Oh My....

Althought it's no surprise at all:

President Bush has spared Scooter Libby from a 2½-year prison term, issuing an order that commutes his sentence, the AP reports. Libby will never have to go to jail, but his felony conviction will stand, and he will still serve two years probation and owe $250,000 in fines.

There'll be lots of headlines, lots of screaming an yelling on both sides. Bush will go lower in the polls. Pundits will clutch pearls, requiring severe cleaning at local jewelry stores. But nothing else will happen. Bush had nothing to lose in political terms, but a lot to lose if Libby gave him an ultimatum like, commute my sentence or I'll talk.

This is a cover up of monumental proportions. No mafia family has ever done it better.

It's also an outrage.

Update: It's a twofer as well:

Well, George did it. Made sure that Scooter wouldn't flip rather than do jail time. He commuted Libby's sentence, guaranteeing not only that Libby wouldn't talk, but retaining Libby's right to invoke the Fifth.

That's right. Because Libby is still appealing he can't be compelled to testify to Congress. A pardon would have expunged the entire trial and he couldn't claim the fifth. But since he's still in litigation, fogettaboutit.

Update II: A good point:

Keep in mind, this is a guy who in all his time in Texas never commuted a single death sentence. But now he intervenes because a 30 month sentence for committing multiple serious felonies--a sentence that is well-within the sentencing guidelines--is "excessive."

Update III: From Bush in 1999:

"I don’t believe my role [as governor] is to replace the verdict of a jury with my own, unless there are new facts or evidence of which a jury was unaware, or evidence that the trial was somehow unfair."

It's wrong. Just plain wrong.