Cheney Outraged President Bush Didn't Grant 'Scooter' Libby Full Pardon

[Cees Binkhorst]

REPLY TO: D66 at nic.surfnet.nl

Jammer dat Bush er zo laat achter kwam dat hij geen controle had over Cheney.
Wel vind ik dat Libby, binnen de gedragsregels die golden in de regering
Bush, dat pardon had moeten krijgen.
Maar toen puntje bij paaltje kwam liet Bush ZIJN mensen in de steek (omdat
hij wist dat hij én de hele USA over zich heen zou krijgen én zijn
presidentschap onherstelbaar beschadigd zou zijn).
Nu komt de baas (Cheney én Bush) er mee weg en is de uitvoerder gestraft.

Groet / Cees

http://www.usnews.com/articles/news/politics/2009/02/18/ex-vp-dick-cheney-outraged-president-bush-didnt-grant-scooter-libby-full-pardon.html

Ex-VP Dick Cheney Outraged President Bush Didn't Grant 'Scooter' Libby
Full Pardon
Posted February 18, 2009

BY Thomas M. Defrank
DAILY NEWS WASHINGTON BUREAU CHIEF

WASHINGTON - In the waning days of the Bush administration, Vice President
Dick Cheney launched a last-ditch campaign to persuade his boss to pardon
Lewis (Scooter) Libby - and was furious when President George W. Bush
wouldn't budge.

Sources close to Cheney told the Daily News the former vice president
repeatedly pressed Bush to pardon Libby, arguing his ex-chief of staff and
longtime alter ego deserved a full exoneration - even though Bush had
already kept Libby out of jail by commuting his 30-month prison sentence.

"He tried to make it happen right up until the very end," one Cheney
associate said.

In multiple conversations, both in person and over the telephone, Cheney
tried to get Bush to change his mind. Libby was convicted of perjury and
obstruction of justice in the federal probe of who leaked covert CIA
operative Valerie Plame's identity to the press.

Several sources confirmed Cheney refused to take no for an answer. "He
went to the mat and came back and back and back at Bush," a Cheney
defender said. "He was still trying the day before Obama was sworn in."

After repeatedly telling Cheney his mind was made up, Bush became so
exasperated with Cheney's persistence he told aides he didn't want to
discuss the matter any further.

The unsuccessful full-court press left Cheney bitter. "He's furious with
Bush," a Cheney source told The News. "He's really angry about it and
decided he's going to say what he believes."

He did just that the day after becoming a private citizen. In an interview
with The Weekly Standard, Cheney heaped praise on Libby and denounced his
conviction. "He was the victim of a serious miscarriage of justice, and I
strongly believe that he deserved a presidential pardon," Cheney said.
"Obviously, I disagree with President Bush's decision."

The vehemence of Cheney's last-minute onslaught has struck some Bush
loyalists as excessive. "At some point you have to accept the decision of
the guy who appointed you," one of them said after learning the details.
"I think Cheney was over the top."

A Cheney ally disagreed. "He had every right to push it as hard as he
wanted," he argued. "Cheney places great store in loyalty and thinks
Scooter got a raw deal."

In July 2007, at Cheney's urging, Bush commuted Libby's 30-month prison
sentence. But he also said, "I respect the jury's verdict" and noted that
his decision "leaves in place a harsh punishment" for the man often
described as "Cheney's Cheney." Libby was fined $250,000, and as a
convicted felon, he has been disbarred from practicing law and cannot
vote.

Rob Saliterman, a spokesman for the former President, said Bush would have
no comment. A Cheney spokeswoman could not be reached for comment.

The latest Libby flap has injected fresh strains in a relationship that
had become more businesslike than warm in recent years.

Ten days before leaving office, Bush hailed Cheney as "a fabulous vice
president."

About the same time, however, an official who has worked closely with both
men mused that the relationship "isn't what it was" when Bush tapped
Cheney as his running mate in 2000.

"It's been a long, long time since I've heard the President say, 'Run that
by the vice president's office.' You used to hear that all the time."

**********
Dit bericht is verzonden via de informele D66 discussielijst (D66 at nic.surfnet.nl).
Aanmelden: stuur een email naar LISTSERV at nic.surfnet.nl met in het tekstveld alleen: SUBSCRIBE D66 uwvoornaam uwachternaam
Afmelden: stuur een email naar LISTSERV at nic.surfnet.nl met in het tekstveld alleen: SIGNOFF D66
Het on-line archief is te vinden op: http://listserv.surfnet.nl/archives/d66.html
**********