Yesterday, U.S. District Judge Reggie B. Walton sentenced Scooter Libby, Vice President Cheney's former chief of staff, to 30 months in prison for lying during the investigation into the leak of CIA operative Valerie Plame's identity. He is the "highest-ranking White House official convicted in a government scandal since the Iran-Contra affair."

The sentence was a "a victory for prosecutors," who asked that Libby serve up to three years in prison; Libby's lawyers had asked for no prison time. Next week, Walton will decide whether Libby will remain free pending appeal. He has indicated that he "is not inclined" to do so, which means that President Bush may have to decide "in a matter of weeks" whether to pardon Libby.

The Washington Post reports that the "prospect of a pardon has become so sensitive inside the West Wing that top aides have been kept out of the loop, and even Bush friends have been told not to bring it up with the president." Yet the right wing is heavily pushing for a pardon. During last night's Republican presidential debate, six of the candidates said they would likely pardon the former White House aide, with former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney accusing Special Prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald of abusing "prosecutorial discretion."

The conservative National Review quickly posted an editorial on its website yesterday headlined "Pardon Him." Weekly Standard Editor Bill Kristol posted a similar piece, arguing, "George W. Bush can do something to begin to make up for the injustice a prosecutor appointed by his own administration brought down on Scooter Libby."

But as Walton noted in the sentencing yesterday, there is no evidence that Fitzgerald acted improperly. "Your lies blocked an extremely serious investigation, and as result you will indeed go to prison," he told Libby.