Is 'Scooter' Libby in Line for a Pardon?
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President Bush has commuted the prison sentence of Lewis "Scooter" Libby and he's not ruling out a full pardon. We hear about the law and the politics. Why hasn't this President been more forgiving in other cases of harsh treatment by the criminal justice system? Also, another medical worker is arrested in the London car bombings and, on Reporter's Notebook, the Bush White House has downplayed two days of meetings with Russia's Vladimir Putin. In Russia, it was a very big deal.
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Making News
Hospital near Glasgow at Center of UK Plot Investigation ()
In the aftermath of the failed car bombings in London and Glasgow, an eighth person has been arrested today -- in Brisbane, Australia. Like several of the others, he was a medical worker. Severin Carrell is Scotland Correspondent for the Guardian.
Guests:
- Severin Carrell: Scotland Correspondent for the Guardian
Main Topic
Bush Commutes Libby's Sentence ()
The sentencing judge in the Lewis "Scooter" Libby case is a hard-line conservative appointed by President Bush. He said the evidence of felony crimes by Libby was "overwhelming," and gave him 30 months in prison. Yesterday, a three-judge panel ruled that Libby's sentence could not be delayed. The Bureau of Prisons had assigned him a number. But five hours later, President Bush commuted what he called an "excessive" sentence. Though he said he "respected" the jury's felony verdict, today said he would not rule out a full pardon for the Vice President's former top aide. There's no doubt the President has the power, but legal experts disagree on the way he's using it. So far he's used clemency less than any president in the past 100 years. Do some criminals outside politics deserve official forgiveness?
Guests:
- Sheryl Gay Stolberg: White House Reporter for the New York Times, @sherylstolberg
- Andrew McCarthy: Senior Fellow at the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies
- Douglas Berman: Professor of Law at Ohio State University
- Margaret Colgate Love: Former Justice Department Pardon Attorney
Links:
Reporter's Notebook
Bush and Putin Reel It In ()
George Bush and Russian President Vladimir Putin got together in Kennebunkport, Maine for two days of lengthy conversations, an event that once might have held great significance for the rest of the world. After their meetings, they held a press conference that was amiable in tone, though on major issues they mostly agreed to disagree. The White House had played down expectations, and America news agencies followed suit with low-key stories about missile defense and Iranian nuclear enrichment. In Russia, it was a different story. Fred Weir is Moscow correspondent for the Christian Science Monitor.
Guests:
- Fred Weir: Correspondent for the Christian Science Monitor
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