Will VP Cheney help Libby at sentencing?

The scheduled sentencing of Lewis "Scooter" Libby, Vice President Dick Cheney's former chief of staff, is now less than four weeks away.  If all is moving on schedule, the lawyers' presentencing work should be quite advanced now, and it is fun to speculate about whether and how Libby's defense team may be reaching out to his old boss for sentencing support.

This recent commentary from John Mashek at US News & World Report makes a strong plea for VP Cheney to make a strong plea for Libby.  Here are excerpts:

On June 5, Lewis "Scooter" Libby will face a probable prison sentence of around two years.  He should not stand alone. As the apparent fall guy in the perjury case over the outing of a CIA agent, he deserves a personal and forthright appearance by his former boss, Vice President Cheney....

Cheney needs to step up and say more in Libby's behalf other than argue that he is a fine man and a good public servant.  Libby deserves more from the vice president.  The presiding judge in the formal sentencing should hear directly from Cheney–in person and not in writing.... Cheney should at least be willing to put in that personal plea for Libby before his former chief of staff is led away to jail.

Some Libby sentencing posts:

• First-cut Libby guideline calculations?
• More Libby sentencing speculation
• Everyone's talking about pardons
• Will Libby get bail pending appeal from the courts? Can he get it from the President?
• Comparing Lewis Libby and Victor Rita
• Could Libby's decision not to testify now result in an obstruction-of-justice enhancement?
• Sentencing and pardon politics in the Libby case