I've Had It! Impeach the Bastard!

Scooter Libby, the Vice President's former Chief of Staff, was sentenced for lying, but the President has taken the unusual step this week of commuting his prison sentence.  Let's break it down.

Scooter Libby was found to have lied to a federal grand jury. It seems obvious that the lies were motivated out of loyalty to the administration.  Why would he lie?  Because he was trying to obstruct the investigation of who made the decision to leak the identity of an undercover CIA agent. But why would he lie?  He's an honorable guy.  No one has suggested that he was the first to leak the information. Is there any explanation other than he was taking a fall for an elected official?

Why was a CIA agent's cover leaked in the first place? To discredit the claims of her husband which challenged the message that President Bush was popularizing...that the US government had proof that Saddam Hussein had nuclear capabilities.

So Libby lied to protect the administrations' lies about its efforts to discredit what turned out to be true.

I contend that President Bush's commutation has put this country at risk. No, Bush has done nothing illegal, but by protecting his inner circle he has endangered every other American.

No person is above the law and even the President has sworn to uphold the entirety of the Constitution. While this cornerstone of democracy provides presidents the power of the pardon, without the benefit of a check or balance, when applied to members of his own administration who have been convicted of misdeeds, it sends an ugly message to the world. While not above the law, this administration can easily side-step the law and ultimately use its power to prevent the light of day from shining down on the people's government.

America has a patent on democracy and yet our President looks more like a fascist. If America's brand of democracy starts to smell America and its people loose credibility and it creates a slippery slope that permits exceptions to the principle that no one is above the law.

While President Bush may have exercised the power entrusted to him, he has used poor judgment that benefits a few at the expense of many. While not an impeachable offense, this action should be enough to motivate our legislators to proceed on a myriad of other potentially impeachable offenses this administration has racked up as it pushes the envelope of democracy.

July 6, 2007

© Greg Harris, 2007