Surprised? No. Disgusted, yes.
Jul. 2nd, 2007 09:25 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
drpaisleyI got home from another pointless day at work to discover that Cheney had commuted "Scooter" Libby's jail term. With righteous indignation welling up, I watched "Countdown" and listened to the commentators discuss options available to Congress and to Patrick Fitzgerald. Keith Olbermann called for Cheney and Bush to resign, and will have a special commentary on that tomorrow. I'll certainly watch it, as the man is the most articulate voice of my feelings on the airwaves today.
But now, I'm just numb. I came of political age in the '70s, watching Watergate unravel every day in the paper and every night on the news, and devouring the House Impeachment Hearings the summer of '74. Now, of course, we have the editor of the Washington Post justifying Libby's lies, and Fox Noise and the rest of the Republican media machinery busily celebrating. Do I have any hope that anything will happen in response to this cynical obstruction of justice*? Not really. Libby's "defense fund" (bribe is such an ugly word) will pay his fine, and he'll quickly find employment at AEI or Cato or one of the dozens of Scaife-funded wingnut welfare organizations. And tomorrow another dozen or so US troops and many more Iraqi civilians will die, for no good reason. And tomorrow. And tomorrow.
Wasn't planning to tonight, but I am definitely drinking now. Balvenie Doublewood.
Despair.
*Yes, obstruction. By commuting the sentence, Cheney gives Libby the cover of his continuing appeal to take the Fifth if he's called before Congress or a grand jury. Very clever.
But now, I'm just numb. I came of political age in the '70s, watching Watergate unravel every day in the paper and every night on the news, and devouring the House Impeachment Hearings the summer of '74. Now, of course, we have the editor of the Washington Post justifying Libby's lies, and Fox Noise and the rest of the Republican media machinery busily celebrating. Do I have any hope that anything will happen in response to this cynical obstruction of justice*? Not really. Libby's "defense fund" (bribe is such an ugly word) will pay his fine, and he'll quickly find employment at AEI or Cato or one of the dozens of Scaife-funded wingnut welfare organizations. And tomorrow another dozen or so US troops and many more Iraqi civilians will die, for no good reason. And tomorrow. And tomorrow.
Wasn't planning to tonight, but I am definitely drinking now. Balvenie Doublewood.
Despair.
*Yes, obstruction. By commuting the sentence, Cheney gives Libby the cover of his continuing appeal to take the Fifth if he's called before Congress or a grand jury. Very clever.