Lewis Libby and the Simple LIfe (politics)

Lewis Libby was sentenced to thirty months in prison and required to pay a two hundred and fifty thousand dollar fine today by Judge Reggie Walton who noted the overwhelming evidence of Libby’s guilt and the fact that the vice-president’s former chief of staff had abused a public trust by interfering with a criminal investigation. Paris Hilton also went to jail this week for failing to comply with the rehabilitation requirements of a conviction for driving under the influence. Although her sentence is for 45 days, she will likely serve only 23 days in a “celebrity” wing of the LA County Jail.

Predictably, most Americans have likely heard more about Paris Hilton’s jail sentence than Lewis Libby. To some, her case has come to stand for the proposition that courts need to send a message that celebrities and people in positions of power must be subject to and have the same respect for the law as any other Americans. When Paris Hilton supported a petition to Governor Schwarzenneger seeking a pardon for her, a counter petition appeared to make sure she served her sentence and quickly gathered tens of thousands of signatures.

Perhaps less predictable, there are a large number of Americans who expect President Bush to pardon Lewis Libby before he ever spends a day in prison. There are a significant number of conservatives who insist that Libby deserves the pardon. In fact, several government officials sent letters to the judge that argued that Libby’s sentence should be suspended because he’s been a dedicated public official and has a family, apparently between breakfast meetings with Judith Miller at the Mayflower hotel. I suspect almost all of those people feel strongly that Paris Hilton should be doing time.

I’m left with the following questions.

1. How many more people know more about the details of Paris Hilton’s jail sentence than Lewis Libby’s? Why is that?
2. Why do more people think it’s more important that Paris Hilton serve her term than Lewis Libby?
3. Which one committed the more serious crime? Which one was flaunting the need to respect the judicial system in a more destructive fashion?
4. Why would you pardon someone who lied to federal investigators and who shows no remorse for it?

Now that some people believe that Dick Cheney’s phone number has turned up on the DC Madam’s client list and given that many years ago he had two drunk driving convictions of his own, I’d like to get his honest answer to those questions.

While were at it, I know that you have said that you have not spoken direclty to Mr. Libby since the investigation started, not even to see how he's holding up. If Scooter does have to serve any part of his term, do you plan to visit him in prison?

Anyway, I’m hoping to see a special edition of the Simple Life with Paris and Nicole serving as the Vice President’s chief of staff for a few days or maybe Paris can be attorney-general? At least I'd believe her when she tried to tell me with a straight face, "No criminal evidence of wrongdoing because I can't recall any of the details of a single deicision I or anyone else made while I was supervising them."

It's already the case that many on the right appear to hold her to a higher standard than Lewis Libby.

a counter view from Joe Klein

chancelucky