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CHENEY's Role: Bush Had No Choice-Give Libby A Pass & Keep Him Quiet - Or Face VP's Wrath (Newsweek)

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kpete Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Jul-08-07 03:03 PM
Original message
CHENEY's Role: Bush Had No Choice-Give Libby A Pass & Keep Him Quiet - Or Face VP's Wrath (Newsweek)
Friends in High Places
Inside Bush's decision to give Scooter Libby a pass.

By Michael Isikoff
Newsweek

..........

The president was conflicted. He hated the idea that a loyal aide would serve time. Hanging over his deliberations was Cheney, who had said he was "very disappointed" with the jury's verdict. Cheney did not directly weigh in with Fielding, but nobody involved had any doubt where he stood. "I'm not sure Bush had a choice," says one of the advisers. "If he didn't act, it would have caused a fracture with the vice president." (White House officials and Cheney declined to comment. "As you know, we don't discuss internal deliberations," a Cheney spokeswoman tells NEWSWEEK.)

...........

In part, Bush may have stopped short of a full pardon precisely to keep Libby and other White House aides away from Democrats on Capitol Hill. Investigators in Congress are eager to call Libby to testify about the Plame case and prewar Iraq intel—an invitation Libby can continue to resist by claiming he can't talk as long as his appeal remains alive in the courts.

more at:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/19649910/site/newsweek/
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applegrove Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Jul-08-07 03:16 PM
Response to Original message
1. Bush is dependant on Cheney because he is the last of the true believers.
Would that Bush could look into Cheney's eyes and see the evil there. But it will never happen.
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Missy Vixen Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Jul-08-07 03:20 PM
Response to Original message
2. It's not going to help him
>Bush may have stopped short of a full pardon precisely to keep Libby and other White House aides away from Democrats on Capitol Hill.<

Judge Walton was very, very unhappy to have the sentence overturned.

Secondly, Mr. Libby can still be immunized and asked to testify.

It's heating up.
Julie
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ProgressiveEconomist Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Jul-08-07 04:12 PM
Response to Reply #2
12. IMO Libby can be immunized from future prosecutions, but only Dubya can pardon
him for the felony he already has between him and his law license--his mealticket.

My understanding is that his pending appeal of his felony conviction is airtight grounds for invoking the Fifth Amendment should Congress ask Libby any questions.

IMO it still would make great and effective political theater to haul him up there and have him plead the Fifth time after time for the cameras, just like Jimmy Hoffa and other favorite Republican whipping-boys decades ago.
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Usrename Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Jul-08-07 04:53 PM
Response to Reply #12
14. From here on out, blackmail is his mealticket.
But won't he have to testify if he is given immunity by the Congress? Didn't we go through all this before with Ollie North?

Oh, and I agree, they should make him take the Fifth publicly.
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Rydz777 Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Jul-08-07 03:24 PM
Response to Original message
3. Commuting, instead of pardoning, was actually a brilliant move
on Bush's part - perhaps the only brilliant move he has ever made in his life. He keeps the old Scoot out of jail, but he holds back something that Libby wants and needs - a full pardon - as incentive for him to keep his mouth shut. Right out of the "carrot and stick" playbook.
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BrklynLiberal Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Jul-08-07 04:07 PM
Response to Reply #3
8. I am sure it is not something he came up with himself....
I smell Rove, Norquist and the other neocon assholes
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shanti Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Jul-08-07 04:11 PM
Response to Reply #8
11. right
*ush hasn't made a brilliant decision in his friggin life. they don't call rove *ush's brain for nothing.
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GuvWurld Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Jul-08-07 03:26 PM
Response to Original message
4. Libby should be hauled before Conyers' committee...
and have "enemy combatant" tattooed on his forehead.
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originalpckelly Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Jul-08-07 03:29 PM
Response to Original message
5. What dirt does Cheney have on Bush?
:shrug:

What could he do to Bush?
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BrklynLiberal Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Jul-08-07 04:10 PM
Response to Reply #5
9. * is just too damned stupid to go against Cheney..IF he even cares to.
I think you are giving Dimson more credit than he deserves. Cheney is doing nothing that Dimson would not go along with...
Think of George and Lennie in "Of Mice and Men".
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proud patriot Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Jul-08-07 03:30 PM
Response to Original message
6. IMPEACH dicK
:grr:
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Rob H. Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Jul-08-07 04:01 PM
Response to Original message
7. So much for Shrub being "The Decider"
...not that anyone believed that bullshit, anyway.
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tbyg52 Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Jul-08-07 04:11 PM
Response to Original message
10. Reported in the MSM!!!!
*Please* tell me the wheels are finally coming off!!!
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Cha Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Jul-08-07 04:14 PM
Response to Original message
13. Yeah, presidents(sic) always
bow down to the wishes of their vp, doncha know.
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helderheid Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Jul-08-07 05:08 PM
Response to Original message
15. k&r
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