Libby and Obama

http://www.blogger.com/img/gl.link.gifI just have to take a couple of minutes to put in my two sense worth on yesterday's news. Regarding Scooter Libby, Cheyney's Chief of Staff who lied to federal prosecuters, it is disgraceful for Bush to commute his sentence. Libby's 30 month jail sentence was well within the federal guidelines and was not an "excessive" sentence as Bush claimed. He received a fair trial and got nailed. The Bush administration has been deceitful towards the American people for 6 years (i.e. reasons for going into Iraq, existence of illegal wiretapping, use of extraordinary rendition, reasons for firing attorneys general)and now that one of its gang gets caught, Bush gives him a get-out-of-jail-free cards. This is no way to ensure a healthy democracy.

On a more positive note, Obama raised $32.5 million in the second quarter. Hillary has not declared her total, but it's estimated at $27 million. While Hillary is at the front of the race, this puts Obama in a real position to win. Hillary does not have this thing locked up. Moreover, 90% of Obama's first quarter donations came from gifts of $100 or less, and he now has a total of over 258,000 donors! That is more than in the history of the U.S.!

Obama continues to connect with people and empower them to participate in the Democracy. This phenomenon does strengthen our democracy. Obama has taught a generation that power is in the citizens' hands (even if you can only donate $50) and does not rest solely in large donors' hands. He has given us a taste of what it is like to have one's opinion and money matter in politics.

Added July 5
[The last thing Bush wants is to see a high ranking White House official's picture out wearing an orange prison suit.

John Dickerson at Slate.com ,

What's astonishing is that the factors Bush relied on in commuting Libby's sentence are the same ones that the administration has aggressively sought to preclude judges from considering when imposing sentences on everyone else...

The Bush administration, however, has consistently maintained that at sentencing, judges should be precluded from thinking about precisely the sort of individual circumstances the president raised in lending a hand to Libby. Last month, Attorney General Alberto Gonzales proposed legislation that would prevent judges from relying on anything outside the federal sentencing guidelines as the basis for a sentence more lenient than the range that the guidelines provide for.

Now I hear that Bush's commutation may also remove Libby's propation!]