Pardon?

I could be misreading this, but it seems that conservatives are making it almost impossible for Bush to pardon Scooter Libby.

Libby's allies said Bush should not wait for Libby to be sentenced, and should use his executive power to spare Vice President Cheney's former chief of staff the risk of prison time for lying to a grand jury and FBI agents about his role in leaking the name of an undercover CIA officer. But the prospect of a pardon triggered condemnation from Democrats and caution from some Republicans wary of another furor.

Defense lawyers for Libby said they are focused on seeking a new trial and appealing Tuesday's jury verdict, while making clear that they believe the president should step in. "Our number one goal is to see Scooter's conviction wiped out by the courts and see him vindicated," attorney William Jeffress Jr. said in an interview. "Now, I've seen all the calls for a pardon. And I agree with them. To me, he should have been pardoned six months ago or a year ago."

The pardon drum beat started within moments of the announcement of the verdict, and has only grown stronger since then. Every story about the verdict includes some speculation as to whether Bush should or will issue a pardon. In some corners of conservative media machine, the pardon is discussed almost as a fait accompli. They seem to be counting on it. I think this is counterproductive.

George W. Bush's entire political persona is built on the image Karl Rove crafted for him as The Leader. He is a man of strength and of few words. He is the one who keeps his head while all those about him are losing theirs. He pays no attention to the polls, because you cannot lead that way. He is not a follower.

If Bush issues a pardon to Libby, he becomes a joke. He is no longer The Leader. He is a donkey led around by his nose. He is merely a vessel for the political will of people smarter and more calculating than he is. And his presidency is over.

If Bush issues a pardon to Scooter Libby any time before December 2008, it will be blood in the water for his political adversaries. It will be a sign of weakness so stark, so undeniable, that he might as well call it a day and head on back to Crawford for good. His supporters will abandon him in droves. They won't need him anymore. He won't be able to do anything for them. Everything that matters to him, including his grand, glorious war in Iraq, will be fair game for his opponents. Remember the scene in Cool Hand Luke when the inmates eat all of Luke's rice, and he just sits there and lets them.

If he issues a pardon on his way out of office, it will compete with the Iraq war for the thing people remember most about him. There goes his legacy.

If the advocates of a pardon had kept their mouths shut in public, and worked behind the scenes to make it happen, they had a chance. Now, though, I think they have blown it.