toledoblade.com --

It's hard to believe that The Blade could move any further to the left, but your editorial about the commutation of the Scooter Libby sentence moved from your usual omission of some of the salient facts and left them all out.

In the basic case investigated by special prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald, there was no crime committed. Mr. Fitzgerald knew early on that Mr. Libby was not the leak in the Valerie Plame case, and that she was not a "covert" agent at the time.

Once you ran out of facts to distort, you start assuming the motives of those involved. Democrat Joseph Wilson's motives were all good; Republican President Bush's motives were all bad. Your Ouija board runneth over.

I don't think that former City Councilman Bob McClosky, who sought and received bribes, is equivalent to Mr. Libby who lied under oath. Who else can we remember who lied under oath? Gee, the name Bill Clinton rings a bell. How much jail time did he serve?

You also don't mention Sandy Burger, Mr. Clinton's national security adviser, who stole "top secret" documents, destroyed them, lied about it, and obstructed justice. How much jail time did he serve?

There is another difference between President Bush commuting a sentence and former President Clinton pardoning people.

Mr. Clinton received something in return for the pardons he granted. Most of those people made large contributions to Democrat causes in return for their pardon, or had a relationship with Mr. Clinton's relatives (Hillary for example).

You seem to feel that for a Republican, being associated with President Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney is a bigger crime than theft and bribery is for a Democrat. Who writes this stuff and where is Tom Walton when we need him?

John F. Weber

Swanton

Cheney, Armitage should be indicted

A recent letter writer laments the sentencing of Scooter Libby for perjury and false testifying.

Perhaps he doesn't recall that Susan McDougle was held in solitary confinement, including in a suspended cage that is used for mass murderers, simply because she wouldn't testify against the Clintons.

Kenneth Starr was a special prosecutor gone mad with power.

We spent $70 million in taxpayer dollars trying to prove Whitewater was a grand plan by the Clintons to financially benefit themselves, only to be informed there was no wrongdoing.

Former Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage and Vice President Dick Cheney should indeed be indicted for revealing the name of a covert CIA agent.

Selective memory suits some people, but not all the people.

James Perine

Lima

Bush right to respect jury, decry sentence

Considering the judge imposed the sentence - not the jury - President Bush can very well say he respects the jury's verdict while viewing jail time as excessive. Former City Councilman Bob McCloskey was jailed because he personally profited from bribes: please explain how "Scooter Libby" personally profited.

Nick Borgert

Huntersville, N.C.

Without pardons, there'd be no GOP

President Bush has finally taken the initiative to protect the two-party system in this great country of ours. He commuted the sentence of "Scooter" Libby. The President knew full well that if every government official who lied, violated the public trust, or obstructed justice, was sent to prison, there wouldn't be any Republicans left in this country.

William Poznanski

Melvin Drive

Never hurts to have important friends

So, President Bush commuted the sentence of former aide I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby on Monday, sparing him from a 2 1/2-year prison term in the CIA leak case, but left intact a $250,000 fine and two years probation. It's obvious that Mr. Libby can escape the long arm of the law, but can he escape the burning flames of hell? I guess it never hurts to have friends in high places.

Timothy W. Warner

Bowling Green

Blade twists facts in Libby clemency

Once again, The Blade has twisted the facts to suit its agenda regarding President Bush commuting Lewis "Scooter" Libby's sentence. Since it has been proven that there was no crime and the special prosecutor knew right away that the so-called "leak" came from the State Department, he should have saved taxpayers millions by halting this witch hunt.

Secondly, Valerie Plame was not a "covert" agent. That status had ceased five years prior when she took a desk job at CIA headquarters. It was a known fact about town where she worked.

Third, Joeseph Wilson's story has been proven to be false and his facts totally discredited regarding his trip to Niger. In short, there is no there there.

The Constitution gives any president the right to commute (or even pardon) anyone he chooses. Just ask former President Clinton who pardoned felons, friends, and even Marc Rich, who was on the FBI list for many felonies.

Perhaps Mr. Clinton should have spent time behind bars since he was found guilty of presenting false documents to the grand jury, lying under oath, getting others to lie, and was disbarred.

I guess it just depends on who lies, or "forgets the facts."

Then there is Sandy Berger, Mr. Clinton's national security adviser, who stole federal documents to save Bill Clinton's reputation. No jail time for him either. Again, a double standard so blatantly obvious.

If a Democrat does it, there is no crime. If a Republican forgets who he told and when he told it, somehow that is a horrendous crime. Amazing how your paper can twist the facts and salivate at the thought of connecting the Nixon administration to the Bush Administration while totally forgetting what scandals went on throughout the Clinton years. Justice indeed.

Carol Taylor

Bedford Township

President's clemency power is absolute

President Bush commutes the prison sentence of Lewis "Scooter" Libby. Not unexpectedly, the Left goes bonkers. Some on the Right say he should have received a full pardon.

The Blade says the only way leniency for Mr. Libby makes sense is when you consider that he was an errand boy for Vice-President Dick Cheney.

Hello? Special prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald knew early on that Richard Armitage of the State Department was the leaker. The leak was supposedly inadvertent and no big deal because everyone in Washington knew Valerie Plame worked for the CIA. If she was covert, Mr. Armitage should have been prosecuted. He wasn't.

Then there is the Bob McCloskey argument. The former city councilman stood up because he was guilty. He gets credit for that. Just like former U.S. Rep. Randall "Duke" Cunningham a California Republican.

The President's power to pardon/commute is absolute. Get over it. Should we now review former President Clinton's pardons in detail? Maybe Congress will investigate.

Tom Nowak

Orchard Trail Drive

If Libby goes to jail, so should Berger

Here's an offer for all you President Bush haters who are in a state of apoplexy over the Lewis "Scooter" Libby issue.

I'll convince Libby (Vice President Dick Cheney's former chief of staff who committed no crime) to serve 30 months in prison, if you convince former President Clinton's national security adviser Sandy Berger (who in fact committed a serious crime) to serve the same 30 months simultaneously. Deal?

Ron Krueger

Liberty Center

No need to worry about doing time

It must be a great relief to the folks in the Bush-Cheney Administration to know that, unlike the rest of us, they are free to commit crimes without worry about doing the time.

Dee Spencer
Emkay Road

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