Something Different After Day 181. Gov. Elliot Spitzer and his NYS Division of Housing and Community Renewal (DHCR) dramatically altered and improved the housing fate of tens of thousands of Mitchell-Lama tenants. When the owners of Mitchell-Lama projects opt out of the program, the usual rule of law had been that those tenants become rent-stabilized – no big windfall for the owner. However, some owners, seizing on language in the enabling legislation, had won a court ruling that opting out of Mitchell-Lama was itself such a “unique and peculiar circumstance” that the apartments could instantly be converted to market rate. Yesterday, the Governor and the DCHR closed that loophole. NYDN article here.

Breaking via New York Times:

President [sic] Bush commuted the sentence of former White House aide I. Lewis ''Scooter'' Libby on Monday, sparing him from a 2 1/2-year prison term that Bush said was excessive.

Bush's move came hours after a federal appeals panel ruled Libby could not delay his prison term in the CIA leak case. That meant Libby was likely to have to report to prison soon and put new pressure on the president, who had been sidestepping calls by Libby's allies to pardon the former chief of staff to Vice President Dick Cheney.

''I respect the jury's verdict,'' Bush said in a statement. ''But I have concluded that the prison sentence given to Mr. Libby is excessive. Therefore, I am commuting the portion of Mr. Libby's sentence that required him to spend thirty months in prison.''

Bush left intact a $250,000 fine and two years probation for Libby, and Bush said his action still ''leaves in place a harsh punishment for Mr. Libby.''

Remember, this is the guy who laughed when Karla Faye Tucker asked to have her sentence of death commuted to life in prison. Glad to see he's such a soft touch these days.

At what point does impeachment become a viable option?