Why was Libby given a commutation rather than a pardon? This was not a "mistake" or even a middle ground. Bush doesn't do middle ground!
In fact, Bush has angered some of his sycophants by not giving a pardon.
I'm not a lawyer but I know there are several out there is KOSland so follow me after the jump for an email I just received.
My source did not give me a reference, nor is he a lawyer but here is what received from a lawyer friend of his.
by giving him commutation rather than a pardon it maintains his ability to invoke his Fifth Amendment rights, which could also protect Bush and Cheney. If given a full pardon, he would not face any penalty and would be compelled to testify in any future hearings. With commutation, he is still on probation and subject to fine, so he can invoke his Fifth Amendment rights. I'm sure Cheney and Bush were not aware of the difference and it had nothing to do with their actions!
If this is true, the commutation is nothing less than more cover-up.