Reggie Walton has ruled as expected: Scooter’s going to the slammer while the appeals process plays out.
Sure, as Joe wrote the other day, this is gratifying in a vindictive way, but it’s also, uhm, whatchyoucallit… justice! I’m all for Libby paying a “personal price” for being an architect of the war, but I also think that’s not exactly the role of government to mete out. We can’t make Libby feel guilty, we can only treat him as such. (And, frankly, “architect of the war” is not the crime he was convicted of. If only it were! But if so, would it be fair that Scooter serve out the only sentence?) “Emptying bedpans at Walter Reed” is the kind of loosely poetic punishment that makes for a good laugh line but it’s not gonna happen. And, hey, he still has 400 hours of community service to complete. I’m sure he’ll have to do something unpleasant and menial, during which he can reflect not just on his role in the war but also upon the way that being senior administration official does not put you outside of reach of the law.
The bad news: I’ve heard that serving a little jail time might make a pardon more politically palatable…
UPDATE: Yeah, this is pretty sweet:
WALTON: With all due respect, these are intelligent people, but I would not accept this brief from a first year law student. I believe this was put out to put pressure on this court in the public sphere to rule as you wish.