LIBBY Indictment - The Odds of a Trial
Will LIBBY even wind up on trial? It seems doubtful.
This would be incredibly painful for the Administration. Imagine Cheney and Rove on the stand, under oath, rehashing the same stories they're already struggling to keep straight. Rove (Official A, most-likely) was already scrambling to avoid indictment this week, I don't think he'll want to put his hand on the Good Book and do any more swearing any time soon. Imagine the transcripts of everyone arguing over forged documents and Uranium from Africa and the sheer volume of potential perjury counts following that proceeding.
So how can the Administration, and LIBBY, avoid trial? Three ways.
First, LIBBY can cop a plea. He can plead guilty, but for the plea to be accepted, likely some concession will have to be given to Fitzgerald. After all, if he pleads guilty to the facts alleged in the indictment, he will have admitted to violating at least one law and potentially another.
Second, the prosecutor could drop the charges. Not likely.
Third, Bush could pardon LIBBY. Can he? Yes. Will there be an uproar? Absolutely. Does Shrub give a flying fig what you or anyone else thinks? No. Unless James Dobson or Pat Robertson comes out talking about how pardoning LIBBY somehow offends the Right Wing Evangelicals of this country, or oil companies think their profits could be hurt, Bush couldn't care less. He does care about his legacy, which would be tarnished by a pardon, no doubt. But putting Cheney and Rove on the stand and rehashing the rationale for the Iraq War into the judicial record would likely leave a lot bigger stain than a pardon. Besides, Poppy Bush put down a nice precedent with regards to Iran Contra.
Odds
Trial - 4:1
Plea - 1:2
Charges Dropped - 5:1
Pardon - 2:1
mcolley
I'm not liberal, I'm just paying attention
This would be incredibly painful for the Administration. Imagine Cheney and Rove on the stand, under oath, rehashing the same stories they're already struggling to keep straight. Rove (Official A, most-likely) was already scrambling to avoid indictment this week, I don't think he'll want to put his hand on the Good Book and do any more swearing any time soon. Imagine the transcripts of everyone arguing over forged documents and Uranium from Africa and the sheer volume of potential perjury counts following that proceeding.
So how can the Administration, and LIBBY, avoid trial? Three ways.
First, LIBBY can cop a plea. He can plead guilty, but for the plea to be accepted, likely some concession will have to be given to Fitzgerald. After all, if he pleads guilty to the facts alleged in the indictment, he will have admitted to violating at least one law and potentially another.
Second, the prosecutor could drop the charges. Not likely.
Third, Bush could pardon LIBBY. Can he? Yes. Will there be an uproar? Absolutely. Does Shrub give a flying fig what you or anyone else thinks? No. Unless James Dobson or Pat Robertson comes out talking about how pardoning LIBBY somehow offends the Right Wing Evangelicals of this country, or oil companies think their profits could be hurt, Bush couldn't care less. He does care about his legacy, which would be tarnished by a pardon, no doubt. But putting Cheney and Rove on the stand and rehashing the rationale for the Iraq War into the judicial record would likely leave a lot bigger stain than a pardon. Besides, Poppy Bush put down a nice precedent with regards to Iran Contra.
Odds
Trial - 4:1
Plea - 1:2
Charges Dropped - 5:1
Pardon - 2:1
mcolley
I'm not liberal, I'm just paying attention
posted by progprog | 12:51 AM
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