How come Bush can save his condemned and sentenced buddy from jail?

Question

So, the Executive can intervene in the Judiciary and overrule an independent judge's sentence in the US. And if you are on the president's team you can break the law because you will not go to jail, right?


Bush spares Libby from jail term

US President George W Bush has intervened to prevent Lewis Libby, a convicted former vice-presidential aide, from serving a prison term.
President Bush described as "excessive" the 30-month sentence Libby was facing for obstructing an inquiry into the leaking of a CIA agent's name.
Though no longer required to go to jail, Libby is still due to serve a period of probation and pay a fine.
A leading Democratic politician said Mr Bush's decision was "disgraceful".
History will judge the president "harshly" for using his power to benefit his own Vice President's chief of staff, Harry Reid, the leading Democrat in the US Senate, said.
Lewis Libby, also known by his nickname, "Scooter" Libby, was found guilty in March of perjury and obstructing justice in a case connected to Washington's decision to invade Iraq.
His trial saw the White House accused of having illegally made public the identity of a serving CIA agent, Valerie Plame, in an apparent effort to embarrass her husband.


Ms Plame's husband, a former US diplomat, had publicly criticised the basis for the invasion of Iraq.
Libby was found to have lied to investigators about conversations where he mentioned Ms Plame but he was not convicted of having directly leaked her name.
He was sentenced to two-and-a-half years in prison, two years of probation and a fine of $250,000 (£125,000).
Democratic leader Harry Reid said the conviction was "the one faint glimmer of accountability for White House efforts to manipulate intelligence and silence critics of the Iraq war".
Responding to President Bush's decision to commute Libby's sentence, he said: "Now, even that small bit of justice has been undone."
'Forever damaged'
Hours before President Bush's announcement, an appeals court had told Libby he could no longer delay going to jail.
The judge ruled that Libby could not remain free on bail while his lawyer appealed against the sentence.
President Bush said he had until now refrained from intervening in the case, waiting instead for the appeals process to take its course.
"But with the denial of bail being upheld and incarceration imminent, I believe it is now important to react to that decision," he said.
"I respect the jury's verdict," President Bush said. "But I have concluded that the prison sentence given to Mr Libby is excessive," Mr Bush said.
However, he said, Libby's remaining punishments - the probation period and fine - were "harsh" and would leave his reputation "forever damaged".
The BBC's James Westhead in Washington said the president's decision was a compromise between pardoning Libby outright and allowing his full sentence to stand.

Answer 1

Didn't you hear Bush say "I am the decider"? Libby was following orders from Bush and Cheney when he committed perjury. Since he didn't rat on them, he was rewarded. The world knows Bush and Cheney outed Plame because her husband was trying to get the truth out to the public about Bush's lying ways in starting the Iraqi illegal and immoral war. Libby also got a sh.t pile of "attaboy"s.

Answer 2

Grow up! This has happened since the beginning of friendship! It is NOT new to George Bush. He is not Satan or the Anti-Christ. Everything he does is not suspect nor does it need to be examined and picked apart! He is just a man that has made mistakes in the past.
Congress declared war folks! Your beloved Hilary and all of those Democrats voted FOR it! Check their records. All the prez can do is ask them to declare it. That means 525 very well educated people declared war not the one man you are all so mad at! I am aware there are other issues, but that is the one everybody focuses on, and it infuriates me!

Answer 3

Any US president can pardon anyone he wants, this is the law. Weather this pardon was right or wise is another thing all together. I think this was a reward to Libby for being the fall guy and was the plan from the being.

Answer 4

This is no different than Sandy Berger getting away with stealing and destroying documents from the National Archives.

Answer 5

W is always about W, so it was more about saving himself than saving Libby from prison

Answer 6

welcome to america land of the free (if you have money)