Libby can simply plead guilty, which is devastating for us

[wookie294]

I predict Libby will plead guilty to all charges with the knowledge that Bush will pardon him. Libby's expectation of a pardon means he has no incentive to negotiate a deal with Fitzgerald, a deal that might rat-out Cheney. Libby can simply plead guilty and thereby avoid any future indictments against Rove and Cheney. I believe this is the plan that has already been discussed between Rove, Cheney, Libby and Bush.

And I think Fitz WANTS BADLY not to prosecute Cheney. His lame indictment today is proof of that, imho.

Please don't flame me. I hope my analysis is wrong, but I don't think it's wrong.

[deadparrot]

1. Bush will not take a pardon lightly.

It would put his legacy into serious jeopardy.

[BOSSHOG]

4. Not in my home

I cannot possibly think of anything bush can do from this day on that would lower him in my eyes. Pardon the sonofabitch, get more of our kids killed, continue to lie and cheat and steal .. bush, you will always be whale shit in my home.

[deadparrot]

6. Mine, either.

But the public perception would be very damaging, IMHO.

[niyad]

18. bush has ALWAYS been lower than pond scum, as far as I am concerned

there isn't anything he could do that would make me think less of him than I already do.

[kurth]

13. Bush worried about his legacy?

Heck, he's a lot more worried about his cardiovascular endurance (from the HARD WORK, ya know).

Presidential pardons are a certainty.

[deadparrot]

15. ALL he has left is to worry about his legacy.

That's what all this second term "mandate" bullshit has been about.

No more elections. He doesn't give a rat's ass about the 2006 elections. After all, members of his own party are the reason for many of his recent headaches.

Them man is a hopeless narcissist. He's concerned solely with himself and how he will go down in history.

[Lexingtonian]

2. Why?

A guilty plea means allocution to the substantial facts. That's what matters. Who cares whether Libby spends a few months in Club Fed or not.

[hiaasenrocks]

3. Fitz doesn't have to accept the plea.

And even if he does he can do so with an agreement that Libby must spill the beans.

Plus, remember, Fitz still has whatever Rove gave him and that has to be checked out.

[strategery blunder]

5. If Bush pardons Libby

he will sacrifice absolutely everything else on his agenda to do it.

Republican congresscritters will abandon him to avoid the taint of his übercronyism, which will be even more evident in a pardon than it was with Michael Brown's Katrina incompetence.

A Libby pardon will make Bush radioactive. He may try it, but the Congresscritters can't afford to let him get away with it.

[MADem]

17. He has to wait until AFTER the 08 elections, before the inauguration

He can not do it in the runup to 06, or he risks losing the House or Senate, or even both, if people get pissed off enough.

He cannot do it before the 08 elections, because there will go the White House (cronyism, culture of corruption, pardoning his pal).

So Libby either has to plead, sit in jail and be forgotten, and hope he gets good news on a Christmas eve, a few years from now.

Either that, or he fights, delays, gets continuances, gets convicted, tries to appeal and stay out of jail in the interim, then tries to delay, stall, continue...up until 08. In the meantime, he can reach far up his arsehole and pull out every friken dime he ever made, and hand it over to a team of skilled, expensive criminal attorneys.

That kind of stalling does not come cheap. Ask Ken Lay....

[ThoughtCriminal]

7. Pardons can backfire. Look at Kentucky

Fletcher's approval down to 17%.
New Indictments
Pardoned underlings can't refuse to testify now.

http://www.abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory?id=1210291&page=1

[marbuc]

8. If Bush does pardon Libby, it would have to be done before the midterms

Or else Libby will be serving time. A pre-election pardon would not bode well for the Republicans, who are already seriously ethically challenged.

[Erika]

14. W pardon a political hack?

Just another footnote in his legacy

[Erika]

9. Americans have a sense of justice

Ford was not re-elected because he chose to pardon Nixon. Many people don't know these facts.

[Kazak]

10. Doesn't mean Rove won't still be indicted.

I don't think he's outta the woods yet.

[GreatCaesarsGhost]

11. if there is a pardon, it will come before a plea or trial

[Richard D]

12. There is still Mr. A (Rove most likely)

[speedoo]

16. The Coward can't pardon him right now.

He is so politically damaged, his administration would be devastated.

And there is nothing on the horizon that looks like it will improve the Coward's political situation.

If Libby thinks he will gat an automatic pardon, he's a fool. And I don't believe Libby is a fool.