Posts filed under “Plamegate”
“The Annotated Bush” Rides Again
It’s been too long, certainly. On commuting Libby‘s sentence: I — first of all, the Scooter Libby decision was, I thought, a fair and balanced decision. I have carefully examined my controversial decision myself. It is surprisingly fair and balanced. I’m all good. Just like Fox News. On psychology: First, I understand why the American [...]
Pure Distilled Bush
For long months Bush has let the Valerie Plame leak scandal percolate through what we are forced to describe as his consciousness. For long months he has pondered what he would say about it when he finally broke his silence. He has framed his words, rehearsed them, revised them, polished them. Rolled them around in [...]
Less Letters, More Action
Look, I like a good letter as much as (and probably more than) the next guy. I picked up my writing style by watching Cohen Sr. write letters to the editor (like this one) and anyone else he felt needed a wake up call. In effect, 1115 began as my own version of this. And [...]
The Begining of the End of the American Justice System
Longtime friend, 1115 reader and notorious scofflaw Andy Sine had his day in court on Tuesday on a matter of unpaid parking tickets. Fines, penalties and court costs were in the $2,000 range, and desperate measures were required. When the judge asked what he had to say for himself, Andy expressed outrage that he had [...]
The Libby Pardon: Sooner Than we Thought?
I pointed out on Friday how Judge Reggie Walton had identified a problem with Bush‘s commutation of Libby‘s sentence, namely that federal law provides for probation “only after the defendant has already served a term of imprisonment”. Since Libby’s sentence had been commuted before he served any time, Judge Walton found no legal basis for [...]
International Standards In Presidential Clemency
U.S.A.: George Bush commutes the sentence of I. Lewis Libby even though he believes him to be guilty of the crimes he was charged with and convicted of, because he believes (or knows he can get away with saying) that the sentence was excessive, even though it falls within sentencing guidelines, which is the Supreme [...]
The Libby Probation: Another Problem?
By now we’ve all heard about how Judge Reggie Walton has pointed out that you can only be placed on probation after having served a prison sentence. Legally, probation is “supervised release”. You have to go to prison in order to be released. Federal law does not provide for probation without prison time. Somehow this [...]
The President’s Long And Lonely Struggle
Tony Snow on Tell-the-Truth Tuesday: I will simply tell you that the President, after long consideration, weeks and weeks of consideration, came to the conclusion that 30 months in jail was excessive, and that he is comfortable with the punishment, which is still quite severe, of $250,000, a felony conviction, and two years of probation. [...]
Apples And Anti-Gravity
The story of Victor A. Rita is so much like I. Lewis Libby‘s that one has to feel that comparing their cases is a fair comparison, an equal comparison: The defendant, Victor A. Rita, was, like Mr. Libby, convicted of perjury, making false statements to federal agents and obstruction of justice.Mr. Rita has performed extensive [...]
This Mud, Is Very Very Very Clear Mud
Tony Snow this morning brought his own unique clarifying perspective to bear on President Bush‘s commutation of Scooter Libby‘s sentence. Here’s a quote-collage synopsis of Tony’s performance: It’s correct that “politics did not play into this decision at allâ€. To “think of this as the bestowal of a favor is simply utterly to misconstrue the [...]