[Vision2020] "Soft on Crime" Bush Goes Against His OwnJust-UsDepartment

[Tom Hansen]

Oh, contraire, Mr. Falen -

The most self-serving thing that Bush could have done, concerning Scooter
Libby, he did.

Since Bush merely commuted the sentence, Libby is still considered to have
been convicted.  As such, if Mr. Libby were EVER called before a senate
subcommittee, he could simply wrap himself in the fifth amendment and not
say a thing.

Had Bush pardoned Libby, the fifth amendment privilege would not be
available to him and he (Libby) would be forced to testify.

Seeya round town, Moscow.

Tom Hansen
Moscow, Idaho

"We're a town of about 23,000 with 10,000 college students. The college
students are not very active in local elections (thank goodness!)."

- Dale Courtney (March 28, 2007)

-----Original Message-----

From: vision2020-bounces at moscow.com [mailto:vision2020-bounces at moscow.com]
On Behalf Of lfalen
Sent: Tuesday, July 10, 2007 10:42 AM
To: nickgier at adelphia.net; vision2020 at moscow.com
Subject: Re: [Vision2020] "Soft on Crime" Bush Goes Against His
OwnJust-UsDepartment

Nick
They should be treated the same. It does not make a lot os sence to me to
impose jail time for white collar crime. community service or stiff monitary
fines would be better.
Roger
-----Original message-----
From: nickgier at adelphia.net
Date: Wed, 04 Jul 2007 10:19:51 -0700
To: vision2020 at moscow.com
Subject: [Vision2020] "Soft on Crime" Bush Goes Against His Own
Just-UsDepartment

> Excerpted from NYTimes article, 7/4/07
> 
> Mr. Bush repeated yesterday that he had found Mr. Libby's punishment to be
too severe. But experts in federal sentencing law said a sentence of 30
months for lying and obstruction was consistent with the tough sentences
routinely meted out by the federal system.
> 
> "On what legal basis could he have reached that result?" asked Frank O.
Bowman III, an authority on federal sentencing who teaches law at the
University of Missouri-Columbia, said of the commutation. "There is no legal
basis."
> 
> Nor is there a reason to think that the Justice Department has changed its
position about the sentencing system generally. Indeed, Attorney General
Alberto R. Gonzales said last month that the department would push for
legislation making federal sentences tougher and less flexible.
> 
> Similarly, in a case decided two weeks ago by the United States Supreme
Court and widely discussed by legal specialists in light of the Libby case,
the Justice Department persuaded the court to affirm the 33-month sentence
of a defendant whose case closely resembled that against Mr. Libby. The
defendant, Victor A. Rita, was, like Mr. Libby, convicted of perjury, making
false statements to federal agents and obstruction of justice.Mr. Rita has
performed extensive government service, just as Mr. Libby has. Mr. Rita
served in the armed forces for more than 25 years, receiving 35
commendations, awards and medals. Like Mr. Libby, Mr. Rita had no criminal
history for purposes of the federal sentencing guidelines.
> 
> 
> 
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