I posted this below the line to a thread that turned rather noisy; someone noticed it and suggested that, since it is, after all, a song (albeit a topical song), maybe I should repost it above the line. OK. It was begun in the office on Tuesday and finished while mowing the lawn on the 4th of July, which seems somehow appropriate. Any editorial suggestions are appreciated.

Thanks.

michael

THE BALLAD OF SCOOTER LIBBY
(to the tune of "Charley on the MTA," or "The Wreck of the Old 97")

Let me tell you a story
'Bout a guy named Scooter
And this story it has a point.
He was Cheney's lieutenant,
Took a fall for his bosses
And got thirty months in the joint.

Chorus: But did he get to the pen?
       No he's out of the pen,
       'Cause he's one of Cheney's men.
       He showed no repentence
       He won't serve his sentence
       And he sure stayed out of the pen.

It was old Joe Wilson
Told us Bush was lyin'
When he said about old Saddam,
That "he's buyin' up parts
And we're sure he's tryin'
To build him a nucular bomb."

Then Dick Cheney said
"We're gonna get Joe Wilson
He can't talk about us that way.
We can get at his wife,
Tell the Wall Street Journal
That she works for the CIA."

When the FBI
Came to talk to Libby
'Bout who outed Valerie Plame,
Scooter wound up being
Just a little bit fibby,
Said he barely remembered her name.

ch.

Scooter was charged
with obstruction of justice
for his bits of dishonesty
He was was tried and convicted
He was sent off to prison
Just as sad as he could be.

But then W. said:
"I sure like that Scooter
And I do hate to see his pain,
So I'll do him a favor,
Since I am the Commuter."
And Scooter walks free once again.

ch.

Now listen my friends
All across the nation
To the moral that ends this tale:
You can break any law for this
Administration
And you'll never ever end up in jail.

Final ch: And will you go to the pen?
          No you'll be out of the pen,
          If you're one of Cheney's men.
          You can show no repentence
          You won't serve your sentence
          And you'll sure stay out of the pen.

(c) michael rose, 2007