A restoration of the rule of law — meaning an end to immunity for high-level political officials who commit crimes — was a central prong of the Obama campaign. Those who called for a pardon of Lewis Libby — even on the oh-so-clever “progressive” political grounds concocted by Bauer — were as antithetical to that pledge could be. Yet here is that pro-pardon Washington lawyer now being named as White House counsel.
Then again, one of the few positions more expressive of “Scooter Libby justice” than calling for a pardon of Libby himself is the view that all high-level Bush officials should be immunized from prosecution — even those who committed grievous war crimes and other serious felonies — because it’s more important that we “look to the future” than it is to apply the rule of law equally. If immunity for high-level war criminals — and for lawbreakinng telecoms — isn’t “Scooter Libby justice,” what is?
Viewed that way, Bauer will seem to fit in well in his new position.
Tag: Robert Bauer
Nov 14 2009