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

[AZM]

So Karl Rove was paid by taxpayers to indulge in political activities?
I recall a big stink put up by Republicans when Al Gore made some political phone calls from the White House a few years back.
Is that yet another example of hypocrisy on the part of Republicans?

[speakingtruth2power]

There is no comparison there and the level of GOP hypocrisy really requires a new word

that means a perverse need to rationalize ones own lies and treason's as patriotism and

hold the liberals to a self-righteous code of ethics that their own crooked liars can't meet.

This is how a Clinton blow-job can become worse than the murder of one million people.

[Trolmaster]

Why don't they just focus on arresting Rove for contempt of court? I bet they can easily get a group of citizens to help with that.

Why are Democrats doing nothing when Rove is acting as if he's above the law.

And that guy in the video should have been far more aggressive on Rove.

[RTIII]

Bad news. TODAY word on the street is that Nancy P is trying to let Rove off the hook for appearing before the Judiciary Committee on July 10th, two days from now.

PLEASE contact the committee memebers and tell em what you think about THAT!

IF it is approved, I've posted to this thread a comment with all the committee member's names.

[FilthyPerson]

If you can't beat 'em, legislate 'em.
It's the separation of powers version of the unFairness Doctrine.

[RussT]

Amen! That is exactly what's going on here.

[speakingtruth2power]

Since you love fascism, I will enjoy your screams of agony

as you are forced to live under the rule of liberal populism!

[ShanniC]

It is sad that we as a country have come to this. I know we need checks and balances, but this is ridiculous! Has America has become such a civil liberty violating, corporate machine, and-the-ri­ch-get-ric­her type of place that we need to police ourselves in this regard? In any case, I hope that things work out, and that we will never experience Rovian government again!

[Beelzebul]

History will be very very kind to Mr. Rove. The man is an icon; a political megastar; a man with dazzling creative ability and natural talent. A Mozart at crafting bipartisanship.

[VPN]

Sure history will be kind, for those reasons and the fact that between he and Bu$h that have damaged the Republican Brand beyond repair! Way to go Carl!

[speakingtruth2power]

Rove's other accomplishment is uniting democrats with independents!

[ChiGuy]

I hear he that also dresses as Santa Claus for many children's functions during the Xmas season too.
What a swell guy.

Someone should put his name on the P-ope's short list for sainthood.

[CyberGal619]

I hear he dresses like MRS. Santa Claus - and not just during the Xmas season.

[DesertLight]

You must be glutton for puni$hment.

[booboouu]

Too bad Rove isn't taking performance enhancing drugs...th­en we would see some real action by congress..­.

This congress is a travesty..­..over the last two years gas has gone up 2 dollars a gallon, the economy has dropped like a rock, and all we hear is this type of BS...

I guess we are seeing the change the dems were talking about... Obama 08...lol..­.joke

[myshadow]

This is so true it is worth saying twice..
'This congress is a travesty..­..over the last two years gas has gone up 2 dollars a gallon, the economy has dropped like a rock, and all we hear is this type of BS...'

bush hired nixon's lawyer and has systematically undone every 'criminal' mistake nixon made. Such as obeying the law and having the modicum of integrity. These amoral sociopaths realized early on they could stonewall these non chordate quislings and NOTHING would happen.

I had hopes and believed all that 'clean the swamp' crap pelosi gave us. This congress will be recorded as a pack of spineless enablers who, by their FAILURE to be a Congress are accessories after the fact of all the disgrace bush has brought to our country.

This is the longest 6 months of our lives.

[ChiGuy]

Do you actually think that anyone is buying your assertion that Congress is to blame for anything that you mentioned?

Watch the "change" when Dems have a bigger majority and can sniff as they bypass party-befo­re-country Republican maneuvers of the current corrupt bunch.

[TMAN]

Booboo look around you this REPUBLICAN administration is still in power, the democrats don't hold a veto blocking majority nor can they stop a daily threat of filibustering to prevent any meaningful change. Your team booboo. The team that lied us into an illegal invasion, shredded your rights attempting to over throw the constitutionally based government of the USof A. The team that daily grinds up our kids for the oil that un-controlled speculation has put at a premium middle class folks can't sustain. And the upshot booboo is as in the 1929 crash, the depression, and blinded by short term greed, this REPUBLICAN administration is busy as beavers with their corporate favored agenda, driving us over the abyss of the next GREAT REPUBLICAN DEPRESSION.

Awaken booboo. Come out of your self induced ignorance to the light of day!

[separatingwheatfromchaff]

Just SOP for GOP'ers,keep lying and lying and lying until people get tired of correcting them,then they bask in their ignorance.

[js2000]

Can someone please provide evidence of the crimes that Bush or Rove committed? If there truly were crimes and a smoking gun, don't you think all those liberal wack jobs in Congress would have impeached him by now? They won't because they can't.

Get over it. We won the war in Iraq. Let's celebrate! Oops sorry. I forgot you are all ANTI-Americans.

[VolvoBirkenstock]

According to your candidate, we have not yet won the war.

Are you calling your candidate an incompetent liar?

[DesertLight]

Welcome back. You've been away.

[ZHarris]

Not only his candidate, but the PRESIDENT hisself!

[speakingtruth2power]

May as well join the majority!

[dlee]

Mr. Vincent Bugliosi provides overwhelming evidence of Bush's crimes in his book, "The Prosecution of GWB for Murder.'' Just looking at the photos of Rove and Bush brings the vomit to my mouth. They are disgusting excuses for human beings. The "wack jobs" in Congress have a lot to be ashamed of, I'll give you that, but it is the republicans who are responsible for the way this country has sunk to depths I never thought possible.

[cuomofied]

It's not Democrats or Republicans, its the ruling class that has sunk us into this mess. It's theatre, plain and simply. Faux outrage and talking points keeps America idle while they destroy this country.

We need representative government, plain and simple. We don't have it on either side of the isle.

[VPN]

Are you really that STUPID, or are you just playing someone who is? OK, we won in Iraq, what exactly did we win, was it the 4100+ dead Soldiers & Marines, the more than 1 million dead Iraqi men women and CHILDREN, the 2 million Iraqi refugees who have left the country, could it be the nearly three trillion in total cost? Or will it be something Bu$h hasen't shown us yet, like $6.00 a gallon gas?

[eyesopenwide]

A hypothetical:

Or maybe, sometime in the not too distant future (but definitely before election day) the bush regime will use the achievement of a "withdrawal timetable" as its "evidence" of "victory." Of course, JUST before the scheduled return of our troops, SOMETHING will happen and the floodgates of propaganda will be opened up against Iran and it will be accused of doing something, somewhere that warrants an all out military assault by the US and at least one of our allies against the Iranians--and since our troops are already over there anyway, they'll just re-route them to the frontlines of the new Iranian war.

But, hey, the Bush regime will proclaim their success in Iraq, as we begin another war with yet another country.

Parents: I'd be concerned about protecting my children from the war beast whose hunger is never satisfied.

[GiggidyGeshmoygen]

sadly,

pathetically,

delusional ..........­..........­.

[wmbear]

IT'S NOT A WAR...

It's an occupation. But I'll agree to call it a war if we can just say we won it and leave....

[HopeandChange]

You're right, it's not a war it's a battle. The war is against Terror.

[booboouu]

How is it possible that we have leaders this idiotic? Well, then again he could be talking about a constitutional amendment.

I think that whole seperation of powers thing might get in the way...

On the other hand, disregarding the meaning of the constitution is a common tactict for the dems...tha­t is unless it furthers some communist/leftist agenda.

Hope means change and change means hope...so get ready for Obama...we will see huge change that will take 20 years to reverse or fix...

[ZHarris]

You are confused. We'll be spending 20 years fixing the mess Bush has created...

[WLA]

Every time you equate Democrats with "Commies" you define yourself as an uneducated dolt and the rest of your words are just useless.

[ErnestineBass]

booboouu is just another brainless "dittohead", WLA. Best to simply ignore it.

[WLA]

BTW, Boosh sure is doing a good job fixing Clintoon's changes, right? He got rid of that durn surplus. Moran.

[HippieChick]

"disregarding the meaning of the constitution is a common tactict for the dems"

Words of wisdom from a person who has obviously been living in a cave (or completely relying on Faux "news" for "intellectual" analysis). The Bush regime has been actively destroying the Constitution since the supreme court installed them in 2000.

[drzoon]

you know of course that bush yelled at one of his legal staff: "constitution? quit shoving that piece of paper in my face!"

(true story)

[rkrenke]

Rove should personally reimburse the People for the millions of tax dollars he illegally used to try to fulfill his dream of a permanent GOP majority.

This man is a fraud and should spend the rest of his life in prison - how that has not happened already is a mystery.

[palealien]

Look, it's simple:
They win.
We lose. No matter what, OK? Unless we all- and I mean all- wake up and stand up.

[trollsbwild]

Just remember..­..the revolution sill not be televised!

[ZHarris]

It will be on You Tube...

[The Impartial]

WELL SAID !!! Wake up, America !!!

[wmbear]

ON SECOND THOUGHT...

Roll over and go back to sleep, America...­.

[triplbee]

This is completely pointless. Karl Rove was not the creation of a Congressional mandate and Congress cannot legislate away corruption. Come on Harry Waxman. This is pathetic.

[WLA]

Perhaps Harry can tell his brother Henry.

[trollsbwild]

LOL- He doesn't let the names get in the way of his ranting.

[ethancorso]

It galls me to no end that impeachment is not being vigorously pursued. You'd have to impeach both Bush and Cheney simultaneously to avoid leaving either in charge. I know that it would almost certainly fail, but I still believe that we have an inherent responsibility to at least try to hold the administration accountable for all of their crimes. Allowing myriad misdeeds to go unpunished sets a despicable precedent, and sends the message that our society tacitly endorses this type of behaviour.

Seriously, why would any future administration feel that it must be subject to oversight, or that it is duty bound to obey the Constitution, the rule of law, and international treaty agreements?

[tjfxh]

The good news is that war crimes are a contravention of international law, and there is no statute of limitations.

[rwe]

and yet impeachment and war crimes are only in the minds of the delusional­....

[Ron]

Maybe Waxman should be looking into creating a new law regarding organized political racketeering crimes, simialr to the RICO laws, with the powers to strip future benifits, including secret service protection, health care, retirement funds, and the ability to sieze money and assets. The present wiretapping isn't a crime now, but if found guilty they used it for political or monetary gain, could be used against them involved. That's where you'll hurt the criminals the most, and by not publicly funding a Rove type person will not stop them from having one to still confide in for dirty tricks, and legally using political loopholes to break laws and ignore the congress.

[marye13]

How spineless does our Congress appear when these people can totally ignore a Congressional subpoena and suffer no consequences? R ove and several others, including H arriett M iers and G onzo should be held in contempt. Something should be done to send the message that this will not be tolerated.

[Ammobob]

Now that the CONMAN's wife is in trouble, will the investigations and subpoena be pursued?? Waxman only wishes to TRY and impose Congress' will on the Executive Branch, which can be effectively challenged under the separation of powers, just think about how long the subpoena process has been going and will continue past the Bush Presidency. Wow! What a monumental waste of time and money.

[eyesopenwide]

The pursuit of truth and justice is never a waste of time or money, particularly when doing so reveals crimes that must be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law, and conviction delivers the guilty to face whatever fate awaits them as a consequence of their criminal behavior. In fact, I say it will be time and money well spent (for a change).