George W. Bush: Dick Cheney Was Angry I Didn't Pardon Scooter Libby

In an interview that aired on NBC's "Today Show" Monday, Former President George W. Bush said his decision not to pardon former Vice Presidential aide Scooter Libby in 2008 did not sit well with former Vice President Dick Cheney.

"Scooter is a loyal American who worked for Vice President Cheney who got caught up in this Valerie Plame case and was indicted and convicted," Mr. Bush told NBC's Matt Lauer. Mr. Bush noted that while he chose to commute Libby's sentence, Cheney "wanted more."

"He wanted me to pardon him," Mr. Bush said. "It was the last decision of the presidency, really. I chose to let the jury verdict stand after some serious deliberation, and the Vice President was angry." (Watch the clip at left.)

In 2007, Libby was convicted in four felony charges related to the 2003 leak of CIA agent Valerie Plame's identity, a leak thought to be a politically-motivated attack on her husband, Joseph Wilson. Wilson, a diplomat who had looked into alleged links between weapons components in Africa and Iraq, voiced his belief that the Bush administration "manipulate intelligence about Saddam Hussein's weapons programs to justify an invasion of Iraq." (The incident is dramatized in the new movie "Fair Game.")

Libby was sentenced to thirty months in prison. He ultimately avoided jail time thanks to Mr. Bush, who commuted his sentence to $250,000 in fines and two years of probation.

Mr. Bush, who was on the "Today Show" promoting his memoir "Decision Points," wrote in the book that he had considered dropping Cheney as his 2004 running mate in order to demonstrate that he was in charge. He suggested Cheney "had become a lightning rod for criticism from the media and the left" who "was seen as dark and heartless - the Darth Vader of the administration."

Mr. Bush said on "Today" that although he "was a little concerned at one time" about the status of his relationship with Cheney, the two are now on good terms. "I'm pleased to report...we are friends today," Bush said.

"It was a hard decision to make," he said of his handling of the Libby situation. "But that's what you do when you're President: You make hard decisions."

"Decision Points" hits stores on Tuesday.

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Lucy Madison is a political reporter for CBSNews.com. You can read more of her posts here. Follow Hotsheet on Facebook and Twitter.

[frankie2fing]

Awww, don't feel bad dubya, most of us were angry you commuted his sentence. Wonder what he would have said if you didn't...

[samXXkiley]

coucou,
Mr. Bush said on "Today" that although he "was a little concerned at one time" about the status of his relationship with Cheney, the two are now on good terms. "I'm pleased to report...we are friends today," Bush said
GW bush&Dick cheney" un duo ?nigmatique.au revoir

[euge005]

And I am angry that the whole lot of them have not been tried as war criminals. Let justice be done.

[culturechang]

Me too!

[mjlewis6]

The book is pretty much a Confession that can be treated as a "Mein Kampf" mea culpa for what he's done in violation of international treaties to which the US is signator...He is not as smart as he thinks he is.

[reiner52]

By his own admission, he doesn't read - so how can that mental midget have written a book? That's sort of like Palin writng a book - yeah right.

[euge005]

This was likely written by a defense counsel with his limitted in put. Goal-rewrite history and set up his lies as facts before exploration in a criminal trial.

[troutfishyman]

I am angry that they are both not in jail!!!

[starving1968-3]

ALL of them should be in Leavenworth performing hard labor! The whole friggin' administration - from BOTH TERMS!

[stevex47]

Think repubs would give Obama a pass if this happened under his administration?

Typical. Mission Accomplished.

[chonder2]

"The Dark Side" by Frontline on DVD tells exactly what Cheney did to lead up to the Iraq invasion.There are many,many face to face interviews with CIA officers,NSA officers,DOD personel that tell exactly what went on.For example Richard Clark states on camera that he was cornered in a White House parking lot by Scooter Libby who attempted to intimidate him after he questioned the fake WMD reports.

[vdon-2009]

To the one or two of you who seem to prefer venting to truth, you might recall that a many month investigation by the Special Investigator determined that Richard Armitage, Deputy Secretary of State under Colin Powell, was the person who leaked to Robert Novak the name of Valerie Plame. Additionally, of course, it is well to remember that the husband of Ms. Plame, who wrote a sensational (but truth-challenged) article in the NYT, has been found by the Congressional inquiry to have been untruthful in his own "report" to the Congress.

Respectfully,
VDon

[AmericanJustice]

VDon, why let truth about Dick Armitage outting Valerie Plame get in the way of a good Bush/Cheney bashing? I'm still wondering why Armitage hasn't been indicted, convicted and imprisoned for his actions? Where's the outrage over that?

[thebob-bob]

Cheney, like most Republicans, believe that laws are for the little guy, never the corporate elite. That's why they think it's OK to buy politicians.