Fitzgerald versus the Bush Administration is for me like watching the US Securities and Exchange Commission battle Petroleos de Venezuela (PDVSA) over its late and inaccurate filings (becuase it has publicly traded debt in the US). It’s nice to see someone, even a lying, cheating state-owned oil company, wave the middle finger at a US regulatory agency. I’m under absolutely no illusions about PDVSA or the government that owns it. But I always “root” against whoever has the most power. In the above mentioned case, clearly the SEC is the “worser” guy.
I keep the same principle in mind when watching the employee of one branch of gummint go after another. In other words, good clean fun when watched from a safe distance. Scooter (Q: what serious adult is called “Scooter,” anyway?) is no mere mortal, he was an employee of the executive branch, and a wielder of said executive power, and alleged lied during the exercise of said power. I have utterly no sympathy for Libby whatsoever. It would be different had he been a private person doing nothing related to the use of state power when he got hisself caught of Fitzgerald’s net. It may be that we’re all worse off when a prosecutor — himself also a member of the executive branch — drags his net deep and wide for anything that swims, but you know what? We already live in an America where that already happens. The outcome of the Scooter case won’t change that one bit. And were it to happen to you, William, or me, the National Review (or whoever) would not be out there collecting millions to pay our legal expenses.
So, I’m pulling for Fitzgerald. ‘Cause Scooter is the “worser” guy here. And it’s fun to watch Team Bush and its acolytes squirm. Even a little.
3:41 pm on March 5, 2006
