As soon as I heard Libby paid his fine my thought was we will pay him for committing treason!

The payment, of $250,400, which included a "special assessment" of costs, was paid by a cashier’s check dated July 2. A spokeswoman for Mr. Libby, Barbara Comstock, said he paid the fine out of his own pocket. I wouldn't believe that either but that is not what I wanted to discuss. http://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/06/washington/06libby.html?_r=1&oref=slogin
I knew these fools would have the last laugh! My immediate thought first went to the fact that we would have to reimburse him when Bush gives him his pardon and he will. I thought a refund would be automatic then I found out that Technically he can get it but it won't be easy. Once a convicted criminal pays a fine, the treasury can't issue a refund even if that person is later exonerated. For Libby to get back his 250 Gs, Congress would need to pass a law to make the funds available. Or it's possible that President Bush could issue a customized presidential pardon that specifies a refund.
http://www.slate.com/id/2169860/nav/fix/
I couldn't in my wildest dreams see Congress passing a law making those funds available but I can absolutely see Bush issuing a customized presidential pardon that specifies a refund. My first thought in that regard was OMG Bush is going to make us pay interest lost during the time the money was in the Feds hands and we will in effect have paid Libby to commit treason against us, America, and our Constitution. I wouldn't doubt that at all. One final slap in the face.
I was thinking about that then I realized that after years of investigation and the long trial we already spent untold millions only to have him released and that we already paid. When I say we I mean average Americans because Bush gives the rich their tax contributions back. Then I started thinking about the tremendous cost of all this and realized the monetary cost will pale to the irreparable damage to the Constitution and our rule of law in the future.
The damage to the future of America is incalculable and it will carry on forever I am afraid. The damage to our system of Government that relies heavily on integrity is damaged forever and the standard of do whatever you want to get what you want with no concern for the law has been set right from the top and it will filter all through society. You have to wonder about our future and realize that Bush has done a lot more damage than just the obvious.

James Joiner
Gardner, Ma
www.anaveragepatriot.com