Tony Snow bent over backwards during his July 3rd briefing to avoid saying that the President respects the justice system by proclaiming his faith in the “jury system”

But the President also believes, for those who were arguing on behalf of a pardon, that you need to respect the jury system. Scooter Libby was tried before a jury of his peers. And it is important to make clear our faith in what really is a pillar of the American justice system, which is everybody’s right to be tried before a jury of the peers.

So the President has faith in at least one pillar of the justice system, which is the jury. Perhaps I’m reading the text too carefully. Maybe Mr. Snow didn’t mean to imply that the President doesn’t have faith in the entire justice system?

I am telling you that this President approaches these very carefully as a matter of principle. And the key considerations were, let’s figure out what we think is appropriate — what he thinks is appropriate, in terms of punishment, and let’s also do it in a way that does not do violence, but, in fact, shows respect for a system of justice — not going in and overthrowing the hard work and the verdict of a duly constituted jury.

Oh, OK. So that was just a slip on Tony’s part. The President really does respect the justice system. Right?

Reporter: Could we talk about the two — trying to have it two ways, saying that we have faith in the justice system, and yet what the judge did was excessive, even though it’s within guidelines, according to the prosecutor.
MR. SNOW: What I said was with the jury system.

Hmmm. So Tony Snow feels the need to set the record straight when a reporter says the Bush administration has faith in the justice system, by correcting her and making a point of saying that he said “jury system.”

If you insist, Mr. Snow.