Libby Freed By Bush...w/updated reactions By: Mark W Adams

I'm fucking livid.

This President mocked those on death row, pleading for their lives.

But poor Scooter has suffered enough.

IOKIYAR

I should stop now before my disgust makes this an unreadable rant. There are simply no consequences for even the most egregious violations of the fundamental tenants of our nation's social contract as long as you are somehow connected to Bush and Cheney, or can buy access to them or their friends.

Scooter was a good little nazi and didn't sell out Big Dick. He will be handsomly rewarded -- and free to enjoy his rewards.

I see Ana Marie Cox saw the Orwellian approach to justice I noted in the post below when describing her reaction to this news, "Some animals are more equal than others."

If you were against Scooter getting pardoned, and aren't too impressed with this move either, don't even consider looking at Fred Thompson unless you can stomach more and more of this lawlessness. He's absolutely thrilled about this. You might also note that Hillary Clinton completely dodged the question of whether she would have pardoned Libby. Real tough lady ... when she thinks people want her to look like a tough broad. Bet she manages to dodge this right up through March, or (god help us) beyond. [Updated: She Responds, finally. Not bad, Hill. No link, I heard it on Olberman. Still pretty, um calculated, and slow.]

UPDATE:
Some of the initial reactions.

John Edwards:

"Only a president clinically incapable of understanding that mistakes have consequences could take the action he did today. President Bush has just sent exactly the wrong signal to the country and the world. In George Bush's America, it is apparently okay to misuse intelligence for political gain, mislead prosecutors and lie to the FBI. George Bush and his cronies think they are above the law and the rest of us live with the consequences. The cause of equal justice in America took a serious blow today."

Barack Obama:

“This decision to commute the sentence of a man who compromised our national security cements the legacy of an Administration characterized by a politics of cynicism and division, one that has consistently placed itself and is ideology above the law This is exactly the kind of politics we must change so we can begin restoring the American people’s faith in a government that puts the country’s progress ahead of the bitter partisanship of recent years."

Chuck Schumer:

“As Independence Day nears, we are reminded that one of the principles our forefathers fought for was equal justice under the law. This commutation completely tramples on that principle.”

John Conyers:

"Until now, it appeared that the President merely turned a blind eye to a high ranking Administration official leaking classified information. The President's action today makes it clear that he condones such activity. This decision is inconsistent with the rule of law and sends a horrible signal to the American people and our intelligence operatives who place their lives at risk everyday. Now that the White House can no longer argue that there is a pending criminal investigation, I expect them to be fully forthcoming with the American people about the circumstances that led to this leak and the President's decision today."

Muckracker reports that a senior aide at the House Judiciary Committee is saying the committee is planning a hearing on the commutation, "as early as next week." Go Get 'Em Johnny! Don't let them think this is all going to go away

UPDATE 2:
Oliver Willis has reactions from Nancy Pelosi, Harry Reid, Chris Dodd, and the John Edwards reaction I quoted above.

Andrew Sullivan says, in reaction to Obama's statement that this is the next election in a nutshell.

This has to be hung around every Republican's neck. They are now the party of corruption, irresponsibility in national security, and perjury. The Republican party impeached the last president for perjury over sexual harassment. But they commute the sentence of a man who perjured himself in part because he leaked a national security secret. That tells you everything. They care more about their privileged friends than the rule of law. We now know that for sure.

Steve Soto at The Left Coast gives us this instant classic:

I think Paris Hilton wins this year's profiles in courage award over Scooter, huh?

The next time you hear a Republican bellow about the Rule of Law when it comes to illegal immigrants, just remember that think of their concept of the Rule of Law doesn't apply doublestandard when it comes to rich white Republicans.

Marty Kaplan at HuffPost:

But I think most Americans will see this move for what it actually is: jury nullification, cronyism, Cheney puppeteering. It's a signal to all future witnesses, in Congress and in court, to take the Fifth, bide their time, and hold out for a presidential rescue.

Mother Jone's Jonathan Stein offers us a picture of where this all started, President Gerald Ford (undoubtedly reading a script his Chief of Staff, Dick Cheney, wrote) explaining to the nation why he was pardoning Richard Nixon.