Norman Pearlstine: The Commutation is an Outrage - Politics on The Huffington Post: "...Beyond that, while some think commuting the sentence more onerous than a pardon would have been, I believe it gives Libby important cover in the civil suit that Valerie Plame has filed against him and other White House officials involved in disclosing her identity and her role at the CIA. Since Libby wasn't pardoned, his appeal of the conviction is likely to continue and until it is concluded, he can plead the Fifth Amendment and not testify in the Plame's civil trial against him.
In sum, the commutation of Libby's sentence is a cover-up, pure and simple. The trial judge's sentence may have exceeded federal guidelines by a few months. But Bush's commutation of Libby's sentence totally ignores those guidelines. If Libby deserves a pardon, shouldn't we revisit other sentences that exceed federal guidelines?"
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