Sen. Chuck Hagel (R-Nebraska), often a critic of the Bush administration, called the decision to commute Scooter Libby's sentence yesterday "unfortunate."

Sen. Gordon Smith (R-Oregon), who recently came out strongly against the Iraq War, was less assured:

It is a very serious thing to not tell the truth to a federal officer and why he would have gotten in that situation I don't know, because he was not guilty of the charge of the case. But the constitution gives the president the lawful right to commute or pardon, he's exercised that, every president before has done that. I would have preferred to see this run the full legal course but I know Scooter Libby and he's a very smart and as far as I know a decent guy and I just don't know what happened here. It's just sad...I feel bad for everyone, even the Plames who were affected by this case."