how very clever of you to have noticed

William Kristol, whose remarkable faith in George W. Bush has survived hundreds of thousands of deaths (granted, of people who don't matter to William Kristol) has apparently bumped into Scooter Libby on the road to Damascus

Unlike the rest of us, however, George W. Bush is president. Article II, Section Two of the Constitution gives him the pardon power. George W. Bush can do something to begin to make up for the injustice a prosecutor appointed by his own administration brought down on Scooter Libby. And he can do something to avert the further injustice of a prison term.

Will Bush pardon Libby? Apparently not--even if it means a man who worked closely with him and sought tirelessly to do what was right for the country goes to prison. Bush spokeswoman Dana Perino, noting that the appeals process was underway, said, "Given that and in keeping with what we have said in the past, the president has not intervened so far in any other criminal matter and he is going to decline to do so now."

So much for loyalty, or decency, or courage. For President Bush, loyalty is apparently a one-way street; decency is something he's for as long as he doesn't have to take any risks in its behalf; and courage--well, that's nowhere to be seen. Many of us used to respect President Bush. Can one respect him still?

I used to enjoy the indignant, betrayed screeds from people who thought that Our Fearless Leader was their shining light and savior until they realized that he really, truly didn't care about them any more than he does about anyone else he's supposed to be the president of.

Then it struck me that the tone of all these pieces screams second wife who overlapped the first and is stunned and betrayed to discover that her husband doesn't take fidelity seriously. Now they kinda creep me out.

Yo, kids.

The man didn't beat up liberals because he's got some kind of ideology going on. He beat up liberals because they dast suggest that he shouldn't be running the world. You know, for much the same reason that he keeps on humiliating his dad (who was not, you may have noticed, invited to dine with Queen Elizabeth, although he was the last living US president who'd hosted her).

He's the decider. He said so. And you really thought that was a trope, didn't you.

Suckers.

fyi

A PayPal link has gone up on the News Blog to help Steve's family.

Steve was, famously, not someone who put his business on the street.

That said, I can tell you that his family was enormously important to him, and more than anything he'd want them not to have to add financial worries to everything they're dealing with now.

If you can afford it, please drop by and lend a hand.

It'd be a good thing to do. We need a few more good things in the world.