Lewis Libby leaves his perjury hearing in February of this year. Photograph: Mark Wilson/Getty Images
Heaven knows what weird and shady backroom machinations provoked President Bush into commuting Lewis 'Scooter' Libby's prison sentence. Libby, you may remember, is the man suspected of leaking the identity of CIA agent Valerie Plame to the press. This, if the rumours are to be believed, was done to punish Plame's husband, the diplomat Joe Wilson, who had been so critical of the administration in the months leading up to the invasion of Iraq. If we were to discover who was responsible for outing Plame and why they chose to do so we might get some way nearer to understanding why we are in Iraq. Libby was never charged with the leak, but he was convicted of the still serious crime of obstructing justice and sentenced to a fairly modest two and a half years.
Well, as of yesterday he won't be serving a single day of his sentence. In Washington people suspect that it was Vice President Dick Cheney, for whom Libby once served as chief of staff, who encouraged Bush to have his old mate sprung. But do not for a second believe that this was done out any goodness of heart. Cheney, like Libby, is a fixer. So, to take a minor example, when earlier this year he shot an old man in the face he got the same old man to apologise to him for the distress he caused.
A wounded Libby would be a far more dangerous prospect. It is certain that Joe Wilson will be none too happy, as he was sure Libby would serve time. Neither will MSNBC's news pundit Keith Olbermann who has for some time been trying to connect Plamegate to Cheney.
