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

[bikerdude]

The best way to prevent another Rove is to severely punish the Rove we have. Outing a covert intelligence agent during the time of war is treason, and a great place to start. Begin impeachment proceedings against this criminal, failed regime. They must be held accountable for their actions.

[Buddy McCue]

Absolutely. Make an example of him. That's the only way they're ever going to learn.

[NotaBeliever]

There will always ben Karl Rove type people associated with the executive branch. Even if they're not paid for by *public* funds, they'll be funded by think tanks and other political organizations. A bunch of people had a plan for this administration and they've had it entirely their way for 8 years. What makes anyone on this earth think they'll give up that power?

[Buddy McCue]

Maybe not, but we can stop paying for it out of our own pockets.

[Dayahka]

This would be a useless rule as the next demagogue would just change the name or title of the office: a rove by any other name would smell just as rotten. What we need, instead, is a rule that says that upon election the president shall resign from the party that he belongs to and be president of all the people and no party.

[CrapWhisperer]

Ouch!

[Coronadoman]

The most damaging thing we are all watching before our eyes, is the illegal flaunting of Congress.

Rove et al set a dangerous precedent by defying a Congressional subpoena. If Congress does NOT act to have him summarily brought before them, Congress will have lost all credibility.

What happened to the rule of law?

If Rove can defy a subpoena with impunity, why should I, or you, regular everyday citizens, obey any Congressional utterance?

[marye13]

well said.

[harvboa]

You poor misguided liberals. It's all coming apart isn't it? THE HONORABLE PRESIDENT GEORGE W BUSH is finishing his 2nd term. Obama is flip-flopping all over the place on Iraq. Sen McCain is growing his base. And you guys are left all alone and unwanted by either party. Man, tough time to be a crazy lib these days.

[WLA]

What's it like to be a 20%-er?

[trollsbwild]

We're fine. How are you coping with the implosion of the GOP?
BTW, "honorable" and GWB in the same sentence is the ultimate oxymoron.

[eyesopenwide]

I wouldn't be pushing that "flip-flopping" thing,.har­vboa--oh, wait--never mind. You go right ahead and push that "flip-flopping" rhetoric all you want. There definitely needs to be a open dialogue to discuss Mc's flip-flopping tendencies.

[StillAmused]

The "honorable" George W. Bush is a war criminal..­. which makes you part of the bathtub ring.

[trollsbwild]

I'm confused. If laws were broken, why do we need to have more laws that can also be borken? Seems to me there has been NO oversight by the Senate. Why has this WH been allowed to get away with alleged violations of law? Is GWB so darn scary that they are scared to do what is called for?

[kay]

Liberals need to get over Karl Rove.

This idea that the right lawyer or the right law or the right lawsuit is going to result in "accountability" for Karl Rove flies in the face of direct experience, and seems to me to be naive. How effective have lawyers been the last 8 years? Not very. I'd look elsewhere for "justice".

The best way to discredit Rove is to beat him in another election.

[ghostsofamerica]

spoken like a republican­....always we are doing it wrong, and we should not stand up for laws...

[rkrenke]

How is this a liberal issue? Rove has yet to face prosecution for any of his crimes. As chair of the Judiciary Committee, John Conyers has the right to detain him in a holding cell in the Capitol's basement for as long as necessary if he so desires.

Until the Dems choose to use the inherent powers granted them by the Constitution, there will be no justice for the American people.

Parasites like Rove always rear their ugly heads - sometimes years later (think Rumsfield and Cheney). In this case, justice must be served if our government hopes to regain any credibility with not only the People, but the global community at large.

If Rove is a no show for his July 10 hearing before Conyer's committee, Conyer's should have him arrested and detained.

[Amennyc]

They already know they can get away with murder. They have been doing it for years. As much as people are aghast, Bush & Co. just keep moving forward. Knowing if nothing has been done with the obvious (war based on lies) then all is theirs. Most importantly, was he wearing a flag pin? Oh, good... that means he would never, ever harm Amerika.

[FZliveson]

What ? Where in the constitution does it provide for discrimination about whom anyone can hire for an advisor? What a bunch of cockamamie B.S. this is! WAXMAN....­proceed with impeachment investigations. No one expects a conviction­...but bring the issues before the public.

It is time for the PEOPLE to make their voices heard and get rid of the people who were elected to dine and be wined-and-dined at the expense of the citizens and corporations.

WAXMAN is a waste of time

[ZHarris]

Article 1, Section 8.

[darthdarcy]

Congress, this Congress has contributed to is own irrelevance by failing to uphold it's oath to protect and defend The Constitution and subjugated itself to the Unitary Dictatorship of G.W.Bush..­..

It will be remember by history as one of our worse ever and the worst of modern times...

We may pay dearly as we already are, for this failure as well as the rest of the world if Bush attacks Iran and possibly starts WWIII....

[Freemind42]

while i agree that Congress has a tendancy to roll over for Bush, keep in mind the size of the majority the Democrats hold. also, pay attention to the level of vetos that the President has done sinse the Democratic take over.

[RTIII]

The point has been made by some - often enough to warrant addressing - that hey, our guy is about to come onto the scene and why do we want to limit our guy from having what they had? And related arguments to that effect, not only on this, but on FISA, for example (BTW, check this out RE FISA: http://tools.advomatic.com/7/fisa)

My response is that true patriots don't put party above country.

True patriots refuse power they shouldn't have, like George Washington did as he set an example.

True patriots know that to take power they shouldn't have is not worth the risk because someday, when the shoe is on the other foot, they will have no defense and all can be lost.

Life before country, country before party...

So says I,
RTIII

[mergina]

Why has this country resigned itself to thinking it has to put up with Lying, Thieving, Murdering scumbags like these two in charge of this country's dealings?

[kay]

It's not that. A lot of us lost faith in lawyers a long time ago. Dead end. Really.

I'd like to beat Karl Rove in another election. I think that would be both fun and effective.

[Rosanneofpgh]

Yes, it would but it would also be fun to prosecute him for war crmes.

[rkrenke]

The old trial lawyer argument - trial lawyers are one of the most vocal groups supporting impeachment - over 1,000 attorneys sent a letter to Pelosi and Reid outlining why they should immediately proceed with impeachment hearings.

http://www.thenation.com/blogs/notion?bid=15&pid=262693

They are not the enemy and only a misguided Republican would believe that nonsense.

[eyesopenwide]

You think if 200 million Americans stood up in one accord and made A VERY LOUD ROAR, our "representatives" would start taking notice? I know, I'm dreaming, but hey, people's eyes are popping open all over the place--so you just never know.

[Beelzebul]

So Iraq is insisting on a withdrawal timetable. Talk about brazenness. First they attack us and now they're going to tell us when we have to leave? They should consider themselves lucky we even allow them to stay in Iraq. If Saddam were still alive, they'd all be dead. We'll leave when we're ready to leave and when we've been repaid for all our sacrifices.

End of story.

[speakingtruth2power]

Is it still sarcasm when the ridiculous reflects reality?

[jckamaraj]

they attacked you. i have no idea where you got that information

[WLA]

They knew what they were getting into when their air force bombed the empire state building.

[ZHarris]

Right Arn, Sir!!!

[eyesopenwide]

Either you're not the sharpest blade in the drawer, or this is a case of EXTREME sarcasm.

[nogimmicks]

This legislation makes a minor, perhaps even a valid point. The bigger problem is, however, the out-of-control role of big money and special interests, the acute lack of free Media, and a co-conspiratory role of the existing Media in the Cheney-Kri­stol-(with some help from Rove-Bush) coup. Kristol from the pages of New York Times, and Rove from Newsweek and Fox, continue their dirty work uninterrupted, morally supported and legally unchallenged.