Independence Day For Libby

Lewis "Scooter" Libby will suffer enough with his reputation "forever damaged." Poor baby.

We will see just how damaged his reputation is as Libby comes to be celebrated on the right-wing lecture circuit with fees that will easily cover his wrist-slap of a fine. Can agents with the promise of an Ollie North-style talk show be far behind? Once again, we have an example of politicians championing the slogans of law and order--until the criminal is one of their own, at which point they suddenly become bleeding-heart liberals eager to ease the pain of the misjudged underdog. Blame the victim for Libby's troubles; it was that outed CIA agent, Valerie Plame, who made him do it. Who told her to be married to a guy who dared to publicly criticize Libby's boss?

That's the easiest explanation for President Bush's commutation of the Libby sentence, but there is an even more odious possible cause for the President cutting loose his friend, the felon, hours after a unanimous appeals court panel ordered Libby to start serving his thirty-month sentence. It's that old chestnut of honor among thieves: They didn't want Libby to have any incentive to squeal on higher-ups. Libby was never more than the fall guy whose usefulness to the prosecutor was that he was a lower-level scoundrel in a position to turn in his White House superiors.

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