LIBBY GETS TWO AND A HALF YEARS AND A QUARTER MILLION DOLLARS IN FINES

If ever a man deserved a stiff prison sentence for his criminal convictions it is Irving Libby (AKA- "Scooter"). No remorse, no understanding that he even did anything wrong". Libby's lawyers were forced to admit "that their client, a man with three decades of executive-level federal government service, disseminated classified information about the status of CIA Agent Valerie Plame Wilson in response to public criticism of the Bush administration by her husband, former ambassador Joseph Wilson. They nevertheless insist that this, at best, reckless (and, far more likely, intentional) act is not only not illegal, but not even wrong."

Unfortunately for Libby, this in-your-face position also has a certain shoot-yourself-in-the-foot quality. Libby is arguing for a probationary sentence, which is considerably more lenient than that called for by the Sentencing Guidelines. An essential factor every judge must consider in deciding whether to depart from the guidelines to impose such a light sentence is whether it would sufficiently deter others from similar misconduct.

Having aggressively argued that there was neither crime, nor misconduct, how do Libby's lawyers then address the issue of deterrence? They argue that Libby has experienced a "very public fall from grace" and that this "dire consequence" alone would be enough to "warn the public-- and high ranking government officials in particular-- that it is important to take FBI and grand jury investigations very seriously." This is an exquisite expression of the entitlement and arrogance that spawned the administration's smear campaign against Joseph Wilson in the first place. It could only be more pointedly evocative of utter contempt for the rule of law if it were followed by a sneer emoticon.

As former prosecutor Elizabeth de la Vega pointed out at TomPaine.com, Libby is a lawyer, "an officer of the court." He's supposed to know better. Political insiders, of course-- since "Scooter" is also one them-- were clamoring for leniency. Prosecutors had urged Judge Reggie Walton "to impose a sentence of 30 months to 37 months." But the judge gave Libby a relatively stiff sentence, although I'll leave it to your imagination to figure out how I would have handled it were I a judge.


Jane and Marcy lIve-blogged the whole circus at Firedoglake and that link I just gave you is all about the sentencing phase. Jane just e-mailed me and said that "Walton set a hearing for 1:30 next Thursday to decide whether Libby gets to stay out pending appeal." Marcy also e-mailed me to say that "Walton is disinclined to give Libby bail pending appeal. Both sides will submit memos on this subject though. And unless Reggie changes his mind, then the prison process will take over. It'll take 45-60 days to get Libby processed in that case." Damned! I was hoping they drag him off in chains today!

JUDGES GET LETTERS

And in Libby's case they came from the type of people who would make me add extra months and years on top the sentence: criminal types like John Bolton, Wolfowitz, Kissinger, Rumsfeld, Perle, Feith... a more disreputable bunch of war criminals you'll never find. Maybe one day they'll be asking people to send letters to the Hague begging for clemency for themselves. At least Fred Thompson, who has been using lies about the Libby case, for presidential fundraising for himself, had the sense not to send a letter; Carville, on the other hand, did.


UPDATE: LIMBAUGH DRIVEN TO OXYCONTIN AGAIN OVER LIBBY SENTENCE?

Many people who have listened to his hate talk radio show have long doubted Rush Limbaugh's sanity, or at least his ability to handle all the illegal drugs he regularly ingests. Today, in discussing the Libby sentencing, Limbaugh seemed particularly... bizarre. In a possible reference to Libby's porno novel, The Apprentice Limbaugh blurted out: "The more the Democrats and liberals gloat, the better news it is for us. They are poking the bear!" People who have followed the odd career of Dick Cheney's criminal chief of staff are familiar with Libby and poking bears. He has a very explicit scene in his porno book about bestiality and pedophelia, two topics that drive the typical Republican mind:

At age ten the madam put the child in a cage with a bear trained to couple with young girls so the girls would be frigid and not fall in love with their patrons. They fed her through the bars and aroused the bear with a stick when it seemed to lose interest. Groups of men paid to watch.

God only knows what he'll be writing in the two and a half years he'll be spending in prison.

Perhaps you'd rather read Ambassador Joe Wilson's reaction to the sentencing of this repulsive pervert than more porn. Here's what Joe had to say today:

"As Americans, both Valerie and I are grateful that justice has been served, reconfirming that our country remains a nation of laws.

We are also 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.

It is our hope that he will now cooperate with Special Counsel Fitzgerald in his efforts to get to the truth. As Mr. Fitzgerald has said, a cloud remains over the Vice President.

Every official in this administration must be held accountable for their actions."