In an interview with his biographer, Stephen Hayes, former vice president Dick Cheney said he strongly disagreed with President Bush’s decision not to pardon Scooter Libby. Libby, Cheney said, was a “victim of a serious miscarriage of justice“:

Asked for his reaction to Bush’s decision Cheney said: “Scooter Libby is one of the most capable and honorable men I’ve ever known. He’s been an outstanding public servant throughout his career. He was the victim of a serious miscarriage of justice, and I strongly believe that he deserved a presidential pardon. Obviously, I disagree with President Bush’s decision.”

Hayes notes that Cheney publicly disagreed with Bush only four other times: “on a gay marriage ban; on firing Donald Rumsfeld; on Washington, D.C.’s gun ban; and on North Korea.”

Former Bush Justice Department official Victoria Toensing rips U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald in a Wall Street Journal piece, writing that he should “keep his opinions to himself.” By characterizing Gov. Rod Blagojevich’s conduct as “appalling” and as a “political corruption crime spree,” Fitzgerald “violated the ethical requirement of the Justice Department guidelines,” Toensing argues.

But what really upsets her is that Fitzgerald has had a prior history of calling it like he sees it:

What’s more, Mr. Fitzgerald is a repeat offender. In his news conference in October 2005 announcing the indictment of Scooter Libby for obstruction of justice, he compared himself to an umpire who “gets sand thrown in his eyes.” The umpire is “trying to figure what happened and somebody blocked” his view. [...]

In the Libby case, rather than suffer criticism, Mr. Fitzgerald became a media darling. And so in the Blagojevich case he returned to the microphone.

Toensing has had it out for Fitzgerald ever since he had the gall to prosecute Vice President Cheney’s former chief of staff. In Sept. 2006, she blasted Fitzgerald in the Wall Street Journal, saying he should “apologize” for prosecuting Libby. In Feb. 2007, writing in the Washington Post, Toensing attacked Fitzgerald again for pursuing a “trial in error.” Speaking with Wolf Blitzer on CNN in March 2007, Toensing said she “absolutely” questioned Fitzgerald’s integrity.

Toensing complained to Fox News recently that she believes Fitzgerald is “overzealous” because “he doesn’t know the color gray, he’s only black or white, and just about everyone but him does wrong.” Toensing would apparently prefer prosecutors who have more sympathy for crimes and illegal conduct.