Incredibly, it seems that Bush has not fully ruled out a full pardon of Scooter Libby. It was shocking enough that Bush decided to commute Libby’s sentence this week only hours after it was ruled that he could not go free during his appeals process: now the President has said, “As to the future, I rule nothing in and nothing out.”

Traditionally, pardoning of crimes only occurs after the sentence has been served. It would be a rare and notable event indeed for the President to pardon Libby without a single day served for his ally’s quadruple felony conviction.

Boarder