The governor of Texas, by Texas law, cannot commute the death sentence beyond 30 days. The Board of Pardons and Paroles must recommend and authorize commutation.

President Bush's statement about Iraqis going to Niger for yellowcake was provided by British intelligence, and he stated so in his speech. The British did not retract this report. In fact, they investigated and stayed with the conclusion.

Valerie Plame was a worker at the CIA and went to work at its headquarters every day. It’s not likely overt or undercover agents or operatives do this.

Joseph Wilson, the former U.S. ambassador to Niger and Plame’s husband, said he was sent to Niger by Vice President Dick Cheney's office. This is definitely not true.

Mr. Wilson claimed he submitted a report upon his return. He never did, and he first wrote about it in a commentary in the New York Times.

The CIA never refuted the claim that Plame did not recommend her husband.

And finally, federal prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald knew before the questioning of Libby that Richard Armitage had revealed Plame’s name to the media. So why question Libby?

The president, knowing this and that revealing Plame's name did not cause harm to her or to the CIA and therefore felt the sentence was over the top, commuted Libby’s sentence, which will allow Libby to appeal his trial result without sitting in jail.

— Nicholas Yanuzzi, Thousand Oaks