Scooter vs. Sandy
As I’ve said, I disagree with the clemency that the President gave Scooter Libby, but for perspective, here’s Ace’s suggestion:
Suggestion: Bush should have reduced the fine to a more reasonable $50,000, which just so happens to be how much Sandy Berger was fined for stealing and destroying classified documents and lying about it to investigators (he wasn’t charged for the latter, but subsequent revelations has made it clear he did just that).
Making the fine $50,000 would have been more in line with Libby’s transgressions, and it would have made it harder for Democrats to argue against it. The penalty — no jail time, $50,000, probation — would have been so similar to Berger’s that one could scarcely mention it without also mentioning Berger.
I’ve noted before that the Sandy Berger situation has received far less press for a far larger transgression than the Libby trial. And now the disproportionate punishments are getting the same double standard applied. At least the press and the Democrats are consistent, if disingenuous.
Technorati Tags: Sandy Berger, Scooter Libby, media, Democrats, bias
Filed under: Democrats • Government • Media • Politics
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First of all, the trial was about outing a
covert agent. Second, why did Libby lie? What
did he have to lie about?
No, sorry, that’s not what Libby’s trial was about. The original investigation was about that, but not Libby’s trial.
Second, he was on trial for having a different recollection of events from reporters. That’s equally explained by a difference in memories. I’ll will accept the jury verdict, however. But remember, it’s not that anything was hidden; the reporter’s view of events still got heard.
So Scooter got a quarter-million dollar fine and 2 1/2 years in jail for lying in an investigation, and Sandy got a $50,000 fine and no jail time for stealing and destroying documents related to national security and lying in an investigation.
Huge, huge disparity, yet the press and the Democrats have virtually nothing to say about Sandy.