Grant of Executive Clemency

A Proclamation by the President of the United States of America

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WHEREAS Lewis Libby was convicted in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia in the case United States v. Libby, Crim. No. 05-394 (RBW), for which a sentence of 30 months’ imprisonment, 2 years’ supervised release, a fine of $250,000, and a special assessment of $400 was imposed on June 22, 2007;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, GEORGE W. BUSH, President of the United States of America, pursuant to my powers under Article II, Section 2, of the Constitution, do hereby commute the prison terms imposed by the sentence upon the said Lewis Libby to expire immediately, leaving intact and in effect the two-year term of supervised release, with all its conditions, and all other components of the sentence.

IN WITNESS THEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this second day of July, in the year of our Lord two thousand and seven, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-first.

GEORGE W. BUSH

Alas federal prisoner 28301-016, we hardly knew ye.

“I respect the jury’s verdict,” Bush said, “But I have concluded that the prison sentence given to Mr. Libby is excessive. Therefore, I am commuting the portion of Mr. Libby’s sentence that required him to spend thirty months in prison.”

All that’s left is a $250,000 fine, which will doubtless be paid by Libby’s neocon fan club, and some good old fashioned bonding time between Libby and his parole officer.

What do you think of Bush springing Libby?

“It’s fucking Skull and Bones, man. The very secretive, behind-closed-doors nature of it is anathema to everything that blogging is supposed to be about: accountability. We are supposed to be showing the way, not skulking around behind closed doors, coming up with strategies. Those are the people who we’re trying to fight. I know about ‘the real world’ and all that shit. But we’re the idealists, aren’t we?”

This this Summer of Love redesign is making me hungry for dessert — one that’s retro in its own right.

Whatever happened to Serbet anyway?

PS to Jed: No, we did not get “hacked by the rainbow coalition.” Check out the RS homepage for more on 40 trippy years of coverage.

Hispanics turning back to Democrats for 2008 - USATODAY.com

A new USA TODAY/Gallup Poll indicates that Hispanics, by nearly 3 to 1, say they’re Democrats or lean that way.

That’s quite a contrast from the 40 percent of Latinos who backed Bush in 2004. Considering Hispanics are the fastest growing voter bloc in the country, it looks like this nasty immigration battle may have put a stake through the heart of GOP dreams of a permanent majority.