From last night’s Special Report with Brit Hume:

–On the Libby Verdict–

FRED BARNES: [The jury] thought it was a minor case, a peripheral case, the one against Scooter Libby. And I, frankly, don’t think the prosecutor would have brought that case at all, if the larger case involving whether the White House had mounted a conspiracy to leak the name of an undercover CIA agent. Of course, that collapsed, there was no evidence for that. So, what does the prosecutor do, they go with the only case they have, this was the best case. It doesn’t mean that that’s illegitimate, it just means that the case was marginal, peripheral, and the jurors recognized that, as well. . . .
Look, all of that scurrying around at the White House that Mort talked about, what were they trying to do? Joe Wilson had accused the White House of fudging on the intelligence, stuff they knew was true that they were going with. The truth is, they were trying to rebut, very legitimately, his story, Joe Wilson’s story, which turned out to be almost completely false.
HUME: Is it likely that the president will pardon him?
MARA LIASSON: Yes.
MORT KONDRACKE: I’d be amazed if he didn’t.
BARNES: Look, it was a minor case. He did not — he didn’t seriously impede the investigation, he’s been a loyal and effective member of this administration. There’s every reason to pardon him. . . . It’ll happen January 19, 2009. Or maybe January 20, 2009.