Few public servants have received so much praise from so many influential people as Lewis “Scooter” Libby. On Tuesday, Reggie B. Walton, the judge who sentenced Mr Libby to 30 months in prison for perjury and obstruction of justice, released the letters from the 168 luminaries who wrote in to attest to Mr Libby’s character and plead clemency on his behalf – apparently in vain.

Supporters included former senior administration officials, such as Donald Rumsfeld, John Bolton, Paul Wolfowitz and Douglas Feith.