FREE NELSON MANDELA IRVING SCOOTER LIBBY

Most of the 10 dwarves-- certainly Law & Order hawks Giuliani, Romney, McCain, Brownback, Tancredo and Thompson-- say they would pardon convicted criminal Irving Libby (AKA- "Scooter"). And that Thompson isn't the actor-- who is on the "Free Scooter" Committee-- but the one who either had a rad punk rock haircut at tonight's debate or a really bad rug, planted by someone who wants him out of the race. Meanwhile Fred Thompson's committee has been raising huge money to inundate us with propaganda about the greatness of this gratuitously sleazy pornographer and shameful traitor. They will do what ring wingers always do-- brainwash loud mouthed, low-info, 2 digit IQ victims, who will soon be repeating ad nauseum, as Romney did tonight, that there was no underlying crime (false) and that Fitz "abused his prosecutorial authority," etc. Count how many times you hear these things on CNN and, of course, on Fox "News."

NeoCon kook, one of the worst of the media war mongers, William Kristol is racheting that up even bigger by attacking the hapless GOP fuehrer. Like Bush, Kristol feels terrible for Libby's family. (Ambassador Joe Wilson does too. He said today that he-- like normal Americans-- was "saddened for the pain that Mr. Libby has inflicted on his family, friends, and the nation. Mr. Libby benefited from the best this country had to offer: the finest schools, a lucrative career as a lawyer and many years of service in Republican administrations. That he would knowingly lie, perjure himself and obstruct a legitimate criminal investigation is incomprehensible."

Kristol is whining that the judge, Reggie Walton, "seems inclined not to let Libby remain free pending appeal." Is that possible? He's white. He's rich. He's a Republican. That's not who's supposed to go to prison. "Hard on crime" is for poor non-Republican colored people, not for the kinds of criminals that Libby (and other Bush Regime law breakers) are. Kristol demands to know if Bush will pardon Libby. And then he answers himself:

Apparently not--even if it means a man who worked closely with him and sought tirelessly to do what was right for the country goes to prison. Bush spokeswoman Dana Perino, noting that the appeals process was underway, said, "Given that and in keeping with what we have said in the past, the president has not intervened so far in any other criminal matter and he is going to decline to do so now."

So much for loyalty, or decency, or courage. For President Bush, loyalty is apparently a one-way street; decency is something he's for as long as he doesn't have to take any risks in its behalf; and courage--well, that's nowhere to be seen. Many of us used to respect President Bush. Can one respect him still?

Anyone who doesn't think that the Bush Regime has already decided to pardon Libby is a good candidate for buying that bridge between the Lower East Side and Williamsburg.