Republicans also disapprove of Bush's Libby cover-up

July 8, 2007

Washington, DC - A new American Research Group poll out Friday says a majority of Americans and nearly half of all Republicans disapprove of President Bush's commutation/cover-up of Lewis "Scooter" Libby's 30-month prison sentence.

A new American Research Group poll out Friday says a majority of Americans and nearly half of all Republicans disapprove of President Bush's commutation/cover-up of Lewis Scooter Libby's 30-month prison sentence.

Fully 64 percent of all Americans and 69 percent of voters said they disapproved of the commutation in the new poll. Broken down by party affiliation, 76 percent of Democrats, 47 percent of Republicans, and 80 percent of Independents said they disapproved.

Meanwhile, 84 percent of all adults and 84 percent of voters said they oppose a full presidential pardon for Libby. Broken down by party, 82 percent of Democrats, 70 percent of Republicans, and 97 percent of Independents oppose a pardon.

Defending his decision to grant Libby clemency, Bush indicated on Tuesday he hasn't ruled out granting the former White House aide a full pardon.

Libby's prison time was imposed after a federal court convicted Libby of perjury, obstruction of justice and lying to investigators in the probe of the leak of the name of a CIA operative.

A commutation is distinct from a pardon, which is a complete eradication of a conviction record and makes it the same as if the person has never been convicted.

The poll, conducted on July 3-5, interviewed 1,100 adults and carries a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points.

Joseph Wilson speaks about cover-up

Former U.S. Ambassador Joseph Wilson, the husband of CIA agent Valerie Plame who was outed in a concerted effort by President Bush, vice-president Cheney, and Lewis "Scooter" Libby, said Tuesday he's not surprised at President Bush's decision to commute the 30-month prison term of former White House aide Libby.

"I think this administration has demonstrated time and time again it is corrupt from the top to the bottom," Wilson said on CNN's "American Morning." "I think the president short-circuited the rule of law and the system of justice."

Bush announced Monday he was commuting what he called the "excessive" sentence that Libby received after being convicted of lying to a grand jury and federal agents probing the leak of a CIA agent's identity.

While the president was within his authority to issue such a commutation, Wilson said the move now extends a cloud of suspicion over Bush's office.

"I think there is a very real suspicion now that the president himself is an accessory to obstruction of justice in this matter," Wilson said from his home in Santa Fe, N.M.

"The president, by commuting Mr. Libby's sentence, guaranteed that he will be under no incentive whatsoever to tell the truth to the special prosecutor who has said repeatedly there remains a cloud over the office of the vice president," Wilson added.