From CNN's Political Ticker (h/t BlueDiamond in the comments)
Sen. Barack Obama
"This decision to commute the sentence of a man who compromised our national security cements the legacy of an Administration characterized by a politics of cynicism and division, one that has consistently placed itself and its ideology above the law. This is exactly the kind of politics we must change so we can begin restoring the American people's faith in a government that puts the country's progress ahead of the bitter partisanship of recent years."Sen. Joe Biden
"Last week Vice President Cheney asserted that he was beyond the reach of the law. Today, President Bush demonstrated the lengths he would go to, ensuring that even aides to Dick Cheney are beyond the judgment of the law. It is time for the American people to be heard -- I call for all Americans to flood the White House with phone calls tomorrow expressing their outrage over this blatant disregard for the rule of law."Former Sen. John Edwards
"Only a president clinically incapable of understanding that mistakes have consequences could take the action he did today. President Bush has just sent exactly the wrong signal to the country and the world. In George Bush's America, it is apparently okay to misuse intelligence for political gain, mislead prosecutors and lie to the FBI. George Bush and his cronies think they are above the law and the rest of us live with the consequences. The cause of equal justice in America took a serious blow today."New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson
"It's a sad day when the President commutes the sentence of a public official who deliberately and blatantly betrayed the public trust and obstructed an important federal investigation," said Governor Richardson. "This administration clearly believes its officials are above the law, from ignoring FISA laws when eavesdropping on US citizens, to the abuse of classified material, to ignoring the Geneva Conventions and international law with secret prisons and torturing prisoners.There is a reason we have laws and why we expect our Presidents to obey them. Institutions have a collective wisdom greater than that of any one individual. The arrogance of this administration's disdain for the law and its belief it operates with impunity are breathtaking.
Will the President also commute the sentences of others who obstructed justice and lied to grand juries, or only those who act to protect President Bush and Vice President Cheney?"
mcjoan has Sen. Chris Dodd's response:
"By commuting Scooter Libby's sentence, the President continues to abdicate responsibility for the actions of his Administration. The only ones paying the price for this Administration's actions are the American people."TPM's Election Central is updating with statements as they're released. So far, it looks as though the only Republican to respond is Fred Thompson with a typically glib:
I'm very happy for Scooter Libby.Update [2007-7-2 20:14:47 by Todd Beeton]:: Still no statement from the Clinton campaign but TPM has this update (h/t Doug Dilg in comments):
It's been about two hours since the Scooter Libby pardon, and Hillary Clinton's campaign has still not released a comment regarding the Scooter Libby commutation. Election Central has called them three times in the last hour, and we still have not received any statement from them. We have been told that one is forthcoming, but they do not know when it will be ready.And as for McCain:
Election Central just sent an e-mail to John McCain campaign spokesman Danny Diaz, asking if the Senator has any comment on the Libby commutation. His reply: "Nope."Update [2007-7-2 21:11:36 by Todd Beeton]:: Sen. Hillary Clinton's response c/o TPM (h/t bebe in the comments.)
"Today's decision is yet another example that this Administration simply considers itself above the law. This case arose from the Administration's politicization of national security intelligence and its efforts to punish those who spoke out against its policies. Four years into the Iraq war, Americans are still living with the consequences of this White House's efforts to quell dissent. This commutation sends the clear signal that in this Administration, cronyism and ideology trump competence and justice."
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