Conyers expected to move swiftly to conduct hearings on the commutation

The appellate judges' unanimous opinion upheld an identical ruling slightly more than two weeks ago by U.S. District Judge Reggie B. Walton, the trial judge in Libby's case. After a month-long trial that forced presidential aides and prominent journalists onto the witness stand, Libby was found guilty of two counts of perjury and one count each of lying to FBI agents and obstructing a federal investigation into whether administration officials illegally disclosed the name of CIA officer Valerie Plame.

Bush has granted far fewer pardons and commutations than any of his predecessors, dating to John F. Kennedy. He commuted three previous prison terms during his 6 1/2 years in office.

[...]

All but a few Republicans were conspicuously silent. House Minority Whip Roy Blunt (Mo.) said: "President Bush did the right thing today in commuting the prison term for Scooter Libby. The prison sentence was overly harsh, and the punishment did not fit the crime."

Former senator Fred D. Thompson (Tenn.), an unannounced presidential candidate who has helped lead Libby's defense fund and called for Bush to pardon Libby, said: "This will allow a good American who has done a lot for his country to resume his life."

Fred Thompson’s Campaign Confuses Home State Icon Davy Crockett with Daniel Boone

Prison Privatization. Your Tax Dollars Stolen by Shady Government Officials and their corporate Masters

WASHINGTON — Nashville attorney G.A. "Gus" Puryear IV, who worked for Sens. Fred Thompson and Bill Frist, was nominated Wednesday to be a judge in the U.S. District Court for Middle Tennessee.

Puryear, 39, is general counsel for Corrections Corporation of America Inc. and is credited with helping untangle the private prison operator from some of its troubles.

...

Puryear served as legislative director for Frist from 1998 to 2001. Before that, he was recruited to Washington, D.C., to work for Thompson on the Senate Governmental Affairs Committee investigation of campaign finance wrongdoing during the 1996 campaign.

He also helped prepare Vice President Dick Cheney for debates during the 2000 campaign.

Puryear has given $13,450 to federal and state Republican campaign committees since 2001, according to reports filed with the Tennessee Secretary of State and the Federal Election Commission. He gave $3,000 to the campaign of Sen. Bob Corker.

Puryear would replace Judge Robert Echols, who took senior judge status in March.