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Following that, Rekna, I'd note that an appeal is a completely reasonable and appropriate response. I'm quite interested to see how that goes.
I'm sort of split on the possibility of the judge denying bail and sending him to jail pending appeal. An appeal is part of Libby's rightful recourse, and he's hardly a flight risk or a danger in the meantime. I understand that part of the reasoning may be that the judge understands that this may be a case in which Bush will issue a pardon (and the judge feels this would be inappropriate). If Libby was free during appeal, the pardon could effectively wait until the end of Bush's term, minimizing the political cost of it's use. By sending Libby to jail immediately, the judge forces Bush to choose between not issuing a pardon, letting Libby sit in jail for more than half his sentence before pardon, and assuming the political costs of the pardon immediately.
I'm split because, if used, this tactic seems a little...politically calculated to me, and that is a little farther than I'm comfortable seeing the judiciary go. After all, no matter how guilty or heinous I may think the Bush administration's actions have been, they and their loyalists deserve the full extent of their rights and privileges. The flip side is that the political fallout of the Libby pardon would come from the people, so perhaps forcing that on Bush is a non-political move in that it brings the force of the people's will to bear.
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Cogito ergo spud -- I think, therefore I yam
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