Hmmm---well, the editorial writers for the New York Times don't surprise, or disappoint; and they speak for many Democrats and progressives in their condemnation ofPresident Bush's decision to commute Scooter Libby's sentence. Just listen to them: Mr. Bush’s assertion that he respected the verdict but considered the sentence excessive only underscored the way this president is tough on crime when it’s committed by common folk. As governor of Texas, he was infamous for joking about the impending execution of Karla Faye Tucker, a killer who became a born-again Christian on death row. As president, he has repeatedly put himself and those on his team, especially Mr. Cheney, above the law.
Within minutes of the Libby announcement, the same Republican commentators who fulminated when Paris Hilton got a few days knocked off her time in a county lockup were parroting Mr. Bush’s contention that a fine, probation and reputation damage were “harsh punishment” enough for Mr. Libby.
Of course, I do seem to remember the Clinton administration pledging to be tough on crime; and then, with the administration's time running down, who got pardoned? "Common folk" like Marc Rich...
UPDATE: here's an excellent rundown of some of Bill Clinton's more, er, interesting pardons. Some highlights:
• Susan McDougal, Bill and Hillary’s close friend from the Whitewater days, convicted of mail fraud, aiding and abetting in misapplication of Small Business Investment Corporation funds, aiding and abetting in making false entries, aiding and abetting in making false statements.
• Henry Cisneros, Clinton’s Secretary of Housing and Urban Development from 1993 to 1997 when he left office after copping a plea to making false states to federal officials.
• Linda Jones, aka Linda Medlar, Cisnero’s girlfriend, convicted of conspiracy to commit bank fraud, to make a false statement to a bank, to launder monetary instruments, and to engage in monetary transactions in property derived from specific unlawful activity; aiding and abetting bank fraud; aiding and abetting false statements to a bank; aiding and abetting laundering monetary instruments; aiding and abetting engaging in monetary transactions in property derived from specific unlawful activity; obstruction of justice; falsifying, concealing and covering up a material fact by trick, scheme, or device; making a false statement.
Apart from cronies, one should note some of those pardoned for mishandling secrets:
• John Deutch, Clinton’s Director of the Central Intelligence Agency from 1994 to 1996, who kept classified documents on his personal computer, fell under a Justice Department investigation, and was pardoned before charges were brought.
• Samuel Loring Morison, a defense department employee who leaked classified documents to British magazine in an effort to get a job with it.
Some excellent links in the original.
