Libby Pardoned After the Mid-Terms. Sounds Likely.

Hot on the heels of our "Libby Defense Fund" e-mail discussing the speculative theory that Rove may have been let off the hook by orders of higher-ups in the Justice Department (most likely Alberto "Bush Consigliere" Gonzales), Newsday reports speculation that Libby will be pardoned by Bush.

"I think ultimately, of course, there are going to be pardons," said Joseph diGenova, a former prosecutor and an old Washington hand who shares that view with many pundits. If ever there were an insider to know of such plans, diGenova -- part of a husband and wife team who do legal soundbites for the Republicans -- would know.

The most likely timing for a Libby pardon would be after the mid-terms, but before Libby's trial were to begin. This would follow the pattern that old man Bush set when he pardoned Caspar Weinberger before his trial even began -- along with other Iran-Contra partcipants who were given a get out of jail free card by "Poppy" Bush.

The only certainty in this theory is that Libby won't be pardoned before the mid-terms. Rove knows that this would cause intense political damage that could tip either body of Congress into Democratic hands.

But once the election is over, what does Bush have to lose?

Cheney was clearly part of the effort to besmirch Joe Wilson -- and likely gave the green light to out Valerie Plame. It is more than possible that Bush knew all about the effort, certainly after he was questioned about the outing and promised to find the leaker.

So, Bush, like his Dad, doesn't want the Libby case to come to trial.

With Rove not being indicted -- for whatever behind-the-scenes theory you choose -- and Libby being pardoned, Bush and Cheney can sail freely through the choppy waters of their last two years in office without fear of being in legal jeopardy for their roles in PlameGate.

As usual, we cauton that this is only another speculative prediction. But the Bush clan and Karl Rove don't stray much from their previous playbooks.

And "Poppy" Bush left Independent Counsel Lawrence Walsh with nothing but years of useless evidence when the senior Bush pardoned the Iran-Contra crew. No doubt, the trial of Caspar Weinberger would have exposed Bush family culpability. It's the same threat posed by a trial of Scooter Libby.

Junior, we are likely to find out, learned well from Daddy how to obstruct justice by acting like a King and simply stopping an investigation in its tracks through the power of a pardon.

For ongoing updates on the PlameGate investigation, please read http://www.buzzflash.com.