Defenses of Scooter Libby fall on deaf ears
I. Lewis “Scooter” Libby, former chief of staff for Dick Cheney, was sentenced today to 30 months in prison for perjury and obstruction of justice in the so-called “CIA Leak” case. Judging by some of the letters of support he received from Washington heavyweights, it’s not hard to see why clemency was not in the ...
I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby, former chief of staff for Dick Cheney, was sentenced today to 30 months in prison for perjury and obstruction of justice in the so-called "CIA Leak" case. Judging by some of the letters of support he received from Washington heavyweights, it's not hard to see why clemency was not in the cards for Scooter.
For instance, here’s a howler from Henry Kissinger’s letter:
Having served in the White House and under pressure, I have seen how difficult it sometimes is to recall precisely a particular series of events.”
And here’s one from Paul Wolfowitz:
Despite some of the malicious gossip about him, I know that Mr. Libby is one of the least partisan individuals you will find in Washington. Although he has served in three Republican adminstrations, some of his closest friends were senior officials in the Clinton administration.
The proliferation threat from rogue states and terrorist groups has to concentrate the mind of any senior U.S. official in the national security area. […] In the face of all these demands, keeping every detail straight is impossible. […] I have myself been to meetings after which I could not remember what agency or Department most of the people worked for, or even why they were there. If there is anyone who fully understands our “system” for protecting classified information, I have yet to meet him.
The Libby children are not little now. [Name withheld] is entering that time when girls grow and change startlingly quickly […]
One of my many enduring and endearing memories of Scooter is of his universal love of families. […] One of our early “undisclosed location” work trips coincided with Halloween, which I am sure you know is the favorite event of most children’s lives. The Cheney grandchildren were required to accompany us on this particular trip, yanked out of school and away from their much-awaited night of Trick or Treating. Their disappointment at being trapped in the desolate, nothing-to-do location was heartbreaking, as was our own, missing our small children that night. While I was working up a pretty annoying whine, Scooter flew into action, finding treats, creating costumes and arranged an ad-hoc trick-or-treat and Halloween games for the kids. […] It took hours of creative effort on his part.
Needless to say, the judge wasn’t quite swayed by these heartfelt appeals.
Photo: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images
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