Libby gets nothing and likes it

Even if you believe that Scooter Libby was wronged (though he was convicted) or that the investigation of the Valerie Plame leak was wrong (though it was ordered by Ashcroft) Bush’s commutation of his prison term is phony. Bush said he “respects’ the jury’s verdict but that Libby’s sentence was “excessive.” Never mind that the sentence was imposed by a Republican judge and could have been appealed. If that’s the case, why not commute Libby’s sentence after he has served half or a quarter of his time or a single month? Wouldn’t that show more respect for the jury and the law, and still show mercy?

As for the large fine, who can doubt that the tab will be picked up by friends of Cheney, or Cheney himself, as a small down payment for favors granted and future favors expected.

A Plan for Barry Bonds

Barry Bonds is taking a lot of heat, most of it unjustified. Even if he had retired before his then-glorious-now-notorious 73-home run season, he would have been a first-ballot hall-of-famer. Now he is reviled and hated (not only because of steroid allegations, but mostly because of them). Bonds stands on the precipice of hitting his 756th home run, breaking the record of Henry Aaron, who broke the even more celebrated record of Babe Ruth. What if Bonds hit his 754th homer and quit—announced his retirement out of respect of Aaron and in deference to those who accuse him of wrong. Everyone would know he could have done it. And he would be forever remembered for a dignified gesture, erasing a career of boorish acts. It would be an asterisk in reverse.