Friday, July 06, 2007

Keith Olbermann on the Libby Commutation and Bush vs. Nixon

This is one of the best pieces of political commentary I've heard in ages, expressing exactly why the Libby commutation was so outrageous, how disgusted many of us are by it, and begging for the long national nightmare to be over. Obama should hire Olbermann as a speechwriter *now*. You can also read a transcript here.

(via Five Bucks)

14 comments:

  1. AAAhhhhhhhh! I posted this same link on my blog the other day. Olbermann is so awesome. Watching that speech my blood started to pump faster and faster; I was so fired up. When he referenced James Madison it got me started on a little googling, and I got carried away in my reverie of great Americans, and presidents like John Adams and JFK who risked so much and went to such lengths to keep us OUT of war. Sigh. I kind of want to go back to college and major in history this time. I WANT TO KNOW EVERYTHING THAT EVER HAPPENED. EVERYWHERE. Is that so wrong?

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  2. Keith Olbermann is awesome and that is one of his best commentaries -- impassioned and to the point. I agree with every last word.

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  3. I don't understand why things like this, why intelligent, well-thought and argued, important commentaries like this aren't put on major news channels. Everyone has to listen when the president speaks, so why shouldn't we (us poor folks with only basic cable) be able to listen when someone speaks out against him. Isn't that a major component of free speech and the way our, the people's, freedom to decide upon our government works?

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  4. Bravo to you for devoting a blog entry to this!

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  5. I am so thankful for freedom of speech.

    Thank you, this was... wow.

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  6. In Australia we have hardly heard a murmur about the pardoning - thanks for this link. It was amazing, and reflects what many of my American friends think (unlike the media who seem to be a bunch of parrots).

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  7. I'm wondering if there was any such outrage when Clinton pardoned over 140 people during his term of office? What about Clinton's impeachment on Dec. 19, 1999 for perjury and obstruction of justice. Didn't hear much outcry except for those who thought he was being wrongfully persecuted.

    Should Bush have pardoned Libby? Probably not. However, it is his right as president to pardon.

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  8. Anonymous, it is his right to pardon, but Bush has consistently maintained a "law and order" stance--and has refused to pardon or commute sentences while governor or president. So he is acting inconsistently with his own stated principles, which makes this particular commutation (NOT pardon) seem simply self-serving and hypocritical.

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  9. Yeah, Bush didn't have any trouble sending all those folks to death row when he was governor of Texas.

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  12. I know you're on hiatus, but this reminded me of you:


    Rare Squid

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  13. Anonymous, I'm baffled by the fact that you don't remember the "outrage" and "outcry" regarding everything Clinton did. Or are you just saying this because it's what you want to believe?

    We at least need to start by being honest with ourselves.

    The difference with this outrage is that we're discussing our own government's obstruction of an investigation into the outing of an undercover CIA agent...an act committed by that very same government. That's why this commutation is so disgusting. There is no other way to see it than a wink and a nudge to Scooter for not spilling the beans.

    And Bush's reasoning? That the sentence was excessive. Turns out it was on the low-end. So there must be another reason. Hmm...

    - Jay

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