July 03, 2007 02:01 AM UTC

Bush Gives America the Finger

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• by: Colorado Pols

From The Associated Press:

President Bush commuted the sentence of former White House aide I. Lewis “Scooter” Libby on Monday, sparing him from a 2½-year prison term that Bush said was excessive.

Bush’s move came hours after a federal appeals panel ruled Libby could not delay his prison term in the CIA leak case. That meant Libby was likely to have to report to prison soon and put new pressure on the president, who had been sidestepping calls by Libby’s allies to pardon the former chief of staff to Vice President Dick Cheney.

“I respect the jury’s verdict,” Bush said in a statement. “But I have concluded that the prison sentence given to Mr. Libby is excessive. Therefore, I am commuting the portion of Mr. Libby’s sentence that required him to spend thirty months in prison.”

Bush left intact a $250,000 fine and two years probation for Libby, and Bush said his action still “leaves in place a harsh punishment for Mr. Libby.”

Libby was convicted in March of lying to authorities and obstructing the investigation into the 2003 leak of CIA operative’s identity. He was the highest-ranking White House official ordered to prison since the Iran-Contra affair.

Reaction was harsh from Democrats.

“As Independence Day nears, we’re reminded that one of the principles our forefathers fought for was equal justice under the law. This commutation completely tramples on that principle,” Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., said through a spokesman.

We don’t normally exert any energy bashing or supporting Bush in this space, but this is so beyond ridiculous that it couldn’t be ignored. Your guy commits a crime, a court convicts him, and you have the balls to say “I respect the jury’s verdict…” as you spring him from his sentence.

A monarchy operates like this. Not a democracy. We should all be embarrassed by this, whether you are a Democrat or a Republican. This isn’t about partisan politics – it’s zipping down your fly and taking a piss on our entire system of government. What Bush has just done is made it clear to the World that his administration is above the law. Now what will the Republican candidates for President have to say?