So Many Republican Hypocrites, So Little Time

July 6, 2007 | SEND TO A FRIEND | GET EARLY NOTICE OF THE HOTW

Members of the Libby Legal Defense Trust

Welcome back to the BuzzFlash GOP Hypocrite of the Week.

Actually this week, it's a whole posse of Republican hypocrites, all the GOP loudmouths out there talking about how Scooter Libby's pardon -- oh, we mean commutation (the pardon comes after the 2008 election) -- is no big deal.

After all, Poppy Bush saved his butt and facilitated the obstruction of justice when he pardoned the Iran-Contra felons, and in particular, kept the late Caspar Weinberger from nailing daddy Bush. It would have been great to see George Herbert Walker in an orange jumpsuit.

No, the Busheviks aren’t bringing that "like father, like son avoiding jail" similarity up, but they are reminding us ad nauseam that Bill Clinton pardoned Marc Rich, whose wife contributed a bundle to the Democrats. Rich was used by Republicans to dirty up Clinton after he left office, by claiming that he had basically sold the pardon for campaign funding and contributions to his presidential library.

The Libby Legal Defense Trust (not to be confused with the BuzzFlash.com Libby betrayal Web site, LibbyDefenseFund.com) supporters have jumped all over the Rich pardon as a "precedent" for the Libby "commutation, pardon to come" action by Bush.

Let's put aside for the moment that Rich's crimes were of the financial sort. He didn't betray the national security of the United States, as Libby (and Cheney, Bush, and Rove for that matter) did. Rich didn't obstruct a federal investigation into the outing of a CIA operative specializing in tracking the illicit sales of WMD. Let's also put aside that Rudolph Giuliani is the one who prosecuted Rich, condemned his pardon, but urged a pardon for Libby.

No, let us forget these details for the moment. What makes the Rich red herring so hypocritical is something a bit more damning.

You see, when you are a mega-wealthy guy on the lamb seeking a presidential pardon, you hire yourself a "K Street" lawyer to get to the top levels of government.

And Marc Rich had just such a powerful attorney to help seek his pardon. His name was Scooter Libby.

Now we just have to wonder. When all those Busheviks claim what a travesty the Rich pardon was, and then argue that Libby has a sterling record of service to America, how do they rationalize Libby being the one who represented Rich's effort to redeem himself?

Oh, we forgot for a moment. It's the GOP hypocrisy, stupid!

Until next week, remember our motto: So many Republican hypocrites, so little time.

Catch up with you soon.