Bush lets neocon Libby escape prison sentence

Randall Parker:

The New York Times seems to think that conservatives are happy about Bush's action. I'm thinking more along the line that if you want to know who the neocons and Bush sycophants are then look at who is happy. Neocons and Bush sycophants please raise your hands.

Bill Clinton waited till his final days in office to pardon financier Marc Rich. Rich's lawyer, one Lewis "Scooter" Libby, defended that pardon. Now Libby has his own pardon.

I think that the sort of work that Libby did in private practice should have disqualified him to serve as an advisor to a US vice president. That he could defend Marc Rich given what has come out about Rich's activities strikes me as information should disqualify Libby from any important job in US federal government. The question of whether he broke the law in his job should never come up because people like him should be kept out of the White House.

Dick Cheney should be blamed for bringing in an advisor with Libby's background and for the fact that Libby was eventually convicted of federal crimes. Cheney should have brought more ethical people into government.

The Libby pardon shows once again elite disdain for popular wishes. Back in March 2007 CNN found the vast majority of the American people opposed a pardon for Libby.

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