Hanging Patrick Fitzgerald

Justice Demands

Hanging Patrick Fitzgerald out to dry is a good beginning

That's for 9-11 too!  J. Peter Mulhern's The American Thinker article "Get a Grip Mr. President" is brilliant.  Like everyone else with a clear head he excoriates Patrick Fitzgerald for his Scooter Libby excesses, but unlike most he offers a plan of action that doesn't necessarily involve a pardon.  His plan will allow Bush to display some balls and send, finally, the message that he will not anymore suffer the 'enemy within' that have plagued his administration. George W. Bush could have stopped Fitzgerald's farce at any time. He could stop it today. He doesn't even need to use the pardon power, at least not yet. Fitzgerald serves at the President's pleasure Mr. Bush has every reason to be severely displeased. The President could simply fire him and, for good measure, order the DOJ to start an investigation into Fitzgerald's misconduct in the Libby matter. President Bush could then instruct Fitzgerald's replacement to join Libby's defense in its motion for a new trial. If the court grants that motion the DOJ could then offer Libby its apologies and withdraw the prosecution. If it doesn't the DOJ could join in Libby's appeal. If that fails then the pardon power lies in reserve. The President has ample grounds for such action. Fitzgerald repeatedly lied, both in court and out, about the nature of his investigation in a successful effort to convince the jury that Libby had something to hide. Worse yet he pursued a criminal investigation when he had no reason even to suspect that any crime had been committed. This is the core of horrible prosecutorial abuse. In this situation there can be no legally sufficient conviction for perjury or false statements. ''More than half way through his second term the President still hasn't been able to take control of his own government. The Libby case reached its sad conclusion because the elements within both the CIA and the DOJ used some of the President's own powers to attack him. Still he does nothing.''