“If Scooter Libby actually did what he's accused of doing, it was really stupid and he deserves to lose his job,” said Sen. Bob Bennett, R-Utah. “We'll find out for sure when the trial is over."

Republican Senate colleague Orrin Hatch stressed that the charges of perjury, false statements and obstruction of justice should be taken seriously, but that Libby deserves his “day in court.”

"These are indictable counts that suggest that Scooter Libby lied and did so to obstruct justice. Those are serious charges," Hatch said. "They have to be taken seriously, especially with [special prosecutor Patrick] Fitzgerald, who is a very competent prosecutor and has a reputation for honesty and decency. On the other side of that coin, Scooter Libby . . . has to be presumed innocent."

But given the nature of the charges, Hatch said Libby had to resign his White House post.

"Cheney would not have allowed him to stay. He had no choice and he did the right thing," Hatch said, praising Libby's career dealing with national security matters, saying he "served his country very, very well. It seems a shame that he has to go through this."

Rep. Chris Cannon, a Utah Republican who was one of the House members to prosecute former President Clinton on perjury and obstruction of justice charges, said through a spokesman that Libby is innocent until proven guilty.

But Cannon added that the charges are similar to Clinton's in that there are accusations of using governmental power to cover up something. “The difference is, Libby resigned,” said spokesman Charles Isom. Asked if Cannon would prosecute such a case as he did with Clinton, Isom said, “absolutely.”

Cannon also stuck by his statements from the Clinton impeachment trial that perjury was a grave crime.

“Perjury violates the rule of law,” Cannon said on Dec. 1, 1998. “Perjury is subversion of government. Perjury is a cancer which must be removed for society to heal itself.”

“Whether or not the president's supporters on this committee or elsewhere hypocritically choose to turn a blind eye to justice, we are bound to act to uphold the rule of law,” Cannon said later in the Judiciary Committee hearing.

Isom said Friday that Cannon's quotes still stand. “Nothing has changed,” he said.

Rep. Rob Bishop, R-Utah, said the process should go forward. “Mr. Libby will have his day in court."

The congressman added that he believes Fitzgerald is on the “up and up,” and that the charges are not like “other indictments we've heard of recently.” Bishop referred to charges against Rep. Tom DeLay, R-Texas, who stepped down as majority leader after an indictment for conspiracy and money laundering, charges Republicans say are politically motivated by a Democratic prosecutor in Texas.

“This one I don't see as a blatantly political involvement,” Bishop said of Friday's indictments of Libby. “I don't like those kind of games being played with these indictments.”

On the other side of the aisle, Rep. Jim Matheson, Utah's only Democrat in Congress, said it was a “sad day for our country.”

“No issue is more important for the federal government than our national security,” Matheson said. “These are serious charges and I hope that our system of justice will now help us get to the truth. If wrongdoing is proven, those responsible should be held accountable for their actions.”

tburr@sltrib.com

gehrke@sltrib.com