"Scooter" Libby Faces The Music - CBS

"Scooter" Libby Faces The Music
Cohen: Prison Time Likely For Ex-White House Aide Convicted In CIA Leak Case
June 4, 2007

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Former White House official I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby's sentencing brief, the one in which he pleads for leniency and probation for his crimes, reads more like the text of a speech likely to be given at his funeral, years hence, when all the king's horses and all the king's men congregate to see him off for the sweet hereafter. And, as eulogies go, the narrative is quite compelling: Libby was indeed involved in a lot of things, many of them good, in his long career in and out of high-powered politics.

Just read the very first lines — the first few words! — from the beginning of the brief and tell me you don't hear Bach playing softly in the background: "Distinguished public servant. Generous mentor. Selfless friend. Devoted father. This is the rich portrait of Mr. Libby that emerges. … His dedication to promoting freedom abroad and keeping American citizens safe at home is beyond question. Mr. Libby has also earned a reputation for treating people fairly and kindly and comforting those who are distressed. He has avoided the Washington limelight to focus on nurturing his young children." And remember, dear friends, there will be a light buffet available following the service.

When read today, however, while Libby is still very much alive and kicking on the eve of his sentencing for obstruction of justice and perjury, Libby's pleas read like unintended parody. His lawyers, for example, write earnestly about his "great contributions to the public interest," but we know that the jury convicted Libby of lying to a grand jury and the feds about the disclosure of the name of a covert CIA agent. Libby's attorneys also remind U.S. District Judge Reggie B. Walton that their client "has demonstrated strong moral character," even though the judge and everyone else now knows precisely how and to what extent Libby tried to use the media to do the White House's dirty work against Valerie Plame Wilson and her husband, Joe Wilson.

"Mr. Libby is known for his fairness and generosity," the defense lawyers write, and "for his caring and unselfish nature." They claim that "his concern for the well-being of others extends beyond the boundaries of his community and even the borders of his country." And, they, add, "he treats everyone with respect." Everyone, that is, except evidently grand jurors, federal investigators, CIA agents, journalists and political adversaries of the Bush administration. And on and on it goes, one toast-type moment after another, buttressed by segments of letters of support offered no doubt by some of the most important politicians and statesmen of our time.

The defense brief is striking because it does not contain the language of politics, let alone the language of the law. It contains instead this series of pleas, one after another, that you might expect to hear if you happened to arrive at Heaven's Gate while St. Peter was interrogating someone hoping to gain entrance to the Kingdom. I don't blame Libby's lawyers for writing it this way; they figure they are going to go down with their best argument, which is that Libby's extraordinary public service ought to count for and not against him when the judge determines his fate. And I also don't blame the defense team for blaming the media and for trying to turn their client himself into a victim of the CIA leak investigation. What else are they going to argue?

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More here: http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/06/04/opinion/courtwatch/main2883313.shtml

Hopefully DU Downtime will be short and sweet.

Libby's sentence OTOH...

:evilgrin:

I said in another thread it sounded like an obituary when I read it. Andrew, do you read H2O Man's threads on DU?

"And remember, dear friends, there will be a light buffet available following the service." :rofl:

Excellent article! Thanks for posting.

Not much I'd think.

:shrug:

:hi: