Should Scooter or Paris serve the longer sentence?

Well let's see. Waste of space that she is, Paris Hilton didn't perjure herself when testifying about who outed an CIA operative. But she did drive drunk repeatedly and then violated her probation. I say she goes back and serves her original sentence--in jail--while they lock Scooter up and through away the key.

They should both serve their sentences, but won't because they are of the privileged class. Paris gets a rash and can't serve her sentence! Now she is confined to her home which is probably a lot nicer than many of the homes owned by the people who post messages here. Has she learned anything? I seriously doubt it. She'll be back to partying probably in 41 days.

As for Scooter, he obstructed justice and he should serve his sentence, too, but Dubya will pardon him. It amazes me how so many neocons think he should be pardoned now.

I guess rules and laws don't apply to everyone.

Typical left-wing drivel from Bill Niekirk. Yo, Bill, were you that desperate to dish some Loony Left-wing hate today that you just had to post this?

This is left-wing hate, John D? I didn't realize how very sensitive you right wingers are...

Memo to Scooter. Get hair extensions. Push the powdered eggs around on plate, turn up nose with a loud "yuck," and get fitted for a bracelet.

The best justice money can buy.

Niekirk was trying to make a subtle point that, not surprisingly, has eluded some.

For our Republic friends, let me re-phrase the question: Should rich and powerful people be entitled to a different standard of justice than the rest of us?

Answer: Smart people say no.

Law and order Republics are for law and order unless one of their own gets caught in the dragnet

The courts spoke. They both received appropriate sentences and they should both serve out their full sentences.

Seriously, what an idiotic subject. Why are you wasting our time like this?

I wonder what Scooter will do the day before he heads off to the slammer.

Does anyone else picture him and Dick Cheney trading places with Edward Norton and Barry Pepper in that classic scene from 25th Hour?

Both should be made to ride out their respective sentences in jail when found guilt of crime in the court of law. No one is above the law, and no one is exempt from it. If there is a determination of guilt, and they don't serve out their appropriated sentences it becomes a pure and simple travesty of justice.

Since when do they let people out of jail for getting a rash? A probation violation is immediate jail time, usually meaning the full amount of probation time. If this is justice in America then we may as well dismantle the whole system. I guess Scooter will be rubbing poison ivy on his ass soon.

It was interesting during the debates how the Republicans were unanimous in their support of a pardon for Libby. Are these the same people who have a law and order mantra? They ignore the fact that Libby lied under oath and that a jury convicted him. They obviously lower the bar when it comes to members of their own party. Why are you even talking about Paris Hilton?

Why bother to have a judicial branch? let's just allow the administrative branch, through the A.G.'s Justice Division appoint graduates of Regent U. and Bob Jones to the position of Deciders and have them sit on a bench wearing a toga and give a thumbs up or thumbs down on every case.

Peter Fitzgerald is a special prosecutor who ran amok. He spent millions of our tax dollars and he believed political hack Joe Wilson and his latest wife Valerie Plame who is not nor for over 5 years has she been covert. Wilson lied to the Senate Intelligence Committee and the John F kerry campaigned fired him. When Chuckie Schumer needed an issue he put Wilson on TV to show how he had been a victim and so had his wife.This is the Democrat mantra people are victimized . This yuppie couple are hardly victims of anything. Wilson outed his wife's name in an op ed. He said Cheney sent him to Iraq to look into yellow cake uranium he didn't Plame and her boss at the CIA did.Since she was not outed there was no violation of the law and Fitzgerald knows this that's why nobody was charged with the crime. Richard Armitage leaked Plames name and Fitzgerald new this at the beginning of his expensive investigation. He didn't charge Armitage so, had to find a crime. The Justice Department should never have bowed to Democrat pressure and appointed a special prosecutor. But, they did and he charged Libby to make himself feel vindicated. Scooter Libby is an honorable man hounded by a Democrat lynch mob and he should be pardoned. Jerry White, Springfield, IL

I say they lock up Paris, Scooter and the bear from scooters book all in the same cell.

(You remember the bear from the book Scooter wrote, right?)

Scooter and the other criminals in the W. administration should get the death penalty for acts of Treason.

This article dares to ask: "Should Scooter or Paris serve the longer sentence?"

Are you talking about the American justice system or American Idol? Sentences of this nature aren't normally put to a vote, so this issue is a waste of bandwitdth. You might has well have asked, "What do you prefer: roasted puppy or BBQ'd kitten?"

What does the law say about who should get more? Paris was found guilty of nothing more than a misdemeanor or two. Libby was found guilty of a federal felony. Despite the so-called jail time, Paris is still on probation. If probation is later revoked and she is sentenced, she will get no more than county jail time. Libby, on the other hand, got a sentence under the federal sentencing guidelines. The sentencing guidelines are so draconian that a number of left-leaning judges resigned in protest. Discuss that.

Ms.Hilton is way more talented than Scooter, and her video bares this out.

Scooter is just a fall guy for Little Dick Cheney.

Paris on the other hand, takes the lead in her profession. She is a very talented and resourceful young lady. And she was able to escape prison without a pardon!

GW...I too found it very funny that all the republicans stated they would pretty much pardon scooter. He was found guilty through the justice system but obviously he's not guilty because he follows the republican lock steppers. Liberty and justice for all....as long as you don't disagree with our republican agenda.

Scooter has been CONVICTED in a court of LAW for perjury and obstruction of justice. One could argue that the damage he caused (by obstructing the prosecutor's investigation of the original leak of a CIA agent's name) is more significant than party girl Hilton's. Except that driving under the influence can harm others, too.

Let em both sit in the pokey for their appointed sentences!

The day that Sandy Burglar goes to prison for stealing National Archives documents is when Scooter Libby should go for having a faulty memory.
Talk about disparate justice!

GW posted (above):

"It was interesting during the debates how the Republicans were unanimous in their support of a pardon for Libby. Are these the same people who have a law and order mantra? They ignore the fact that Libby lied under oath and that a jury convicted him. They obviously lower the bar when it comes to members of their own party. Why are you even talking about Paris Hilton?"

bill r agreed, adding:

“GW...I too found it very funny that all the republicans stated they would pretty much pardon scooter. He was found guilty through the justice system but obviously he's not guilty because he follows the republican lock steppers. Liberty and justice for all....as long as you don't disagree with our republican agenda.”

You both need to listen more carefully, because your assertions regarding the Republican candidates are patently false.

When asked during the debate whether he would pardon Scooter Libby, Congressman Ron Paul said he wouldn’t pardon him. Only two said they would pardon him. All the others to answer the question said they “didn’t know” if they would pardon him, and that they would have to review the trial transcripts and/or wait the outcome of his appeal before they decided.

Did you count the number of bodies on the dais? There were ten of them standing there. So, out of ten candidates, there was one “no” answer, two “yes” answers and the balance said “I don’t know.” That comes out to be “unanimous” or “all” in your Democratic alternate universe?

CHENEY!

Jesus. This is the most retarded thing I've ever read.

Smidgen, Sandy Berger didn't obstruct an investigation into role of the Vice President of the United States in outing a covert CIA agency and blowing a front company which other agents were also using. Scooter Libby did. Also, Sandy Berger pled guilty, Libby continues to act as if he did nothing wrong (I guess in his circles, perjury and lying to the FBI aren't crimes.)

The two legal cases are different, the charges were different, and they got different sentences for different crimes. Or do you think all criminals should be tried and sentenced alike, regardless of what crimes they committed?

Both of these cases has truly shown how broken our system of justice is. Of course we saw this first hand when a President perjured himself to a court and received no punishment. Pardon Libby, Mr. Bush. If Presidents can lie under oath, so can people working for a President. If there is anything to be learned here, it is never tell any investigator anything more than your name. To do anything else is to risk jail.

As for Paris, what does it hurt to let her stay at home? What I learned from her is to always know what will give you a rash or other allergic reaction. It's better than a get-outta-jail-free card!

I could care less about any party or amount of money that one has. The law says that you are innocent until proven guilty. Well, I believe Paris and Scooter have been found guilty; so shouldn't they be in jail right now? Or am I getting this whole judicial system wrong. Is it when your found innocent that you go to jail. Can any one tell me because I am totally confused.

Lets see... Determine who it is you don't like, invent a crime that never took place that could be loosely associated with the person you don't like. Keep asking questions of the person you don't like until you can trip the person up. Prosecute the person you don't like for perjury and win a conviction. Simple as that... I wonder how many questions we can ask of Fitzgerald before he slips up.

Wouldn't it make more sense to prosecute Bush for failure to uphold federal laws related to imigration than to use a fishing expedition to nail a political adversary?

We now have the best lawyers, judges and public officials that money can buy.

Where's the problem in that?

Would some of you people just listen to yourselves? It seems that the party of law and order, the party of “the rule of law”, the party that pushed through federal sentencing guidelines during the Reagan administration as a result of the Unites States Sentencing Commission, somehow now sees a problem with applying that to its own.
True, Libby was not the one that revealed the covert status of Valerie Plame, it was Richard Armitage, but how long did that investigation go on needlessly because Libby perjured himself and obstructed justice? Yes, I said it – he was convicted of perjury and obstruction of justice. Loyalty to ones political betters is fine, but that loyalty has to stop when carrying it further results in laws being broken and a criminal investigation being obstructed. Were all of these folks asleep during the Watergate era?
Now, I know that all of the Republicans are giggling with glee at Congressman Jeffrerson’s recent indictment, and frankly, I think he’s guilty as sin, but so is Libby who has the convictions and sentencing on the record. Let him do the time, along with Jack Abramoff, Bob Ney, Randy “Duke” Cunningham, etc. If Republicans want to say that it’s OK to break the laws as long as a certain political party test is met, then they need to abandon that law-and-order stance right now. If not, then shut up while Libby does his time.

This surely is a sad day. This is a total slap in the face to anyone who has been through the legal system and especially has been to jail. I don't understand how a judge can say "no house arrest" as part of her jail stipulations when she was sentenced and then after 3 days shes gone from prison. I understand how money and power may effect a judges initial decision, but not AFTER he senteces someone to jail. I went to jail for drunk driving and I wanted to leave too! But do you think they let me? No. I knew people who were dieing of a sickness and they werent allowed to leave! I knew people who had family members who were dieing on the outside, and they were not allowed to leave! These two cases are very hard to compare given the different circumstances, but I feel like this crap with Paris is a total slap in the face to the entire legal system in America. America's true colors have been shown today.

William Neikirk says: "Among my friends at the swimming pool, there's a real debate raging. Who should serve the longer sentence: Scooter Libby or Paris Hilton?"

Bill, if your friends really are debating this, you hang around some really weird people.

In relevant part, David B. posted (above):

" . . . . It seems that the party of law and order, the party of “the rule of law”, the party that pushed through federal sentencing guidelines during the Reagan administration as a result of the Unites States Sentencing Commission, somehow now sees a problem with applying that to its own."

Dear David B.,

Don't you think you're distorting the picture a little bit here? A few grumblings in a blog from those who see Libby as persecuted doesn't represent the views of all or most of the Republican Party. Only two of the ten Republican Candidates indicated they would pardon Libby. Dubya's spokesperson indicated that Dubya wasn't inclined to grant a pardon. So where is the party consensus of which you speak?

I don;t know but all you people must realize that the laws are written for the little people. Paris and Scooter shouldn't spend a minute in jail. You all should be happy that they allow you to breath the same air that they do. If it weren't for these rich folks, how could this country survive?

John W...I am sorry..you are correct. Paul did not say he would pardon Libby. I admire his stance, on several issues.

Richard Walker....I find your argument of no crime wrong. Do you believe the justice system is partisan?
After Bush stacked the justice department with 150 grads from Pat U, if anything, I would think it leaned right.

Scooter is by traing is lawyer. Therefore the punishment should four time than everage Joe. He did it cover his boss's but.

Bruce,

You last comment is the closest thing to a funny aside you have ever submitted on the Swamp.

At least someone on the left is smart enought to understand the ramifications of the Libby story.
http://www.creators.com/opinion/susan-estrich.html?columnsName=ses

If Scooter gets a yeast infection, he can get out in three days too.

As an artist/writer guy with no university job and no star power, they would lock me up and forget about me. But give me a "name", and then I'm somebody, and then I could sell my paintings, scripts, poems, and not serve time in jail. I guess its not just money that star power gives you, its freedom itself! Other wise you get weeded out of the system: click here for THE WEEDING

I think the public reaction to Paris H. getting out of jail early will end up with Scooter being sent to jail. Now that's justice.

"The day that Sandy Burglar goes to prison for stealing National Archives documents is when Scooter Libby should go for having a faulty memory.
Talk about disparate justice!"
Posted by: Smidgen | June 7, 2007 5:58 PM

What exactly is the Wingnut theory as to why the Republican executive branch is not throwing the book at Sandy Berger? Is it possible there is no "there" there? Isn't it pretty obvious that if Karl Rove could make Sandy Berger a political example and hurt the Democrats all at once he would? Did you Sheep forget that it is REPUBLICANS who run the Justice Department?

So silly.

And if Sandy Berger did commit a felony and for some reason completely out of character the Republicans are playing soft with him, would that in any way, shape or form alter the Scooter Libby situation?

Oops, my bad, I keep forgetting that two wrongs DO make a right. Silly me.

"The day that Sandy Burglar goes to prison for stealing National Archives documents is when Scooter Libby should go for having a faulty memory.
Talk about disparate justice!"
Posted by: Smidgen | June 7, 2007 5:58 PM

What exactly is the Wingnut theory as to why the Republican executive branch is not throwing the book at Sandy Berger? Is it possible there is no "there" there? Isn't it pretty obvious that if Karl Rove could make Sandy Berger a political example and hurt the Democrats all at once he would? Did you Sheep forget that it is REPUBLICANS who run the Justice Department?

So silly.

And if Sandy Berger did commit a felony and for some reason completely out of character the Republicans are playing soft with him, would that in any way, shape or form alter the Scooter Libby situation?

Oops, my bad, I keep forgetting that two wrongs DO make a right. Silly me.

Jerry White: Who is Peter Fitzgerald, what does he do, and why is he relevant to the Libby case?

bill r posted and stated (above):

". . . . Paul did not say he would pardon Libby. I admire his stance, on several issues."

Dear bill r,

I admire his stance on many issues. He's the closest thing to a Jeffersonian/Madisonian "Classical Liberal" anywhere near our government right now.

And he doesn't like neo-cons! Just read his July 10, 2003 speech in the House of Representatives which he called "Neo-conned!" You can find it at: http://www.house.gov/paul/congrec/congrec2003/cr071003.htm

In it, he lays out his indictment of the Bush administration and its philosophical base. He also explains just how un-conservative Bush really is.

P.S. Don't be sorry.

Hold the presses, folks! Apparently, Paris Hilton could be headed back to jail. It wasn’t the judge who let her out; it was the Sheriff in charge of the County Jail who put her on electronic monitoring. A Sheriff has the option to use electronic monitoring as an alternative to incarceration UNLESS the judge has previously nixed that option. Well, apparently the judge who sent Paris Hilton to jail had, in fact, ordered that she could not be released on electronic monitoring. Within hours of her release, the judge has called the Sheriff and Paris Hilton on the carpet for this gaffe. Stay tuned.

I don't get it. Did Libby KNOW that Armitage had already leaked Plame's name?
And EVEN IF Libby KNEW that Armitage had leaked Plame's name, should he still have been talking openly about a covert CIA operative?

Those are central questions in the over all case that never seem to get answered.

If the White House was aware - and the money here says it was - that Armitage leaked Plame's name, doesn't the White House have a responsibility to put the kabosh on the leaking - knowing, as I am sure it did, that Plame was a covert operative?

Amazing how Bill Niekirk's poolside friends don't make the obvious comparison between Scooter Libby and Bill Clinton (who pled guilty to the same crime).

I think Scooter Libby should get the same amount of jail time Bill Clinton did.

Put monitoring devices on the two of them and make Libby hang with Paris at her crib for a month. That would be like a life sentence to Scooter.

Paris Hilton? Not worth a comment.

Scooter Libby? Regardless of which way you view this prosecution, verdict and sentence, think hard about how you felt about Bill Clinton's 11th hour pardons before you leap onto to the bandwagon.

Not that the Chicago LIBune would ever have a Swamp item on the Criminal-at-Large Sandy Burglar, but from AP we have this story today:

Sandy Berger, who served as national security adviser during the Clinton administration, has given up his license to practice law in the District of Columbia, two years after admitting he illegally sneaked classified documents out of the National Archives.

Berger, now an international business consultant, said in a statement last month that he "decided to voluntarily relinquish my license" as a result of pleading guilty to unauthorized removal and retention of classified material, a misdemeanor.

"I realized then that my law license would be affected," Berger said in the statement, obtained Thursday and issued through his lawyer, Lanny Breuer.

"While I derived great satisfaction from years of practicing law, I have not done so for 15 years and do not envision returning to the profession," Berger said. He added: "I am very sorry for what I did, and deeply apologize."

In April 2005, Berger admitted destroying some of the documents and then lying about it. He called his actions a lapse of judgment that came while he was preparing to testify before the Sept. 11 commission. The documents he took contained information on terror threats in the United States during the 2000 millennium celebration.

A report by the archives inspector general said that Berger acknowledged hiding some of them at a construction site near the archives building in Washington.

John D-

You do understand that when you criticize the light sentence that Sandy Burger recieved, youy are actually knocking the Bush Administration, not the Democrats, don't you?

It's simply another example of how this Administration pays lip service to the concept of national security, with little substance behind it.

Mr. Dyslin,

Why, exactly, is the GOP playing soft with Sandy Berger? What is your "liberal media" tin-foil hat telling you? Is this the ONE CASE where the Bush Administration chose to not play politics, to the benefit of a Democrat and the potential detriment to themselves? Has Karl Rove gone soft, John?

I just don't understand the implication that Republicans keep bringing up with Sandy Berger. Logic dictates that the Bush Administration would be THRILLED to throw the book at Berger and distract from their never-ending failures.

What is the theory here, Jerry White and John D?

Furthermore, it should be acknowledged that anyone suggesting that Scooter Libby got a raw deal for his perjury situation would HAVE TO admit that former President Clinton got an equally raw deal with his impeachment.

The question upon which Mr. Clinton perjured himself, essentially "did you have an affair with that woman?" had what to do with Whitewater, which had what to do with the Clinton presidency again? If Libby got hosed, Clinton got it worse. At least Libby's situation directly pertained to issues of national security, something that even the most hardcore Wingnuts would be hard-pressed to suggest the Lewinsky scandal did.

Should Scooter or Paris serve the longer sentence?

Yes.

I am going to be extremely disappointed if I can't get an answer to why Republican Dead-Enders keep invoking Sandy Berger. It keeps coming up (in particular, John D and Jerry White have brought it up many times over the last month) but I fail to see how the leniency displayed to Sandy Berger is in any way advantageous to the Republicans who last time I checked run the Bush Administration's Justice Department.

Looks like the IRAQ war weary would rather punish Paris more severly than Scooter. Paris should have gotten 3 days jail time and some kind of community service. It's a waste of our money incarcerating non violent people. Scooter and compnay are guilty of premediated murder of Iraqis and a cover up of the IRAQ war. He probably deserves the death penalty but may only serve 30 months under the Repugnican system of justice.

I say both should share the same cell for the same length of time: both would get what they want: Paris would finally get her sugar daddy and Scooter would get a trophy wife that lives up to the Republican standards for the rule of law.

Paris Hilton? What if she had been named Chicago Hilton? Maybe I'm mistaken and she was named after Helen of Troy's lover. Yes, I'm laughing.

The issue shouldn't be if they get off cause they're republican or democrat or whaever party they might belong to, the issue should be do they get less or lighter sentences because of who they are or their social status, and the answer should always be "NO!" They broke the law, they should serve their time. Both of them, besides, mabye 40 days in jail might sober Paris up some, but probably not!!!