2007年VOA标准英语-Bush Defends Libby Decision

By Paula Wolfson
Washington
03 July 2007

President Bush in Washington, 3 July 2007

President Bush is defending his decision to commute¹ the prison sentence of a former top White House aide.  VOA White House Correspondent Paula Wolfson reports, the action taken by the president has heightened political tensions in Washington. 

After months of relative silence, the president intervened in the case of Lewis "Scooter" Libby -- Vice² President Dick Cheney's former chief of staff and confidant.

Just hours after a three-judge panel ruled Libby could not remain free on bail³ pending⁴ appeal, the president issued a grant of executive clemency⁵, commuting⁶ the prison sentence.

Mr. Bush says the action was justified⁷.

"I made a judgment⁸, a considered judgment that I believe is the right decision to make in this case.  I stand by it," Mr. Bush said.

Speaking to reporters Tuesday after a visit with wounded soldiers at a Washington D.C. military hospital, the president stressed he weighed his options carefully.  And he indicated he has not ruled out the possibility of an eventual⁹ pardon for Libby.

Former White House aide I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby, 05 Jun 2007

"As to the future, I rule nothing in and nothing out," Mr. Bush said.

Libby was convicted in March of lying to investigators¹⁰ looking into whether administration officials illegally disclosed the name of a now-retired CIA officer, Valerie Plame Wilson.   Her husband, former Ambassador Joseph Wilson, has been a harsh critic of the Iraq war, and there have been accusations¹¹ that her name was made public for political reasons.

Libby was subsequently sentenced to 30 months in prison, two years probation¹² and a 250,000 dollar fine.  During a briefing for reporters, White House spokesman Tony Snow stressed that while President Bush commuted¹³ Libby's prison time, the conviction still stands and other penalties remain.

"The president, (after) weeks and weeks of consideration, came to the conclusion that 30 months in jail was excessive and he is comfortable with the (rest of the) punishment, which is still quite severe," Snow said.

Mr. Bush has the right to commute prison sentences under the Constitution, as well as the right to issue a complete pardon.

But his critics argue he overstepped the line in the Libby case, and acted simply to help a political crony.

Senator Charles Schumer of New York -- a senior Democrat¹⁴ on the Senate Judiciary Committee -- was among the first to speak out.

"One understands loyalty¹⁵ and friendship, but it shouldn't come at the sake of the highest principles in the land one of those principle is equal justice," senator Schumer said.

Congressional Republicans were muted in their response.  But former Senator Fred Thompson, who has indicated he plans to join the race for the Republican presidential nomination¹⁶, was quick to praise the president.  Thompson said the action taken by President Bush will enable "a good American who has done a lot for his country to resume his life."

1 commute   

vi.乘车上下班；vt.减(刑)；折合；n.上下班交通

参考例句：

• I spend much less time on my commute to work now.我现在工作的往返时间要节省好多。
• Most office workers commute from the suburbs.很多公司的职员都是从郊外来上班的。

2 vice   

n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的

参考例句：

• He guarded himself against vice.他避免染上坏习惯。
• They are sunk in the depth of vice.他们堕入了罪恶的深渊。

3 bail   

v.舀（水），保释；n.保证金，保释，保释人

参考例句：

• One of the prisoner's friends offered to bail him out.犯人的一个朋友答应保释他出来。
• She has been granted conditional bail.她被准予有条件保释。

4 pending   

prep.直到，等待…期间；adj.待定的；迫近的

参考例句：

• The lawsuit is still pending in the state court.这案子仍在州法庭等待定夺。
• He knew my examination was pending.他知道我就要考试了。

5 clemency   

n.温和，仁慈，宽厚

参考例句：

• The question of clemency would rest with the King.宽大处理问题，将由国王决定。
• They addressed to the governor a plea for clemency.他们向州长提交了宽刑的申辨书。

6 commuting   

交换（的）

参考例句：

• I used the commuting time to read and answer my mail. 我利用上下班在汽车中的时间来阅读和答复给我的函电。
• Noncommuting objects are as real to the mathematicians as commuting objects. 对于数学家来说，不可交换的对象与可交换的对象是一样真实的。

7 justified   

a.正当的，有理的

参考例句：

• She felt fully justified in asking for her money back. 她认为有充分的理由要求退款。
• The prisoner has certainly justified his claims by his actions. 那个囚犯确实已用自己的行动表明他的要求是正当的。

8 judgment   

n.审判；判断力，识别力，看法，意见

参考例句：

• The chairman flatters himself on his judgment of people.主席自认为他审视人比别人高明。
• He's a man of excellent judgment.他眼力过人。

9 eventual   

adj.最后的，结局的，最终的

参考例句：

• Several schools face eventual closure.几所学校面临最终关闭。
• Both parties expressed optimism about an eventual solution.双方对问题的最终解决都表示乐观。

10 investigators   

n.调查者，审查者( investigator的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• This memo could be the smoking gun that investigators have been looking for. 这份备忘录可能是调查人员一直在寻找的证据。
• The team consisted of six investigators and two secretaries. 这个团队由六个调查人员和两个秘书组成。 来自《简明英汉词典》

11 accusations   

n.指责( accusation的名词复数 )；指控；控告；（被告发、控告的）罪名

参考例句：

• There were accusations of plagiarism. 曾有过关于剽窃的指控。
• He remained unruffled by their accusations. 对于他们的指控他处之泰然。

12 probation   

n.缓刑(期)，(以观后效的)察看；试用(期)

参考例句：

• The judge did not jail the young man,but put him on probation for a year.法官没有把那个年轻人关进监狱，而且将他缓刑察看一年。
• His salary was raised by 800 yuan after his probation.试用期满以后，他的工资增加了800元。

13 commuted   

通勤( commute的过去式和过去分词 )； 减（刑）； 代偿

参考例句：

• His sentence was commuted from death to life imprisonment. 他的判决由死刑减为无期徒刑。
• The death sentence may be commuted to life imprisonment. 死刑可能減为无期徒刑。

14 democrat   

n.民主主义者，民主人士；民主党党员

参考例句：

• The Democrat and the Public criticized each other.民主党人和共和党人互相攻击。
• About two years later,he was defeated by Democrat Jimmy Carter.大约两年后，他被民主党人杰米卡特击败。

15 loyalty   

n.忠诚，忠心

参考例句：

• She told him the truth from a sense of loyalty.她告诉他真相是出于忠诚。
• His loyalty to his friends was never in doubt.他对朋友的一片忠心从来没受到怀疑。

16 nomination   

n.提名，任命，提名权

参考例句：

• John is favourite to get the nomination for club president.约翰最有希望被提名为俱乐部主席。
• Few people pronounced for his nomination.很少人表示赞成他的提名。