I don't think so.  It's not even a year into Bush's 2nd term, and there's still too much at stake.

This quote of the indictment, I am surprised we don't see a greater charge against Libby already.

"That official asked Libby whether information about Wilson’s trip could be shared with the press to rebut the allegations that the Vice President had sent Wilson. Libby responded that there would be complications at the CIA in disclosing that information publicly, and that he could not discuss the matter on a non-secure telephone line; and"

This seems to indicate he KNEW the information was classified.

Um Libby, you were right - there certainly were complications at CIA in disclosing that information publicly.

Maybe for Xmas in 2008. But until then Libby will be the designated fall guy. Heck, Scooter probably already knows what his two years in jail will be worth to him down the road. At least a million dollars per. Probably two or three times that amount.

I bet the Carlyle Group has already made him the offer.


P.S. George Bush doesn't want to own this at the moment. Therefore no pardon forthcoming until the end of his term.

He ill pardon anyone who is found guilty in all of this, but only after the 2008 election.

A trial concerning these charges will require testimony from the likes of Cheney, Rove, Bolton, etc.  I don't see how Bush can allow that to happen while still serving as the President.  I suppose the alternative to pardoning would be asking for resignations, which would give him the appearance of cleaning house, but the testimony is not going to make him look good.

I suspect Bush is holding onto his precious pardons for now.  If Fitzgerald gets too close to figuring out the White House's inner workings, Bush could issue pardons using the pretext of national security, however.

Bush strikes me as a pretty vindictive person. If this whole crime blemishes his legacy maybe he'll get his revenge by not issuing pardons. The vipers will swallow the vipers . . .

Libby's immediate resignation creates the appearance that the Admin is taking the high road now vs. waiting for conviction.  I agree that Bush won't pardon right away, and maybe not at all; it would end any cooperation w/the D's for the remainder of his term.  But if Bush faces a repeat of the situation his father faced w/Weinberger all bets are off.

The next step is to bring the case before a judge and jury, nothing to pardon yet. Fitzgerald seemed vague about his role in the prosecution of the case.

Is it possible that Gonzales, as Attorney General, will be the one to determine if there will be a plea bargain offered? If so, Libby could admit guilt, and poof - no trial. The investigation would be over. The cabal won't be on the witness stand up through next November, Scooter gets lesser sentence and a board position on Carlyle, and Gonzales gets to be Supreme Court judge.

My recollection is that Reagan and Bush 41 believed that Cap Weinberger 'meant well' by lying. In no way can aWol think, or convince the rest of us, that Libby was acting in the best interests of either his boss or the country by outing a CIA agent.

Not going to happen.

 Once your pardoned, you are no longer allowed to "take the fifth."

 Once you are pardoned, you CAN be compelled to testify against yourself, and in the case of criminal conspiracy, to protect yourself against further charges of perjury, one almost has to testify against (rat out)  co-conspirators.

 Pardons become windows into larger consipracies, so unless Dubya has nothing to hide, you wont see a pardon.   Given that the odds of Bush having nothing to hide are effectivly zero, well you are all smart people....

 Maps

I agree completely...Scooter fell on his sword.

Tucker Carlson, in comments on MSNBC right after Fitz's press comments, said that the most amazing thing to him was how uncharacteristicly stupid Scooter was (if the indictment was true) to think that his lame "end-of-the-telephone-chain" alibi would hold.  Takes stupid to know stupid, I guess.  But David Brooks said words to the same effect on All Things Considered...that Libby was always tight-lipped and that it'd be ironic if he goes down for loquaciousness (sp).

Scooter might have had the power to act alone, but there's no way that he did.  He'll plead out on less than favorable terms - anything to avoid public testimony at a trial just before mid-term elections.  One year of min security, a second year with Martha's jewelry...just enough time to do justice to his memoirs before the really big payoff.

The original indictment against Weinberger….Casper Weinberger was charged with withholding and concealing notes; lying about his knowledge of illegal Saudi Arabian contributions and lying about the existence of such notes; as well as perjuring himself twice by denying knowledge of Israeli arms sales to Iran and the need to supply Israel with arms it sold to Iran.

On January 28, 1987, the first federal Grand Jury that would hear evidence on Iran-Contra matters was convened in the District of Columbia.

The first Grand Jury sat for 24 months, expiring January 27, 1989. A second Grand Jury was convened in the District of Columbia on May 15, 1990 and sat until May 15, 1992. Chief Judge Aubrey E. Robinson, Jr., granted Independent Counsel's requests for the extension of both grand juries for six months beyond the normal 18-month period because of the complex nature of the evidence being presented. In addition, Iran-contra evidence was heard by grand juries sitting in the Eastern District of Virginia in Alexandria (resulting in the Fernandez indictment) in Baltimore, Md. (resulting in the Clines indictment), and later in the District of Columbia (resulting in the Weinberger indictment).

From his handwritten notes, only revealed years after the original indictment: Weinberger contended that Bush supported the arms-for-hostages, while he and Secretary of State George Shultz opposed the idea.
 
Weinberger stated: "President Reagan decided to go with Israeli-Iranian offer to release our 5 hostages in return for the sale of 4,000 TOWs (anti-tank missiles) to Iran by Israel." Weinberger's notes read: "George Shultz + 1 opposed - Bill Casey Ed Meese (Attorney General) + VP favored."

Weinberger's notes told of a straightforward swap of weapons for hostages: "Our 5 hostages in return for sale of 4,000 TOWs." After Reagan authorized the sale of arms to Iran on January 6, 1986, Shultz and Weinberger expressed their opposition. Weinberger confirmed that Bush was present at a White House meeting on the following day.

The two cabinet members later testified to the Tower Commission that they disagreed with both Reagan and Bush on the arm' sales. A few weeks later John Poindexter, the successor to McFarlane as National Security adviser, sent a memo to North acknowledging the high level opposition to the arms-for-hostages: "President and V.P. are solid in taking the position that we have to try." 


The notes contradicted Weinberger's testimony on his knowledge of and discussions within the Administration about the November 1985 HAWK missile shipment to Iran, the issue of replenishing Israeli stocks after that country in 1985 sent TOW missiles to Iran, and the issue of Saudi support for the contras.
 
After extensive discussions with Weinberger's counsel, Weinberger was indicted on June 16, 1992, on five felony charges, including obstruction, perjury and false statements.

Weinberger lied to Congress about George Bush's knowledge of the Iran-Contra affiar. George Bush lied under oath.