Bush commutes Libby sentence

[Occhidiangela]

I think you have much more to fear at this juncture from administrations claiming that they are above the law than from the government using laws to restrict your liberties.

-Jester

Nope. The death of a thousand cuts is how liberty dies. Administrations are a finitie entity, getting stupid laws off of the books is rather a longer prospect.

Let's put this commuted sentence into perspective.

Bill Clinton pardoned/commuted FALN terrorists. From the apologists at Wikipedia.

On August 11, 1999, Clinton commuted the sentences of 16 members of FALN, a violent Puerto Rican nationalist group that set off 120 bombs in the United States mostly in New York City and Chicago, convicted for conspiracies to commit robbery, bomb-making, and sedition, as well as for firearms and explosives violations.

None of the 16 were convicted of bombings or any crime which injured another person, though they were sentenced with terms ranging from 35 to 105 years in prison for the conviction of conspiracy and sedition.

Congress, however, recognized that the FALN is responsible for "6 deaths and the permanent maiming of dozens of others, including law enforcement officials." All of the 16 had served 19 years or longer in prison, which was a longer sentence than such crimes typically received, according to the White House. Clinton offered clemency, on condition that the prisoners renounce violence, at the appeal of 10 Nobel Peace Prize laureates, President Jimmy Carter, the cardinal of New York, and the archbishop of Puerto Rico.

Per my usual remark on the Pope and America's death penalty: those gutless papists need to get back into their lanes.

The commutation was opposed by U.S. Attorney's Office, the FBI, and the Federal Bureau of Prisons and criticized by many including former victims of FALN terrorist activities, the Fraternal Order of Police,[4] members of Congress, and Hillary Clinton in her campaign for Senator.

Congress condemned the action, with a vote of 95-2 in the Senate and 311-41 in the House.[6][7] The U.S. House Committee on Government Reform held an investigation on the matter, but the Justice Department prevented FBI officials from testifying. President Clinton cited executive privilege for his refusal to turn over some documents to Congress related to his decision to offer clemency to members of the FALN terrorist group.

And people gripe about Bush and "executive privilege.:P

So, GW Bush commuted Slimeball's Scooter's jail sentence. I don't see how the outrage compares, but then, I am disgusted with the whole lot of them.

So far, no pardon, but I'm pretty sure the Libby pardon will come after the 2008 election.)

Bill Clinton, pandering to some Puerto Rican lobbyists, and exhibit A for WJC, Prize Idiot.

Clinton offered clemency, on condition that the prisoners renounce violence.

Bleeding heart rubbish, or cynical political maneuver? I say it was both.

Occhi