"Scooter" Appeal Skates Off Into Sunset

It's official - "Scooter" Libby has withdrawn the appeal of his perjury and obstruction of justice convictions. That should give him sufficient time to fly below the radar until, in the waning weeks of the Bush Administration, President Bush signs a full pardon and allows Mr. Libby to skate free of the "felon" label that attached at Libby's conviction.

Libby's lawyer offered an interesting explanation: "the appeal was too stressful"...and "carried a risk that his young family found too great to bear"...but they were only buzz word. The real reason for dropping the appeal is that Scooter doesn't want to put the President in the awkward situation of granting a pardon to somebody who is still fighting his conviction.

The idea of Scooter getting a pardon cuts two ways. On one hand, it doesn't seem fair that a guy like Scotter gets off just because of his high political connections; on the other hand, why should Libby suffer whan all the other characters, including the President - who we now know was knee-deep in the spy leak - get off scott-free? There's no justice in the latter.

Doubtfully, in about 2 years or so, "Scooter Libby" will be resurrected as an elder statesman in one or more Washington based, neo-con think tanks. Such is the fate of men with his connections. But that won't erase the fact that Scooter Libby played a dastardly role in the outing of a covert C.I.A. spy for revenge and for the President's political gain, and had the gull to lie about it in court under oath.

Scooter Libby is every bit the felon as O.J. - even when he skates away from the conviction as is bound to happen! He just has friends in higher places.