Eugene Robinson:

Let’s put this in perspective. Martha Stewart is convicted of conspiracy, making false statements and obstruction of justice, and soon she’s decorating a prison cell. Lil’ Kim is convicted of perjury before a grand jury and conspiracy, and off to the big house she goes. Paris Hilton commits a crime that could be described as “driving while blond, vapid and obnoxious,” and next thing you know she’s freaking out in solitary confinement.

But when Scooter Libby is found guilty of perjury before a grand jury, lying to FBI investigators and obstruction of justice — basically the same crimes that got Stewart and Lil’ Kim locked up, and miles beyond anything Hilton ever did — George W. Bush intervenes to save him from the indignity of spending a single night behind bars. No home confinement, no ankle bracelet, nothing. Now that he’s paid his $250,000 fine, [rather, now that Fred Thompson’s money-raising committee has] Scooter is free to scoot on with his life.

So, Eugene, what’s your point? That the king’s courtiers are subject to the rule of law? That’s just crazy talk. Extremist.

And E.J. Dionne:  Read more 

Of course, those aren’t really mutually exclusive possibilities.

But check the bruise over Bush’s left eye, as He stumbles through the cover story for the deal He made so Scooter would never do time…

(And before you press Play, please be sure to turn the sound down. We don’t want you to lose a keyboard or, worse, the screen or a wall. A broken fist can be very painful!)

 Read more 

[I’ve been told the answer is “Yes,” by an authoritative source, although YMMV because numbers do change. Welcome, Wonkette readers. Welcome, Raw Story readers. If you call, please feel free to check back here, and leave the results of your courteous, polite, civil, and dignified conversation in comments!]

See The White House Phone Directory (May 18, 2007). Because I figure the regular switchboard might be busy tomorrow, but if you’ve got the White House phone directory, you can just work your way down until somebody picks up. (Actually, in the spirit of CD interviewing people, it might be more interesting and fun to say “Hi! I write for ______________. Do you think that Libby’s commuted sentence involved obstruction of justice? Why or why not?”)

Most of the numbers in the Directory match what I’ve been able to glean from open sources, so it looks authentic. The offices are taken from the White House site, and the numbers are formatted like so: 1-202-555-1212 / 1-202-555-1212, where the first number is via internet search, and the second, italic number is from the Directory:
The offices included in the Executive Office of the President.

1. Council of Economic Advisers: (202) 456-1414 / (202) 395-5084
2. Council on Environmental Quality: (202) 395-5750 / (202) 456-6224
3. Office of Administration: (202)456-7921 / (202) 456-2861
4. Office of Management and Budget: (202) 395-4840 / (202) 395-4840
5. Office of National Drug Control Policy: (202) 395-6738
6. Office of Science & Technology Policy: (202) 456-6021 / (202) 456-7116
7. President’s Foreign Intelligence Advisory Board: (202) 456-2352
8. United States Trade Representative: (202) 395-7360 / (202) 395-3230

The offices included in the White House Office.

1. Domestic Policy Council: (202) 456-1111 / (202) 456-5594
2. Homeland Security Council: (202) 456-1700
3. National Economic Council: (202) 456-1414 / (202) 456-2800
4. Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives: (202) 456-6708 / (202) 456-6708
5. Office of the First Lady: (202) 456-7074 / (202) 456-7064
6. Office of National AIDS Policy : (202) 456-7320 / (202) 456-7320
7. Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board: (202) 456-1066
8. USA Freedom Corps: 1-877-872-2677 / 1-877-USA-CORPS
9. White House Fellows Office: (202) 395-4522 / (202) 395-4522
10. White House Military Office: / (202) 757-2151

And the Vice Presidential Entity, whatever branch he ends up in:  Read more 

1. Shooter: (202) 456-9000 / (202) 456-1414
2. Shooter’s Moll, Lynne: (202) 456-7489

There is a season, spin, spin, spin

And a time for every purpose under heaven

Purposes like helping a man of conservative convictions [DCOW] stay out of jail. It only took The Corner 2 1/2 hours to pump this out, and it shows:

President Bush should pardon I. Lewis “Scooter” Libby. The trial that concluded in a guilty verdict on four of five counts conclusively proved only one thing: A White House aide became the target of a politicized prosecution set in motion by bureaucratic infighting and political cowardice.

Sheeeit. Fitz as Ken Starr?  Read more