CNN

The Dixie Chicks were way ahead of most of us in denouncing Mr Bullsh.
They would probably do a better job of running the country – certainly couldn't do any worse!

What a legacy!

The arrogance of George is remarkable.

He is an embarrassment to the good people of this country.

America has always been respected if not feared by the world. With this administration – we are neither.

You may remember he was the moral candidate. His actions indicate otherwise.

Governor Bush (it’s the last election he legitimately won) should go back to the ranch.

God Bless America! We need it more than ever.

George Bush does not believe in the rules of Law and Order and should be removed from office. Scotter Libby lied to the FBI and Grand Jury any other person in this country would be in jail for that offense – why not Scotter? Is he going free to cover up deeper crimes committed by George Bush and Dick Cheney?

You have got to be kidding me. They tried to impeach Clinton for sexual acts and lying about those acts but no one has even thought to impeach Bush for all of the atrocities he has committed since in office? Granted what Clinton did was immoral but is not lying about a war, attacking a country that had nothing to do with 9/11 (if you don't remember most of the terrorists were from Saudia Arabia),sending 3500+ soldiers to their death, is that not immoral enough to warrant impeachment. I am so disgusted with the government of the US that I am looking for somewhere else to raise my child and live. If the US was not a target before it definately is now, this war in Iraq has made the US a permanent enemy of Islam and target of terrorists.

George just thinks what he wants to think. With regard to all issues and yes with regard to the commutation of Libby's sentence, he just perceives in the way that fulfills his views. In his mind he is completely justified in his position. He really thinks he's dong the right thing.

And that's also what motivates suicide bombers. They think they're doing the best possible thing for society. To them they're doing the most compassionate thing they possibly could. That just shows you how far delusion can go. It's very easy to see how other people are deluded, but can you, George, see how YOU are totally deluded. That's a shocking thing .

And that underscores why governments need wise, insightful, enlightened leaders who have removed the blindfolds of ignorance and ego. Wishful thinking:)

This is just the icing on the criminal behavior cake that our president is party to. If Scooter Libby gets a pardon, we are truly in the "end times" if Paris Hilton does more time for probation violation than Scooter does for an act of treason, that was "outing a CIA Agent." That is truly disgraceful. Shame on you Bush and Cheney.

I have been watching the major news commentators and reading the newspapers and I am seeing a selected (p)resident of the American people who has perverted the principles of the legal system. Even though what was done was legal under the Constitution, the very act of what he did seems to cover-up the attempt to gain the truth about the Iraq that the American people deserve to know in order to maintain a belief in the American system that has suffered since the dark days of Nixon. There are many in America that must rise this 4th of July to defend our right to liberty from a secretive government, equal justice for all citizens who have been found innocent and equal punishment for those justly found guilty, and that the governing of our nation is of the people, for the people, and by the people. The outcry against the Bush Administration must stand up to reassert our demands for civil liberties and that these rights not be abused by an oligarchy of power hungry Machiavellians huddled under the umbrella of the Grand Old Party!

Jon from Sacramento,
The only reason multiple people in this administration haven't been impeached is due to the fact that there aren't the numbers in this incredibly partisan Congress to make it happen.

The House could impeach him, but with a 50-50 split in the Senate what would be the point if it won't go anywhere. The American people would just be upset that Congress wasted a bunch of time on the impeachment process and yet again got nothing accomplished. Especially at a point when we're at war.

If you recall, when Clinton was impeached by the House, the Republicans held the House and there were 55 Republicans and 45 Democrats in the Senate, so they thought they had a chance.

I'd say if it were up to a popular vote that wasn't rigged, at least one of them would be gone. I'm not really up for having Pelosi move in, but at least she couldn't do the damage that these wastes of life will in 18 months.

" SUGGEST WE ALL TAKE DOWN OUR FLAGS OR TURN THEM UPSIDE DOWN IN PROTEST OF HOW PATHETIC THIS COUNTRY HAS BECOME."

I stopped flying the flag when we invaded Iraq. This administration sickens me.

17 more months of this idiot in office. I agree that this Presidency will go down in history as the worst and the most corrupt. If lying about a bj is considered High Crimes and Misdemeanors and a president gets impeached by the House of Representatives, why are we not impeaching this moron that is in office now? Our men & women are being killed for nothing, we are hated around the world, our healthcare system is in shambles, our borders are broken and our jobs are being outsourced. Elmer Fudd could do a better job in office than this clown.

I find the outrage of the left to be humorous and over-the-top dramatic. Here's a quote from this blog, "This administration is not only the worst the United States has ever had, but the most blatantly lawless, arrogant and with no regard for the American people or Democracy."

At last count regarding impeachment: Clinton 1, Bush 0

Claims, crying, whining don't justify your outlandish statements. Put up or shut up.

This is ridiculous! Yesterday Bush commutes the prison sentence but emphasizes that the conviction and fine will remain as ordered by the judge. Today he's not ruling out a full pardon later on.

"The consequences of his felony conviction on his former life as a lawyer, public servant and private citizen will be long-lasting." – George W. Bush, 7/2/07. I don't know how he can mention "long-lasting consequences" yesterday and today openly speak of the possibility of pardoning Libby's felony conviction. This is a mockery!

I love the republican idea that because bill clinton was corrupt that its ok for george bush and dick cheney can be corrupt. Maybe we should give the just give the president the ability to pardon himself when someone close to him is convicted of a crime, it could have saved us the hassle of watergate. Hey maybe a fit punishment for libby would be a ride on top of romneys car.

The commutation and current talk by Bush of a possible pardon goes to illustrate the arrogance of this man and his even more arrogant Vice President. There can be no claim of partisan politics here. The judge is a Bush appointee and the prosecutor was chosen by a Republican Attorney General. I am utterly dismayed, almost beyond words, by the politics, deceit and arrogance of this administration, which will go down in history as one of the worst. The good thing is time does not stand still and soon we will be rid of the whole bunch of them and at that time I will say "GOOD RIDDANCE!"

This administration is not only the worst the United States has ever had, but the most blatantly lawless, arrogant and with no regard for the American people or Democracy.

It has caused harm around the world and in the US, that will take years to mend.

The cloud over the White House is spinning at Hurricane force. How long will these dictators be able to avoid the arm of the law and rath of the people?

This is an embarrassment...quit trying to compare Clinton lying about having sex to this. It's vile and disgusting that so many Republicans want to defend a convincted criminal and the thugs that he worked for.

This is without a doubt – the most corrupt president in the history of th nation.

I SUGGEST WE ALL TAKE DOWN OUR FLAGS OR TURN THEM UPSIDE DOWN IN PROTEST OF HOW PATHETIC THIS COUNTRY HAS BECOME. THERE ARE NO LONGER ANY STATESMEN, JUST A BUNCH OF CORRUPT BUSINESSMEN WHO CALLS THEMSELVES POLITICIANS. IT NOW TAKES HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS TO GET ELECTED AND YOU CAN BE SURE THOSE DONORS WILL BE CALLING IN THE FAVORS. IT IS ALL BUSINESS.HOW HAVE WE LET THIS COUNTRY COME TO THIS? DO I SENSE A REVOLUTION BUILDING?

The decision to commute Libby's prison term is appalling! More proof that this administration is truly above the law. Incredible!!!

Why is anyone in this country outraged at Bush for this? Clinton LIED to the grand jury and committed purgery and walked away scott free. Chilery Clinton now is outraged that someone else might be pardoned for a lesser offense. Is she insane??? Her and her husband lied, cheated, stole and generally ripped off the american people and she has the nerve to be outraged?? Has this country gone insane. The same people that supported Persident Clinton are the ones on the witch hunt for any Repulican they can get. I think Libby should get a full pardon. He is just a scape goat for the liberals who want to hang someone, anyone that they can get!!!! I wish Bush would stand up and just give him a full pardon!

I am appalled that the American citizenry is not storming the White House in light of the accumulated affronts to the Constitution that this corrupt and immoral administration has made. Mr. Libby obstructed justice in a case that involved our national security–the release of confidential CIA information. Mr. Bush took him off the hook, further abetting the obstruction of justice by ensuring Libby;'s silence and making it almost impossible to get to the bottom of the Bush administration's responsibility in this matter.

Let's not suffer comparison's to Bill Clinton. His sins were personal. Bush's sins are constitutional: lying us into an unnecessary and unwinnable war, lying to Congress and the American people, endorsing what amounts to torture, a secretiveness that takes away from the voting public its right to know, and undermining the rule of law. The Bush gang is not operating "above" the law, but outside the law. Enough is enough.

For all those people outraged over the President commuting the prison sentence for Libby, where were you 8 years ago when Clinton was pardoning fugitives that donated to his library, and terrorists that would contribute to his wife's senate election? The President acted repsponsibly in this matter, and to feel such outrage seems a little over the top...

Why did't President Bush pardon Border Patrol Agents, Ignacio Ramos and Jose Alonso Compean. They are in prison for protecting the United States of America from people coming into this country illegally and smuggling drugs. Instead, he commutes the sentence of a traitor to the United States.

The President is anti-American, pro big business, following a fascist ideolgy, therefore, he is committing acts of treason against the United States.

It seems as if the Bush Admin. has done it again. Asked the American People to beleive their lying lips over our lying eye's. This is another previldged Paris Hilton type of justice. If you have money you can get your rich friends to change the laws. This is what started the first civil war. Everyone hold on because this govt', this country will be fightin another civil war with in a few years. People will raise up against this unjustice system that the republicans have established within the last almost 7 years. WOW I know many criminals that would love to have their pot convictions commuted. It's time to save ourselves and our country IMPEACH BUSH and CHENEY ! ! Make Nancy the first women President ASAP. . . ! ! !

I'm sick of hearing some people still claim Libby did nothing wrong. Our justice system is far from perfect. In fact, given all the money and power behind Libby's defense, I was shocked that the jury convicted him. I wasn't there, but the evidence must have been pretty damned compelling for 12 people to unanimously agree that he lied and obstructed justice. Those people who keep saying Libby did nothing wrong are part of the problem. They too are undermining our justice system.

If this happened to anyone other than a Bush administration insider, do you really believe Bush would have commuted the sentence??? Of course not. He even refused to commute the death sentence of a woman in Texas after Pope John Paul personally asked for a commutation.

Stop trying to justify Bush's action by comparing it to things Clinton did. Two wrongs don't make a right!

This action disgusted me. And we talk about the importance of the rule of law. How can we expect anyone to take us seriously?

Look at the facts TOM. Quit defending a convicted criminal.

Libby was made to take the fall. We all know that. Your neo-con sources are misguided and attempt to skew the facts.

He was convicted by a jury. Though this whole story is a moot point. The bottomline is that he worked for Dick Cheney.

Sort of like blaming a few MP's in Iraq for sponsoring the Abu Gharib torture policy.

Or trying to blame Spirew Agnew for Nixon's Watergate scandal.

I don't understand all this fuss about a compassionate conservative who acts like one, except of course, for the in-our-face contempt for the rule of law by the Cheney Gang and its Shrub.

"I have called the White House to express my disgust with what appears to be obstruction of justice and keep getting a busy signal. Is that an indication that the same thing is happening as occurred with the immigration bill??"

If you notice, most of the stories in the ticker have a few comments, maybe as many as 30. The Libby story had over 1200 comments last time I looked, and it is still rising. That should be some indication that people noticed – and the vast majority are not happy.

Sick of the lies and altered Rove realilty?
Bush will do down in the history books as the very WORST president ever. No one can match his lack of interest, willingness to be Cheney's puppet and send thousands of American kids to die for oil.

Grant, Hoover, Nixon, Bush; beyond a doubt the Bush cabal is the most corrupt and inept that has ever in the history of our nation!

I think Democracy has hit an all time low in this country. The people who complain about the administration are hushed up and seen as “political terrorists”…..and the people who lie about crimes are given a “get out of jail free card”. I think President Jimmy Carter was correct(before he was “persuaded” into changing his mind): Bush is the worst president in the history of the United States. Thank you America, for showing the world how stupid we can be by re-electing this intellectual midget! How long before Bush and Cheney are impeached? Ah…who am I kidding? Who would enforce it? Our incompetent Justice Dept.? Our flip-flop Congress? The Republican Supreme Court? Looks like this has been a long, thought out plan, and America has fallen into the trap of having the very few control the public. Good job, America!

Joe Wilson was sent over by Valerie Plame to investigate yellow cake being bought and not only does she not admit that she sent him, much of what he said was later proven wrong.

The actual leaker is NO friend of Bush, so why are they not screaming for his head?

For you many uninformed haters, she was outed by an actual Bush and war HATER 2 weeks before Wilsons story was published.

This part of the story should be investigated.

This is just another chapter in a corrupt administration. I have been sickened at about everything Bush and his buddies have done. I know things were much better with Clinton.I never voted to have the incredible liar we have in office now.Bush and Cheney never have made a sacrifice for this country and have used their connections to disgrace not only themselves but our nation. I am not surprised at his actions toward Libby. I cannot wait for all of them to go away. With all the lies they have told it would not surprise me if they bought themselves into office. It is too bad that Cheney and Bush were not brought to task for their involvement in all their cover ups.

Whereisthtruth said, “The problem is that we really don’t know what happened; the hate politics has clouded the case so much we don’t know what to believe anymore.”

According to the prosecutor and the jury, it wasn’t hate politics that clouded the truth; it was Scooter Libby.

And we focus on these issues rather than dealing with legitimate domestic and international dilemmas. I figured dealing with the millions in our country that don’t have health care or the millions abroad who are on the verge of starvation every day should take precedence over something like this. Libby needed to have his sentence commuted and hopefully he is given a full pardon. Yes, he lied…but so did Clinton. Enough said.

Posted By David, Portland OR : July 3, 2007 1:29 pm

Are you nuts? This isn't about Clinton(who was a scumbag for his pardons) – Clinton has no relevance to this.
Scooter lied to a Grand Jury. He got caught. The law must be followed. If it was you or me, we wouldn't get a pardon...

Enough said.

All these people who keep complaining that the President is acting "above the law" should read the constitution. All of this would have been avoided had Joe Wilson not lied in the first place. If you are angry about someone lying, you should demand Joe be held accountable for all of this mess centered around a crime that never happened.

I have called the White House to express my disgust with what appears to be obstruction of justice and keep getting a busy signal. Is that an indication that the same thing is happening as occurred with the immigration bill??

Joeseph Wilson was citing information about the current administration which he KNEW to be lies (since his wife had direct knowledge to the contrary). The administration "outed" his wife to a news correspondent (who chose to publically report this information). Scooter libby gets pardoned....

YAWN

Welcome to US politics, folks. Democratic or Republican administrations alike.

I find this series of events, occuring against the backdrop of the Fourth of July's symbolic significance amusing and ironic. In fact, I presently find nothing else more hypocritical.

At times like these, I guess we must all reflect upon the words of Thomas Jefferson:

..."But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security"...

Enough said?

I suspect Mr. Libby would ultimately have cooperated to avoid a prison sentence. The administration knew this and took away Mr. Libby's incentive to assist the prosecution by commuting his sentence. Leaking the name of a CIA operative is an outrage against democracy and places many brave men and women at risk around the world. There is simply no justification to commute Mr. Libby's sentence aside from protecting Mr. Rove and Mr. Cheney. I am confident a full pardon will be forthcoming after the election in 2008. Our leadership continues to demonstrate its belief that the law is a mere nuisance when applied to the Administration and its supports and can be bent to restrict civil liberty in the name of a so-called "war on terror." Once again we are an international joke. We should adopt the British Parlimentary system and allow for a no-confidence vote.

What a travesty of the justice system, when convicted criminals are being protected just so that they don't turn on Dick Cheney. In mafia circles that's called "buying the witness".

Well...I'm not suprized, disgusted and disheartene, but not suprized.

This administration clearly believes that they are above the law.

I am so saddened that our country has to suffer with such lo9w quality leadership for the net 18 months.

And we focus on these issues rather than dealing with legitimate domestic and international dilemmas. I figured dealing with the millions in our country that don't have health care or the millions abroad who are on the verge of starvation every day should take precedence over something like this. Libby needed to have his sentence commuted and hopefully he is given a full pardon. Yes, he lied...but so did Clinton. Enough said.

The Bush administration is simply the most corrupt administration ever.

If Clinton is elected the next president then the last two decades of American presidency will look like this: BUSH, CLINTON, CLINTON, BUSH, BUSH, CLINTON. 300 million people in this country, and we cant find anybody but these two families to lead it?

The most chilling point of the Bush commutation is the fact that he no longer feels inclined to pretend that he isn’t above the law or that he cares one small bit about how the American people feel. It is very
obvious that he is no longer worried about his legacy and that’s disastrous for all of us!

I hereby resign my faith in the justice system.

On the day before the celebration of our freedom, im ashamed and sickened in everything that our country has become and is under Gerorge dubba.

Thre are just no words.

Agree or not, this is a privelage that every President is afforded, and that most have used. Bill Clinton pardoned numerous individuals, George H.W. Bush pardoned numerous individuals, etc. The difference with this one, is that this was a commuted sentence, not a full pardon on the last evening of George W. Bush as our President. I promise you that the next President will Commute, and pardon many individuals as well.

The commutation is not surprising, but it was not right. The executive rigt of pardon-to overrule a court decision should be repealed. Clinton did it..."Papa" Bush did it...so have others...the only pardon ever justified was by Prersident Ford to President Nixon for the healing of the country. But Mr. Ford paid for it with his loss to Mr. Carter.

How fortunate for us all, who must contend with parking and speeding tickets to know that all we need to do to have them pardoned is to befriend and financially support President George Bush. Now, I know that parking/speeding tickets are nothing compared to the cowardly and treacherous acts commited by Mr. Libby but don't you just hate it when you get one of those orange tickets placed on your car? And don't you just wish, when you do get one, that it would just disappear? Ok, then. The Bush Administration argues that Mr. Libby lieing under oath did not warrant time in jail. So, I ask you, Mr. President, if I am driving 40mph on on 30mph zone, can my ticket be pardoned because I was trying to get to work on time? NO? Well, maybe then, my child was crying in the back seat? STILL NO? Ok, then, maybe I was trying to help out your Vice-president, Cheney? Oh, then it's ok? Ok well then, by all means, I choose option #3. This administration is a joke and it is irresponsible for George W. Bush to continue acting as if his administration is above law. It's called the Constitution, y'all should read it sometime.

There was never any doubt that Libby would not be incarcerated. The strategy was in place long before the verdict was read. However, I must mention that after the Border Patrol agents werre found guilty and they were sentenced to incarceration, President Bush was asked to step in and pardon the agents and he finally responded by saying that he would need to review the case before he made a decision. But for Libby his decision seems swift.

I think I may have been the last holdout... but this is the last straw. A former Marine, lifelong Republican... even I can't get my head around this one. I'm done... I'll take another 4 or 8 years of the Clinton Soap opera over this kind of behavior.

The whole Libby trial was a travesty of justice. It was nothing more than a partisan proxy assult on the Bush adminstration. For Libby, whose only crime was not being able to accurately speak about dates and conversation from years past under duress, to be convicted of a crime when it is common knowlege who actually committed the leak. It is also infuriating if you have followed this case that the testimony that they convicted him on is also contradictory, and that the key witness was also unable to repeatedly give accurate testimony when conversations took place and who knew what. If you use contradictory testimony to convict someone of perjury, which is essentially giving contradictory testimony, then there is something really wrong here. It should have never gotten this far, and politicians and political pundits need to stop using our judicial system to ruin peoples lives for partisan reasons.

This is exactly why I’m voting for Ron Paul. He is the only republican to stand against this commutation. And I know he's against a potential full pardon. Rudy, Thompson, and Romney are out of touch and all in the same group as Bush.

As a Canadian who grew up in the shadow of the US being the "greatest democracy"on earth, I am thankfully glad that my country has a British parlimentarty system. Here the cabinet ministers have to be elected first, the Prime Minister must face parliament every day it is in session and the gov't in power can be overturned by a vote of nonconfidence. It is sad to see how the Bush/Chaney administration has abused the powers in your constitution and even if you tried to empeach them, it would take the rest of their term to do so.

All your contry seems to do is have elections. I have the sinking feeling that when the next one is over, Guliani or Clinton will be in power and it will be more of the same for you and the rest of the world!!

The reason they believe they are above the law is that, so far, they are. At least this will finally get rid of the illusion of a fair justice system and maybe now we can go about making it a reality.

As I stated yesterday, maybe you do listen, this is simply a delay tactic by Pres. Bush and his team of puppet masters to allow the Libby defense team, are we paying for this, the remainder of the presidents’ term to weasel out on appeal. In the end the pardon was always the trump card in the event that justice happened to work the way it should.

They're right. It isn't a slap on the wrist. It's not severe enough to qualify as a slap on the wrist. What a mockery.

By the way, nice job repeatedly burying this story, CNN. It's not like the President of the US just commuted the sentence of a political buddy who obstructed the investigation of a treasonous act or anything. Why should that be more important than some fake wrestler who went into a homicidal roid rage?

maybe I am overly cynical, but I believe that Libby was not willing to fall on his sword for Lord Dick. It was "either commute the sentence or I start talking". How can you blame him? How would you like to be in prison around "Bubbas" and "Killers" with a name like "Scooter".

Just another example of the Bush administration coverup.