Ex-VP Dick Cheney Outraged President Bush Didn't Grant 'Scooter' Libby Full Pardon
BY Thomas M. Defrank
DAILY NEWS WASHINGTON BUREAU CHIEF
WASHINGTON - In the waning days of the Bush administration, Vice President Dick Cheney launched a last-ditch campaign to persuade his boss to pardon Lewis (Scooter) Libby - and was furious when President George W. Bush wouldn't budge.
Sources close to Cheney told the Daily News the former vice president repeatedly pressed Bush to pardon Libby, arguing his ex-chief of staff and longtime alter ego deserved a full exoneration - even though Bush had already kept Libby out of jail by commuting his 30-month prison sentence.
"He tried to make it happen right up until the very end," one Cheney associate said.
In multiple conversations, both in person and over the telephone, Cheney tried to get Bush to change his mind. Libby was convicted of perjury and obstruction of justice in the federal probe of who leaked covert CIA operative Valerie Plame's identity to the press.
Several sources confirmed Cheney refused to take no for an answer. "He went to the mat and came back and back and back at Bush," a Cheney defender said. "He was still trying the day before Obama was sworn in."
After repeatedly telling Cheney his mind was made up, Bush became so exasperated with Cheney's persistence he told aides he didn't want to discuss the matter any further.
The unsuccessful full-court press left Cheney bitter. "He's furious with Bush," a Cheney source told The News. "He's really angry about it and decided he's going to say what he believes."
He did just that the day after becoming a private citizen. In an interview with The Weekly Standard, Cheney heaped praise on Libby and denounced his conviction. "He was the victim of a serious miscarriage of justice, and I strongly believe that he deserved a presidential pardon," Cheney said. "Obviously, I disagree with President Bush's decision."
The vehemence of Cheney's last-minute onslaught has struck some Bush loyalists as excessive. "At some point you have to accept the decision of the guy who appointed you," one of them said after learning the details. "I think Cheney was over the top."
A Cheney ally disagreed. "He had every right to push it as hard as he wanted," he argued. "Cheney places great store in loyalty and thinks Scooter got a raw deal."
In July 2007, at Cheney's urging, Bush commuted Libby's 30-month prison sentence. But he also said, "I respect the jury's verdict" and noted that his decision "leaves in place a harsh punishment" for the man often described as "Cheney's Cheney." Libby was fined $250,000, and as a convicted felon, he has been disbarred from practicing law and cannot vote.
Rob Saliterman, a spokesman for the former President, said Bush would have no comment. A Cheney spokeswoman could not be reached for comment.
The latest Libby flap has injected fresh strains in a relationship that had become more businesslike than warm in recent years.
Ten days before leaving office, Bush hailed Cheney as "a fabulous vice president."
About the same time, however, an official who has worked closely with both men mused that the relationship "isn't what it was" when Bush tapped Cheney as his running mate in 2000.
"It's been a long, long time since I've heard the President say, 'Run that by the vice president's office.' You used to hear that all the time."
Reader Comments
pardons
After obama is out of office let's imprison this joker for treason and for robbery and for breaking the Constitution,The Bill of Rights and the Declaration of Independence. Let's send him back to the hell hole he climed out of in Kenya.You moronic Americans who voted for this enemy will see in just a short time what a massive mistake you all made.The whole white house is filled with scum of politics and the morons still haven't a clue.
President Bush and V.P.Dick Chaney were better for Americans on a bad day than all these creeps in DC,put togather on a good day. Obama the Lier in every area, has not been honorable to the office of the president nor to America nor to Americans, he is going to try and make America a new Amerika, so you laugh now, but we True Blood Americans will have the last laugh at your expense.
Obama may say don't call the Rag Heads (Terrorist) enemy combatants but the fact is terrorist or Rag Heads are only good for one thing, that is to have a less head count than the day before. and that goes for Rag Heads inside America and in the turd countries as well. BE VIGILANT.Remember they want to kill you and your countrymen around the world and here at home. So do not trust the enemy when your told they are not dangerous. We just heard from the King Rag Head Obama bin laden on his newest tape, so tell me are we safe? Hell no we are not and OBama is not doing the right things to keep us safe.1-cutting military 2-Closing Quantanamo, 3- Robbing our banks that insure the enemies hand 4-Obama giving four Billion dollars to CARE, a known enemy of our country 5- Misfits in the whitehouse 6- Obama wanting to charge our serivice personnel for their care after wounded in battle 7- Meeting with mortal enemies on foreign lands Mid-East 8- Cutting health care on the very young and senoirs 9- Closing the interrogation sites around the world that do get information from the enemies, to save American soldiers lives, There are so many other items that can be list by this man but you get the picture.BE VIILANT.
LOVE YOUR COUNTRY OR GET THE HELL OUT OF HER.
NEVER FORGET 9-11-01
RE: Jim of WA,Joe the retiree
To Jim; WHAT CHARGES exactly do you WANT TO CONVICT President Bush of?? Helping to KEEP this nation from ANY TERROR ATTACKS since 9/11, which, incidently, the terror cell was in the U.S. since 1999 and earlier, with the PLANS AND DETAILS ALL WORKERD OUT BEFORE PRESIDENT BUSH WAS ELECTED!THAT was under CLINTON'S WATCH!Do you THINK WATERBOARDING IS TORTURE? THEN YOU BETTER NOT TAKE YOUR KIDS TO THE "SPOOK HOUSE" ON HALLOWEEN, because WATERBOARDING is only FRIGHTENING! It's DONE IN TRAINING TO OUR SPECIAL OPS MILITARY MEN AND WOMEN! A bunch of TERRORISTS attack and fight us, and YOU want to kiss and hug THEM,( YOU HUG ONE, HE HAS AN EXPLOSIVE VEST ON AND PUSHES THE PLUNGER, so you BEST BE SURE YOU ARE RIGHT WTH GOD, the CORRECT GOD, NOT "allah"!) and JAIL THE MEN WHO KEPT YOUR FAMILY SAFE?? GEEZ, what a SCREWED UP BUNCH OF PEOPLE IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA!ALL LED AROUND BY THE NOSE OF THE FAR LEFT,THE LYING MEDIA and the ACTIVIST, UNHOLY DEMOCRATIC PARTY!
To Joe: You LOVE A MAN WHO BY THE U.S. CONSTITUTION HAS USURPED THE OVAL OFFICE and NOW WANTS to tax and spend our way to WEALTH?? WANTS to MAKE THIS NATION A NATION OF "COMMUNISLAM. It's EASY TO SEE YOU FAILED MATH BADLY!ALSO, WHAT GOOD bills has OBAMA PASSED? TAX AND SPEND? ADD ANOTHER SEVERAL TRILLION TO OUR NATIONAL DEFICIT? YOU must be on WELFARE or work for MINIMUM WAGES ONLY! (I REFUSE, as does Mr. Alan Keyes, to CALL Mr. Obama "PRESIDENT")! He's UNQUALIFIED BY THE CONSTITUTIONAL LAWS TO BE PRESIDENT AS HE IS NOT A NATURAL BORN AMERICAN! HIS OWN GRANDMOTHER PUBLICLY STATED THAT SHE WAS IN THE DELIVERY ROOM AND WATCHED HIM BEING BORN; in KENYA!
Pardon for Libby
If Obama is going to enforce the law of the land, he can start with those he selected for cabinet positions. If Democrats paid their taxes, country would probably have a balanced budget. Also requre them to do their banking in the U.S. instead of off-shore. Think it is time for 100% auditing of all politicians at all levels.
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