Libby's sentence for obstruction of justice historically on the very low side.

As justification for canceling "Scooter" Libby's sentence of 30 months in prison Bush described it as "excessive." Really? Excessive compared to what?

Richard B. Schmitt and David G. Savage went back to the records and looked at recent sentences for obstruction of Justice, and here's what they found:

records show that the Justice Department under the Bush administration frequently has sought sentences that are as long, or longer, in cases similar to Libby's. Three-fourths of the 198 defendants sentenced in federal court last year for obstruction of justice — one of four crimes Libby was found guilty of in March — got some prison time. According to federal data, the average sentence defendants received for that charge alone was 70 months.

Just last week, the Supreme Court upheld a 33-month prison sentence for a decorated Army veteran who was convicted of lying to a federal agent about buying a machine gun. The veteran had a record of public service — fighting in Vietnam and the Gulf War — and no criminal record. But Justice Department lawyers argued his prison term should stand because it fit within the federal sentencing guidelines.

As long as George Bush is President we will have one system of "Justice" for Bush's friends and another for the rest of us.