...that there was a little more to it. Hmmm, let me look...
Okay, here we go:
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From
http://archives.cnn.com/2001/ALLPOLITICS/02/18/clinton.fact.check/index.html :
Clinton: "The applications were reviewed and advocated not only by my former White House counsel Jack Quinn but also by three distinguished Republican attorneys: Leonard Garment, a former Nixon White House official; William Bradford Reynolds, a former high-ranking official in the Reagan Justice Department; and
Lewis Libby, now Vice President Cheney's chief of staff." <
Emphasis mine>
CNN: <...> "In no way, shape or form was Mr. Libby involved in the pardon of Mr. Rich," White House Spokesman Ari Fleischer told CNN.
Sources involved in the case said the three lawyers argued for a plea agreement, not for a pardon.
Libby represented Rich from 1985 to until early 2000, but was working toward a plea agreement, Fleischer said. The relationship with Rich was severed after they agreed the lawyers had reached an impasse in negotiations with the Justice Department.
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From
http://www.smirkingchimp.com/article.php?sid=609 :
<...>
A dogged and resourceful attorney, Libby bobbed and weaved for quite awhile until a Democratic staff lawyer finally backed him into a corner.
"Based on everything you know . . .
you think you could have put together a good strong case for a pardon and a defensible case if the president so issued, based on what you know?"
"Yes," Libby answered.
And how come you're reading it here first? Clinton rules.
Reprinted from the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette:
http://www.ardemgaz.com/today/edi/wopLyons7.html
(NOTE: this link is no longer valid -- I just wanted to show, SmirkingChimp got it from there. Their archive search requires a fee; this article was posted 03/07/2001 by Gene Lyons)
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Also, Israel's prime minister put the pressure on Clinton to grant the pardon. He did not do it in a vacuum.
Anyway -- I recommend reading the whole article at smirkingchimp, it's a complete reprint of the column by Gene Lyons -- Libby's testimony made the case for it being a legitimate pardon. And the fact that Mr. Libby called Mr. Rich to congratulate him on receiving the pardon -- priceless.