Pardon for Scooter Libby?: Libby Conspiracy Adjustment: More Cowbell

Pardon for Scooter Libby?

This blog features a series of regularly updated, brief essays regarding the possible presidential pardon of "Scooter" Libby with an emphasis on history, law and empirical research. The creator is ProfessorP.S. Ruckman, Jr., author of the forthcoming book, Pardon Me, Mr. President: Adventures in Crime, Politics and Mercy .

Thursday, December 6, 2007

Libby Conspiracy Adjustment: More Cowbell

Over at the Baltimore Chronicle, Robert Parry tries to dust off the conspiracy theory that some just can't get enough of (story here). But Parry's contribution is significant. Says he:

On July 2, 2007, Bush commuted Libby’s sentence to spare him any jail time. The President also left open the possibility that Libby might receive a full pardon before Bush left the White House. The combination of taking away the stick of jail time and dangling the carrot of a full pardon eliminated any incentive for Libby to turn state’s evidence against Bush, Cheney and other senior officials.

Previously, the commutation of Libby's sentence had done the job. Now the potential for a pardon is part of the overall strategy as well. Soon enough, we will hear about how failing to pardon Libby is part of the overall strategy as well.

The mindset just keeps giving and giving and giving.