WASHINGTON (CNN) - George Bush should have pardoned I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby, Dick Cheney said after stepping down as vice president this week.
"He was the victim of a serious miscarriage of justice, and I strongly believe that he deserved a presidential pardon. Obviously, I disagree with President Bush's decision," Cheney told Stephen F. Hayes of the Weekly Standard, a leading conservative Washington magazine.
Libby, Cheney's former chief of staff, was convicted of obstructing a federal investigation into the revelation that Valerie Plame Wilson was a CIA agent.
He was sentenced to 30 months in prison and fined $250,000. Bush commuted the sentence, which he called "excessive," so that Libby served no jail time.
But he did not pardon Libby, much to the aggravation of many influential conservatives.
Hayes said that Cheney had publicly disagreed with Bush only four times in the eight years of the Bush administration.
They were only out of office for a day before the fifth disagreement surfaced.
Bush granted 189 pardons and 11 commutations during his eight years in office, far fewer than Presidents Bill Clinton and Ronald Reagan in their two-term administrations.
No one was ever charged with leaking Plame Wilson's identity. She and her husband, former diplomat Joseph Wilson III, said the revelation was a retaliation for Wilson claiming a key justification for the invasion of Iraq was false.
It ultimately came out that former Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage had told journalist Robert Novak about Plame Wilson working for the CIA. Top Bush advisor Karl Rove confirmed it.
From CNN Politics
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Pfffff...I wouldn't pardon Libby (or Bush or Cheney for that matter) for a fart.
World to Cheney: Have fun in the Hague.
Look, my take is that there are alot of mother's out there saying the same thing..my child should have his/her sentance pardon...but without money that doesn't usually happen. So in the interest of justice, former President Bush did not the right thing by not pardoning him. It's fair on the scale. The point goes to Bush on this one.
Dick should not have nothing to say about anything. He should be thrown in jail for was crimes and slapped silly for being the worse VP ever! Dude came out in a wheel chair on inauguration day looking for sympathy.
Look, my take is that there are alot of mother's out there saying the same thing..my child should have his/her sentance pardon...but without money that doesn't usually happen. So in the interest of justice, former President Bush DID the right thing by not pardoning him. It's fair on the scale. The point goes to Bush on this one.
Public to Cheney: You should have shot yourself with buckshot instead of your friend.
Maybe Cheney would like to take his place!
Geesh! Of course Cheney would say that.. This man went out in disgrace, how fitting he was in a a wheel chair. NOO Libby did a crime which was covered up by Cheney.. Cheney himself should be brought up on war crimes and so should Bush. There was criminal acts and the entire Republican party had their dirty hands in it by letting off Cheney. I can't wait til 2010 to get rid of more Republicans in Congress. The Republican party do not want progress and they are a hypocrites. The talk morality but they have affairs on Capitol Hill.
enough. who cares what that crook crazy cheney thinks. he is a liar, theft, murderer and war monger. he is the worse kind of human being.
Cheney needs to sit back and think about all the wrong doing they did while in office. Now that they are gone it is a new day and we will not have that kink of foolishness in the White House AGAIN. Bush and Cheney BEGONEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE. If you are wrong then do the time. At least he wasn't in prison like some of the others.
And the Republicans are holding Eric Holder's confirmation? Go figure.
What about a prisoner exchange – If Cheney is so concerned maybe he could offer a swap. I would vote for that
Cheney, Rove, and Libby got off light - they should have been charged with treason.
Is Cheney out of his wheelchair yet?
I think the guy is sadly mistaken. If it was a "miscarriage of justice" why doesn't he admit who the REAL culprit is? Who is he to say who should get a pardon/commute or not?? He is no longer an elected official and now is simply an ordinary complainer. Join the crowd, Dick. Now you know what it feels like to gripe your head off about something and NOBODY in office or anywhere else CARES!!! Pardon me while I laugh. Sounds like sour grapes to me. Finally you found out Bush has a mind of his own and doesn't consult you on every decision he makes. Apparently, President Bush didn't feel like it was a "miscarriage of justice". Could that possibly mean (gasp) it WASN'T!! Oh, be still my heart. Cheney thinks Bush made a mistake and I guess Bush doesn't care!! JUSTICE HAS BEEN SERVED!!!
Pardon Libby...now that takes brass ones to even suggest ! He should have been sentenced an put away for a 100 years along with his boss Cheney the war criminal.
Cheney should be thrilled it wasn't his neck on the chopping block....
the whole lot should be tried for Treason
Sounds to me like Cheney's upset because the good ole boy network, didn't work for his friend. I think Bush was just paying Cheney back for putting him in that position.
Never mind Libby–Bush should have pardoned, not commuted, the sentences of the jailed border patrol men. Guess Bush was going for perfection in his failures.
Cheney should be in jail.
re; the closed article about the repetition of the oath–do you people cutting up Fox News realize that you are watching the CNN and posting on CNN re: this article? Many truths are brought up on Fox that the left-wing media ignores–but not this one–be fair.
Ex-President George Bush should have pardoned Jonathan Pollard. Pollard has been in Federal prison for 24 years. Because of his actions, the world was saved from a nuclear Iraq years ago.
Bush committed the United States to a war against Iraq but he did not pardon Jonathan Pollard who assisted Israel in destroying the nuclear reactor that Saadam had to ready to fire.
Clinton pardoned far worse spies.
Perhaps President Obama will pardon Pollard.
Will someone eevr do the right thing.
You know the phrase, "No good deed ever goes unpunished!"
Sadly so true.
Dick Cheney is dilusional....
Let us hope that Libby does not end up being the only one of these guys thats prosecuted. The Bush regime has trampled the constitution and rule of law under foot, the sooner they are held accountable the better.
Is there no one that can shut this man up?
He should be arrested for war crimes.