Taking Aim At The Next Karl Rove (VIDEO)

The Hill reports that Democratic Congressman Henry Waxman is considering legislation that would prevent future administrations from having Karl-Rove type advisors:

Rep. Henry Waxman (D-Calif.), who has primary jurisdiction over the executive branch, is considering legislation to eliminate Karl Rove-type advisers in future administrations.

The chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee hints broadly that such a bill could ban the use of federal funds to finance such a politically partisan office.

"Why should we be using taxpayer dollars to have a person solely in charge of politics in the White House?" Waxman said in an interview. "Can you imagine the reaction if each member of Congress had a campaign person paid for with taxpayer dollars?"

Waxman, one of President Bush's most dogged opponents, will decide in September whether to press ahead this year or wait until next in hope of having a Democratic president sign such a bill.

Waxman says the White House operates under looser political ethics rules than does Congress, where chiefs of staff and other high-ranking officials are prohibited from using government phones, computers and facilities for political purposes.

Rove focused on President Bush's reelection while working on a West Wing salary during the first four years of the Bush administration.

As Bush's senior adviser, Rove headed the Office of Political Affairs, which interacts with the party's political committees, and the Office of Public Liaison, which works with outside groups such as business, religious and advocacy organizations that want to communicate with the president.

Rove's political activity at the White House sparked fierce disputes with congressional Democrats.

Keep reading here.

Rove has ignored a subpoena from Congress to testify under oath for the second time this year. The American News Project tracked Rove down to see if they could find out why.

Comments

[JRandomPoster]

I fear that all this would do would be to ensure that at least one cabinet position would be filled with someone with great political adviser qualifications, but horrible qualifications for that actual position, in order to ensure clearances to information and access.

[bar1ed]

give me a break ---- there is not one honest person in DC. ----- the whole system is broke. ---- just a matter of time before people start saying " what the f u c k happen ".

[trollsbwild]

NO- we have been saying that for some time now. It sure ain't the America I used to have faith in. Throw in the evangelicals, the MSM, and the military complex in with them too.
As they said in the our gang comedy- "This place am sure gone crazy".

[BhunduBoy]

Too little too late to remedy the Bush plutocracy

[SmootyBooty]

Waxman should concentrate on punishing this criminal for his crimes, including outing an undercover CIA operative, and let the "letter writin" go...

[sullydog]

Blah blah blah. More empty rhetoric from our inept and impotent Dems. Just go ahead with the "strongly-worded" letter and get on with the next catastrophe of justice and the Constitution you are going to talk a big game about and ultimately roll over and pee on yourself about.

[kasinca]

Speaking of empyt rhetoric: You sound as if you are someone who does not understand the checks and balances built within the congressional processes. The Democratic majority is barely a majority and the corrupt (R) have all joined hands and sworn to stonewall any meaningful legislation because they are counting on the people like you who will be upset at the Democrats without using reason. We are in this predicament until we vote all the rest of the thugs with (R) after their names out of office.

[trollsbwild]

Sure.. pay no attention to the fact that we have become a fascist state.

Isn't it great to convey such power to a first class moron and his cronies and secondt rate crooks?

Enjoying from your beach chair our economy imploding?

Loving corporatist judges allowing crimes to go without consequence?

[BWonka]

Typical rethuglican apologist - always blame the Democrats for the rethuglicans failures. Failures like Ro-ve, Bu$h and the heartless Darth Ch-eney. Great. No wonder the rest of the world hates us.

[AzRealProgressive]

Yeah, right. That is why there is a waiting list of hundreds of thousands of people waiting to get into the USA legally and another 12 million or so who did it illegally.

The rest of the world hates us? How do you explain this fact?

[esquire07]

You got that right - Reid and "Impeachement off the Table" Pelosi are absolutely useless Human Beings... all talk no action. Democratic Cowards will cave in to republican criminals everytime - they have their hands in jar as well.

Expect more of the same as the Nation plunges into bankruptcy.

[DKLA]

you're depressing me....

[naschkatze]

It's fine and dandy, but I hope it doesn't mean that Rove and others will receive a retroactive "telecom" type of immunity. They need to be pursued after they leave office.

[longislandlol]

You have to get repubs out of every walk of life-- they are everywhere; in churches, schools, everywhere where they can prey on truth--- not the repubs we knew a generation ago-- but the repubs spawned by religious right zealot hypocrites­...

[trollsbwild]

Exactly. The only thing they are missing is the nice dark suits with "SS" on them.

[evekendall]

Cavin' Nancy strikes again!

From a reader at BuzzFlash Mailbag for July 8, 2008:

http://www.buzzflash.com/articles/mailbag/649

"Subject: Karl Rove and Contempt

I have firm confirmation that Nancy Pelosi is urging the Judiciary committee NOT to go forward with contempt against Rove. Congressman John Conyers and the Judiciary staff are battling for it, but this has become an in-fight among dems.

Time to burn up the phone lines.

800-828-0498, 800-459-1887 or 800-614-2803 toll free to congressional switchboard

PLEASE CALL. House Judiciary Committee:

Here are the direct phone #'s of the Democrats on the Judiciary Committee.

They're all democrats, and they're all congressmen:

All their phone numbers begin with 202, next three digits are 225. I will list only the last four digits, to save time:

John Conyers, Michigan - 1-202-225-5126

Howard Berman, California - 4695

Rick Boucher, Virginia - 3861

Jerrold Nadler, New York - 5635

Bobby Scott, Virginia - 8351

Melvin Watt, North Carolina - 1510

Zoe Lofgren, California - 3072

Sheila Jackson, Texas - 3816

Maxine Waters, California - 2201

Bill Delahunt, Massachusetts - 3111

Robert Wexler, Florida - 3001

Linda Sanchez, California - 6676

Steve Cohen, Tennessee - 3265

Hank Johnson, Georgia - 1605

Betty Sutton, Ohio - 3401

Luis Gutierrez, Illinois - 8203

Brad Sherman, California - 5911

Tammy Baldwin, Wisconsin - 2906

Anthony Weiner, New York - 6616

Adam Schiff, California - 4176

Artur Davis, Alabama - 2665

Debbie Wasserman Schultz, Florida - 7931

Keith Ellison, Minnesota - 4755
. . .

A BuzzFlash Reader"

[dartagnan]

"Burn up the phone lines" indeed. Your naivete is touching. No communication to a congresscritter, unless accompanied by a fat and juicy campaign contribution, is going to have any effect whatsoever on the critter's behavior.

[evekendall]

I was quoting the BuzzFlash reader who posted this info.

[DMcD]

Rove , the Robespierre of our time.
No more !

[dartagnan]

This sounds good in principle, but in practice crooks like Bush and Cheney will always need slimemeisters like Rove and they will always find ways to pay for them.

[Jay1960]

Karl Who.....

[ShamusNYC]

In all seriousness, do not be surprised to see a quickee indictment of KR and some others post-election, a "no contest" plea, and the inevitable pardon...

That is, if Barack wins.

If not... well, there is a reason that Karl's helping John-Boy

[certainot]

most of the damage done by rove could not have been achieved without the aid of the coordinated uncontested repetition of talk radio to 50-70 MIL Americans and the political and media pressure exerted through them.

much GOP/bush corruption would be impossible if progressives passed legislation to break up the talk radio monopoly, and maybe began picketing and boycotting the local talk radio stations that continue to put on republican talkers that constantly lie about their candidates and causes.

[dartagnan]

The thing the wingnuts fear most in the world is reinstatement of the Fairness Doctrine. If you don't believe it, just watch how hysterical they get when the possibility is even broached.

[certainot]

i agree- no other subject draws as much instant and universal official wingnut condemnation when anyone with recognition brings up the subject.

they completely dependent on that monopoly and progressives need to recognize it- it has been used by rove like an invisible 2x4 to manage media, politicians, and issues.

[awcbuddy8]

Democrat's bane...Mae­stro Rove.

[WhiteDude]

Rove is a Worm and I hope he will be squashed..­....he is the quintessential republican viscid worm ever existed

[AzRealProgressive]

I take it you are not a charter member of his fan club.

What did the guy do? Besides be a political operative? He did not pass any legislation. Last I heard he was a political advisor.

Should Lanny Davis be arrested as well for what happened with Hillary?

If Obama is elected, do you want the Repubs. indicting his people for perceived crimes?

As Obama said, the politics of personal destruction need to go. This is a sterling example.

[circusfifthfloor]

I'm sure our little troll friends all have doctorates in international law.....CF­F

[applehead]

to keep out the karl rove types --- the ONLY way to keep out the karl rove types --- you have to keep out the nixon reagan bush bush mccain types. to keep out THOSE types you have to fix the no accountability voting machines or the Evil Powers that Be will Go Where and DO WHAT They Want as easily as a Knife on Melted Butter.

[WillPower]

The Kennedy, Johnson, Carter, Clinton, Obama types have no political operatives in their circles whatsoever, correct? Sure, keep political hacks out of the White House, but don't think Republicans have a monopoly.