As soon as Scooter Libby was convicted of lying, the calls from Republicans for a pardon 
began. However, as the loyal fall guy, Libby is not ready for a pardon. His case needs to wend its way through the appellate courts now, which may take years. And it's not like the President has the political capital to pull this off right now. . .although, we have seen him pull other suicidal moves over the last 6+ years (such as nominating Harriet Meiers for ther Supreme Court, nominating Bolton as the U.N. delegate, deficit war financing, and plunging into his new "surge" in Iraq). If he does decide to pardon Libby, he would likely do it the morning of January 20, 2009. . .that blessed day so many of us are awaiting. If the pardon did come on that last day, we would see George Bush exit the Presidency as he entered it: under a massive firestorm of protest and anger. It would make a fitting bookend to this failed Presidency.
began. However, as the loyal fall guy, Libby is not ready for a pardon. His case needs to wend its way through the appellate courts now, which may take years. And it's not like the President has the political capital to pull this off right now. . .although, we have seen him pull other suicidal moves over the last 6+ years (such as nominating Harriet Meiers for ther Supreme Court, nominating Bolton as the U.N. delegate, deficit war financing, and plunging into his new "surge" in Iraq). If he does decide to pardon Libby, he would likely do it the morning of January 20, 2009. . .that blessed day so many of us are awaiting. If the pardon did come on that last day, we would see George Bush exit the Presidency as he entered it: under a massive firestorm of protest and anger. It would make a fitting bookend to this failed Presidency.There are at least two impediments to a pardon for Libby:
1) George Bush's already tarnished "legacy." We know he thinks about this, and we also know not many Presidents have ever resurrected their legacy in their last 20 months in office. A pardon would only garner approval from the Neo-cons and the far right.
2) Perhaps even more importantly, there is the Dick Cheney problem. As Prosecutor 
Patrick Fitzgerald told the jury last month in his summations: ""There is a cloud over the vice president." We know that Libby painted Cheney, his former boss, as the puppeteer, pulling strings in a campaign to defend the administration's case for war in Iraq and discredit a critic. And yet, so far, he seems willing to be the scapegoat and fall guy for Dick Cheney and Karl Rove. As he begins facing serious jail time, you wonder if he won't take a scorched earth position.
Patrick Fitzgerald told the jury last month in his summations: ""There is a cloud over the vice president." We know that Libby painted Cheney, his former boss, as the puppeteer, pulling strings in a campaign to defend the administration's case for war in Iraq and discredit a critic. And yet, so far, he seems willing to be the scapegoat and fall guy for Dick Cheney and Karl Rove. As he begins facing serious jail time, you wonder if he won't take a scorched earth position.Vice President Cheney's recent health problems have led to speculation that he might actually resign. Who knows what effect that would have on a possible pardon? Surely Condi Rice would become VP. She at least seems untarnished by this fracas. And with no one to bring down politically or legally, the President's counsel would tell Libby's lawyer to pound sound when they came calling for a pardon.
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