I look forward to Bush taking a personal interest and action in every other federal sentence handed down to ensure that it isn’t too harsh.
This is so indefensible as to leave me speechless.
Updated to add this bit of perfect context:
The Bush administration is trying to roll back a Supreme Court decision by pushing legislation that would require prison time for nearly all criminals.
[ . . . ]
Republicans are seizing the administration’s crackdown, packaged in legislation to combat violent crime, as a campaign issue for 2008.
In a speech June 1 to announce the bill, Attorney General Alberto Gonzales urged Congress to reimpose mandatory minimum prison sentences against federal convicts — and not let judges consider such penalties “merely a suggestion.”
Such an overhaul, in part, “will strengthen our hand in fighting criminals who threaten the safety and security of all Americans,” Gonzales said in the speech, delivered three days before the FBI announced a slight national uptick in violent crime during 2006.
VAB
“Although the president said he ‘respected’ the jury’s verdict, he added that he had ‘concluded that the prison sentence given to Mr. Libby is excessive.'”
You’re right, it’s just beyond belief, even for Bush.
Drew
This was total political BS. Conservatives wanted a full pardon (!!), Liberals wanted him to go to jail. Even if you found the sentence excessive, couldn’t he have left in a token prison term, like 3 or 4 months? Presidential pardon power has NEVER been a good thing. Everyone just gets their buddies off the hook. Clinton did it, Ford did it, and Nixon did it. In this day and age, there is simply no legitimate use for it.
MB
You know, Drew, I’ve been thinking about that. The pardon power is checked solely by the personal conscience of the President. I’m thinking that probably isn’t enough, anymore (if it ever was).