Fiat Iustitia!

I am taking a brief break from my lengthy 4th of July vacation (to all of my loyal followers, I am sorry I didn't mention it before) in order to celebrate the commutation of Scooter Libby's sentenceLibby's sentence. What better way to celebrate the birth of freedom and democracy on the American continent than to have justice to be served merely two days before we celebrate the birth of our great country.

President Bush spared I. Lewis Libby Jr. from prison Monday, commuting his two-and-a-half year sentence while leaving intact his conviction for perjury and obstruction of justice in the C.I.A. leak case.

Mr. Bush’s action, announced hours after a panel of judges ruled that Mr. Libby, Vice President Dick Cheney’s former chief of staff, could not put off serving his sentence while he appealed his conviction, came as a surprise to all but a few members of the president’s inner circle. It reignited the passions that have surrounded the case from the beginning.

The commutation brought immediate praise from conservatives, who hailed it as a courageous step to avert a miscarriage of justice, and condemnation from Democrats, who said it showed a lack of accountability and respect for the law.

Although this isn't the full pardon that I had hoped for, it is a step in the right direction, which, hopefully, will lead to a full pardon before President George W. Bush's tenure in the White House is over. President George W. Bush's compassion shows us that justice may be blind, but she is not dumb.