Border Disorder Redux/Libby in Limbo

President Bush, pardon the pun, is in a most curious Mexican stand-off.
The boldest of his domestic policy initiatives sits dead in the water.
Democrats who would otherwise be inclined to support the immigration
legislation are too delighted at seeing the President squirm, than to pass
a bill they actually feel strongly about.


Bush has little negotiating room with the few Republicans
who are rightly opposed to the bill, and righteously
annoyed with the President for his less than polished remarks aimed
at them as his frustration level reached the boiling point.

Immigration reform is perhaps the most important
domestic issue on the President's agenda, and failure to pass the
bill would send the media into a frenzy, tripping over each other
to ramble on about "legacy", and "lame duck Presidents. CNN has
already started beating the drum and it is taking me everything not
to travel down to Atlanta to personally Jap-slap Anderson Cooper.

Let me say this so there is no ambiguity. While I may support the
administration on the war, I am opposed to the immigration bill.
It is a flawed pipe dream, and a dangerous proposition. That being
said, were I advising the President, and knowing he is not going to
back off from this bill, I have one peice of advice. Pardon I. Lewis "Scooter"
Libby Jr.

On March 6th, Mr Libby was unjustly convicted of perjury and obstruction
of Justice in connection with the Valerie Wilson leak. Odd, considering the
prosecutor could not even establish if and when the leak occurred, and
whether or not it constituted a crime. Well, perhaps not so odd when you
consider that this was a politically motivated prosecution to poke a
a thumb in the eye of the administration, when all other avenues had
failed.

Mr. Libby should never have been brought to trial, and those who
are opposed to the current immigration deal, are equally incensed
at the conviction of Mr Libby, and his subsequent 30 month
prison sentence.

Pardoning Mr. Libby may be the only political card Mr. Bush has
to play, and it may backfire if Democrats decide not to play ball
anymore after the pardon is granted. Either way, immigration
deal or not, Mr Libby deserves to be free.

President Bush. Pardon Mr. Libby, and let this good and honorable public

servant, reclaim his reputation.

Cordially

Joe