiliated.
Andrew
I found stormy!
Steve
When the leader of the NYC transit union got sentenced to jail last year for calling an illegal strike, he was given the option of self-reporting to serve his sentence. He chose to hold a rally in front of the courthouse in Brooklyn, from where he and thousands of supporters marched together across the Brooklyn Bridge into Manhattan. They ended their journey at the jailhouse, where he submitted himself to custody.
I think Libby’s supporters should reenact that scene. Seriously, he has so many fans, I bet they could throw him a party that outshines anything some no-name union leader could command. I want to see them all march him in triumph to the jailhouse. Although Robert Bork will be allowed to skip the march, what with his bum leg and all.
rachel
I found stormy!Anybody know what rock Darrell has crawled under?
Zifnab
Man, I wish. I can’t begin to dream of a better “break out the popcorn and lawn chairs” event. The Scooter Libby Perjury Parade would definitely be something to see.
Zifnab
Apparently, she likes to frequent the rightwingnuthouse too. Google is amazing. http://www.rightwingnuthouse.c.....r=Stormy70
So the real question is… Stormy70?
The Other Steve
Pimping my diary on Opera over at dailyKos
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2007/6/15/91011/4599
Pb
Nah, that doesn’t look like her at all… :)
Punchy
Republicans are all about “rule of law”, which is why Libby wont be pardoned, right, John?
Tulkinghorn
I didn’t see anything about rum, so that can’t be her.
Jake
I’d brave the mobs of tourists to go see that. Screw the 4th of July Fireworks & Drunken Fist-fight Fest, I want to see the Borktastic 12 weeping and throwing themselves in front of the paddy wagon.
Tax Analyst
Lewis Libby is a horrible, empty, shallow person, who has spent his entire life being pampered, doted on and catered to by a criminally incompetent group of Republican bosses (why aren’t these people going to jail instead?), all the while swooned over by a pack of psychopaths and the fawning Fox News. He has no concept of reality, no real relationships, no real understanding of love, sacrifice, and true friendship, and lives a shallow but gilded existence. He probably does think what is happening to him right now is unfair, but his poor grasp on reality is not entirely his fault. Unless things change radically for him as a result of this incarceration, he will go on and live out a meaningless and transparently fraudulent public existence, none the wiser that there really is much more to life than the fancy Georgetown restaurants and trips to the American Enterprise Institute.
Yes, he is rich and spoiled, but only in the financial sense. Otherwise, he leads an empty and utterly meaningless existence. I wouldn’t trade places with him for all the money in the world (or in the coffers of the RNC, for that matter). It is entirely possible to loathe and feel sympathetic for this tragic figure.
Or, in short…Paris Hilton without the Party Affiliation, blonde hair and tits…except she’s probably moreless harmless…
Tax Analyst
I guess I don’t really know how to proofread…maybe I’ll figure it out when I get older…
Wilfred
Now, maybe. But wait until he gets out: 30 months in stir can change a man.
Zifnab
Paris Hilton doesn’t have tits, she just has a really expensive bra.
Tax Analyst
Paris Hilton doesn’t have tits, she just has a really expensive bra.
Well, I’m not so sure that’s true…but I am fairly certain that Scooter has no hooter’s.
Punchy
Maybe she can just borrow Phil Mickelson’s….
Tax Analyst
Now, maybe. But wait until he gets out: 30 months in stir can change a man.
Are you implying that Scooter might end up being ridden like a Harley during his incarceration?
Andrew
This seems oh so right.
Krista
Hell, all things considered, we should be happy and grateful anytime a young celeb skankbot wears any foundation garments.
jake
$20 mil and “three ciggarettes.”
It is probably wrong to laugh at such things.
Oh well.
Tax Analyst
$20 mil and “three ciggarettes.”
It is probably wrong to laugh at such things.
Oh well.
Yes, Jake…it is SO wrong to laugh at that…to which I might add, “Har-de-har-har”...