I was very shocked to receive a letter today from a friend who posits that Scooter Libby is taking a fall for the Administration and will be pardoned later by Bush. Reform Club readers will recall that I made a joke to that effect in an earlier post, where I said: "When I heard that Scooter might be going to jail to protect George, I was surprised to hear that Rizzuto was still that loyal to Steinbrenner."
But beyond the joke, to offer this as a serious contention is trumped by logic in every relevant detail.
1) Libby did not admit to being the leaker of Plame's name. On the contrary, he is being prosecuted for denying that fact.
2) If Libby was taking the fall and hoping for a pardon, he would have plea-bargained and pleaded guilty. Coming to court and loudly proclaiming his innocence is not being helpful to the Administration.
3) If Libby believes that this Administration operates by this type of corrupt loyalty system, then he must know that by pleading Not Guilty he is THROWING AWAY ANY CHANCE OF A PARDON.
4) Since Libby is not admitting being the leaker, he is leaving OPEN the possibility that somebody else is, exposing the Administration to further suspicion and investigation.
Bottom line, you do not deflect blame from anybody by denying blame, only by accepting blame.
I grew up around conspiracy thinking; it is a pandemic among Jews. I never liked the whole approach or the attitude of cynicism that it engenders. And, furthermore, it is almost never right.
Libby did not admit to being the leaker of Plame's name. On the contrary, he is being prosecuted for denying that fact.
ReplyDeleteUh, no? He's being prosecuted for denying to FBI investigators and the grand jury that he spoke to administration officials and reporters about it when he apparently demonstrably did and that said denial impeded the investigation into the leak.