Bush commutes Scooter's sentence. Get ready to rumble.

July 2, 2007 – New York (apj.us) – Late this afternoon, at the top of what is in effect a semi-holiday week with Independence Day falling on a Wednesday, George W. Bush – in a break with procedure and tradition – abruptly commuted Irve Lewis "Scooter" Libby's sentence for lying to Pat Fitzgerald and his grand jury and obstructing justice. Bush said the he found the sentence "excessive" (despite the fact that Judge Walker sentenced Scooter well within the recommended guidelines).

Mark our words: it's war, with the blundering ex-governor having fired the first ricochet.

It also gives the lie to any and all claim this administration has to standing up for the rule of law. Nico over at the indispensable ThinkProgress has pulled this comment from insufferable White House spokesmodel Dana Perino out of the memory hole:

MS. PERINO: What I can tell you is how the President reacted today, which is to say that he does feel terrible for them, he thinks they’re going through a lot right now, they’ve been through a lot. But given the fact that the judge has set up a process for appeal and given the way that the President has handled this for the past year or so, he’s not going to intervene.

Yeah, right, Dana. Justice, shmustice.

If you happen to give a damn about our national security and the protection of CIA operatives who work (and sometimes die) to defend this nation from the most horrific weapons in existence – well, now we know where this administration stands, which is in about the same place as their view toward rule of law.

And it's not just Democrats and the intelligence community who have had enough of the dolt-in-chief.

Right-leaning CNN analyst Bill Schneider has been pointing out that with approval for Libby's pardon at below twenty percent, there will be a backlash not only from Democrats but from Republicans who have had enough of the puerile, arrogant "Decider."

Scooter isn't completely off the hook, though. Jeffrey Toobin, CNN's top legal analyst, pointed out that while the president has an absolute right to commute the sentence, "[T]his is a complete departure from the usual procedure. Scooter Libby is getting a very special brand of justice. He is getting enormous privileges that are not available to ordinary criminal convicts." (Props to Joe at AmericaBlog for the full quote.) And, added Toobin, a pardon wipes the slate clean – but a commutation does not insofar as guilt goes (in other words, the probation and fine stay in place).

Do you think that little detail will stop Dick Cheney and his Neocon mob from getting Scooter back on his feet – even if he can no longer practice law?

We are seeing the full splendor of the Neoconservative Culture of Corruption.

UPDATE: Josh Marshall points out...

There is a conceivable argument --- a very poor one but a conceivable one --- for pardoning Scooter Libby, presumably on the argument that the entire prosecution was political and thus illegitimate. But what conceivable argument does the president have for micromanaging the sentence? To decide that the conviction is appropriate, that probation is appropriate, that a substantial fine is appropriate --- just no prison sentence.

Meteor Blades at Daily Kos observes that Bush has not been generous with pardons or commutations.

• Obama: Bush Administration "Placed Itself And Its Ideology Above The Law"  
• Edwards: "George Bush And His Cronies Think They Are Above The Law"  
• Hollywood Fred Thompson: "I Am Very Happy For Scooter Libby"
  
• Leahy blasts Libby commutation
• Jonathan Turley: Cheney should have been an unindicted co-conspirator 
• Reid on commutation: "Disgraceful"
• McCain on Libby commutation: is that crickets we hear?  
• SurveyUSA Shows Huge Opposition To Commutation
  
• Amb. Joseph Wilson: Congress Should Investigate Bush's Participation in Obstruction of Justice
• Pelosi: Bush has "abandoned all sense of fairness"  
• DNC Chairman Dean: Bush, GOP "have undermined a core American value"
  
• Richardson: "This administration clearly believes its officials are above the law"
• Dodd: Bush "continues to abdicate responsibility for the actions of his Administration"
• David Shuster slams Bush and Tucker