Bush will make Libby pardon decision in weeks

Immediately after the judge in the CIA leak trial read Scooter Libby's 30-month prison sentence, speculation began over whether President Bush would pardon Dick Cheney's former Chief of Staff.  The Bureau of Prisons says Libby must surrender to authorities within 45 to 60 days.  So if Bush is going to step in before Libby sees jail time, he will need to do so in a matter of weeks:

The White House publicly sought to defer the matter again yesterday, saying that Bush is "not going to intervene" for now. But U.S. District Judge Reggie B. Walton indicated that he is not inclined to let Libby remain free pendingappeals, which means the issue could confront Bush in a matter of weekswhen, barring a judicial change of heart, Cheney's former chief ofstaff will have to trade his business suit for prison garb. Republicansinside and outside the administration said that would be the momentwhen Bush has to decide.

However, if you read the pardon law, it would be illegal for Bush to free Scooter Libby.  The pardon rules specifically "require a petitioner to wait a period of at leastfive years after conviction or release from confinement (whichever islater) before filing a pardon application."

The only way around this is if Bush issues an Executive order overturning the law.  That would really be pushing it.