Libby drops appeal in CIA leak case.

Thinkprogress:

Former Cheney chief of staff Scooter Libby, who was convicted earlier this year for obstruction of justice, “is dropping his appeal in the CIA leak case, his attorney said Monday.” Libby, whose sentence was commuted by President Bush in July, is said to be dropping the appeal because “the burden” is “too great to ask” his family to “bear”:

“We remain firmly convinced of Mr. Libby’s innocence,” attorney Theodore Wells said. “However, the realities were, that after five years of government service by Mr. Libby and several years of defending against this case, the burden on Mr. Libby and his young family of continuing to pursue his complete vindication are too great to ask them to bear.”

The AP notes that “Libby remains a convicted felon, but Bush could issue a full pardon as his administration winds down.”

UPDATE: Here’s the full statement by Libby’s lawyer on the decision to drop the appeal

Here is an excerpt:

“Mr. Libby has made the decision to discontinue his appeal in recognition that success on the appeal would lead only to a retrial, a process that would last even beyond the two years of supervised release, cost millions of dollars more than the fine he has already paid, and entail many more hundreds of hours preparing for an all-consuming appeal and retrial.”

Money is the use with Libby since he would be dealing again with his criminal case and now a civil case with the Wilsons.

UPDATE 2:

From Talkleft:

Joe Wilson thinks it means Libby's getting a pardon from Bush (received by e-mail, no link yet):

“By dropping his appeal, Mr. Libby has finally abandoned the pretense that his conviction was a miscarriage of justice. Mr. Libby’s decision suggests, however, that he may have received word that President Bush plans to pardon him shortly. Of course, a pardon is completely at odds with the president’s earlier claim that he would not tolerate anyone on his team leaking a covert CIA officer’s identity, but this is the kind of inconsistency representative of this administration. Given the White House’s extensive and continuing efforts to cover up how and why Valerie Wilson’s identity was leaked to the press, the only way that remains to get at the truth in this sordid matter is through our civil suit against Libby, Vice President Cheney, Karl Rove and Richard Armitage.”

And that what Libby is banking on from Bush. The real question: is Bush going to pardon Libby and what about his other buddies that are indicted or convicted or under investigation?