Pardon Scooter Libby meme has been formed: Failure to do so would discourage good people from gov't

[sabra]

http://www.forbes.com/opinions/2009/01/15/libby-pardon-bush-oped-cx_df_0115furchtgottroth.html

Pardon Scooter Libby
Diana Furchtgott-Roth, 01.15.09, 11:05 AM EST

Failure to do so would discourage good people from working for the government.


As President-elect Obama selects his team, it is to America's advantage that he recruit the best-qualified people possible. Yet the treatment of I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby, former chief of staff to Vice President Cheney and now my colleague at the Hudson Institute, may make Obama's task more difficult because it warns good men and women to stay away from government service.

...

Bush commuted Libby's sentence but did not pardon him, so he cannot practice law, his chosen profession. He spent over two years of his life fighting the charges and incurred millions of dollars in legal fees.

When government destroys the careers of public officials who did no harm, it does more than punish particular individuals. It ensures that others who might best guide our country in the right direction will not wish to take the risk of serving in government.

:eyes:

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123197743355383591.html?mod=googlenews_wsj

Bush and the Libby Pardon

As the curtain closes on the presidency of George W. Bush, the one loose end dangling is the pardon of I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby. In 2007 Mr. Libby, Vice President Dick Cheney's chief of staff, was convicted for perjury and obstruction of justice.

...

To the extent the Libby prosecution distracted the White House staff, consumed its working hours, eroded personal savings on lawyers, and inevitably pitted the president's aides against each other, the strategy worked. The domestic opposition didn't deter George Bush. But like any tireless pack, it hurt him and it hurt his goals.

...

Washington is on thin ice. The American people could not be more disgusted than they are with the tenor and conduct of politics in Washington. The long Libby case was more muck. When the vice president's chief of staff was convicted, financially ruined and professionally destroyed on the basis of a conversation, my first thought was, this is going to make it hard to attract the best people to serve in Washington.

Why wouldn't the spouse of anyone offered a similar job argue that if the system can let a Scooter Libby wash over the falls for this, the price is just too high. "You aren't going to put our family's future at this much risk. We won't serve. We can't."

[notadmblnd]

1. let me be the first to call BULLSHIT!

what it should do is deter the crooks. I don't believe for a second that there's only the same few dozen people in this country capable of running a government.

[DCKit]

9. What you said.

There NEED to be consequences if we are to avoid this mess in the future and prosecutions all the way to the top are the only way to ensure this never happens again.

[hobbit709]

2. GOOD people wouldn't be committing ILLEGAL acts.

[xxqqqzme]

11. That was my first thought as well.

Who has called scooter a 'good' person? He's a traitor just following the orders of his overlord.

[backscatter712]

3. Can we start forming the Hang Scooter Libby theme?

After all, he was a willing participant in treason...

[Wapsie B]

4. Pardon? I say firing squad.

[SpiralHawk]

5. "Beaming Anti-Meme Beams at the InfoSphere now." - Captain America

I will not allow Republiconthink to pervert the InfoSphere with diaper-clad, wide-stance, elite propaganda 'memes.' I stand for America at its best, and four-square against the mindboinking occult forces of Shock & Awe & FAIL."

- Captain America

[barbtries]

6. why would flouting the law

make scooter libby "one of the best people" in DC???

i hate this shit. it frustrates me no end. wrong is wrong. the ends do NOT justify the means. he stands convicted of multiple felonies; he shouldn't be able to practice law. he is not "one of the best" goddammit!

Why wouldn't the spouse of anyone offered a similar job argue that if the system can let a Scooter Libby wash over the falls for this, the price is just too high. "You aren't going to put our family's future at this much risk. We won't serve. We can't."

fucking bullshit! do the right thing. don't break the law. these articles are full of shit. harm was done, and to more than libby. libby broke the law, he suffered harm of his own doing.

enough. frustrating.

[sabra]

8. and it's just a *coincidence* that two op pieces in Forbes and WSJ have the exact

same talking points... :sarcasm:

[xxqqqzme]

12. Well yesterday was Wednesday

the day norquist hands out the weekly talking points.

[Me.]

7. The Cure

Don't commit crimes and you have nothing to worry about.

[Solly Mack]

10. Sounds like the letters written by Rumsfeld and others in favor of Libby

a few years ago.

Same bullshit.

[Winterblues]

13. Pardon Libby for Perjury but IMPEACH Clinton for less

Clinton was never actually charged with Perjury although Republicans love to throw that term around. In fact no Criminal Charges at all were brought against him. Libby was charged and found guilty of five FELONY counts...Must be able to keep those LIARS in government or Republicans won't stand a chance.