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

[HopeandChange]

Where would Obama be without David Axlerod? He'd be standing in front of a blank tele-promter looking scared and confused.

[Thron]

you would love that to be true

[OhComeOnNow]

LMAO!!!

[robodweeb]

Maybe he'd be a president of the Harvard Law review or pehaps a state senator.

Or maybe the Democratic candidate for president of the United States without using his daddy's influence.

[ClydeSloppers]

Where would he be without that so-called anti-war speech that never was recorded. Is is memorex. Joe Wilson wondered where was Obama during anti-war activities. He did not hear a peep out of Obama.

[WLA]

You are a fool. It took me about 3 seconds to find this:

http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Barack_Obama's_Iraq_Speech

There you go, idjut. From 2002.

[kay]

Obama's going to be so busy responding to wacky conservative demands for documents.

You want the speech? I read today that while "conservative activists" have given up on the birth certificate interrogation, you're launched a new investigation into his selective service registration.

Why don't you get a job, and quit bugging him? He's busy.

[WLA]

Sorry attempt at deflection. This is about using taxpayer money to run a political campaign FROM the White House. Please do try and pay attention. I know it's hard for you 20%-ers.

[progessiveevangelic]

DEFEAT FISA, ARREST KARL ROVE,

at democrats.com


take back the bill of rights! take back the constitution.


http://www.democrats.com/defeat-the-wiretap-bill-arrest-karl-rove

The Senate will cast its final vote on warrantless wiretapping late Tuesday or Wednesday, so we need to flood Congress with petitions and calls demanding a no vote on the FISA bill.

Sign our petition for impeachment, not immunity:
http://www.democrats.com/peoplesemailnetwork/141?ad=d1

Call your Senators through the switchboard at 202-224-3121 or dial direct
http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm
or let BlueAmerica connect you for free:
http://tools.advomatic.com/7/fisa

Join a Facebook group for your state to lobby your Senators:
http://get-fisa-right.wetpaint.com/page/List+of+Senator+Specific+Facebook+Groups

Last week, thousands of Barack Obama's supporters urged him to oppose the FISA bill. Obama finally responded with a blog post that was wrong on the key issues. In his post Obama wrote, "I'm certainly not perfect, and expect to be held accountable too."


http://www.democrats.com/obama-escrow-fund

__________________

Arrest Karl Rove

The House Judiciary Committee subpoenaed Karl Rove to testify on July 10, but on July 1 Rove announced he would defy the subpoena.

Could you or I get away with defying a Congressional subpoena? Of course not. So why can Karl Rove? Like George Bush and Dick Cheney, Karl Rove, believes he is simply above the law.

[progessiveevangelic]

what WOULD it take for you and the rest of the mindstuck to stand up to the facscist?

Rape of young children? Check. Read Naomi Wolf article on the front page of this blog now.


Theft of the treasury? It happened already. Your children's children money is is the insiders Swiss accounts, now, by way of war black hole.


Loss of privacy? FISA vote today dismantles the basic BILL OF RIGHTS.

[ghostsofamerica]

Karl ROVE BEHIND BARS.


Would you let other vote-thieving WarCriminals Defy CONGRESS?

Executive Priviledge? NIXON WAS COMPELLED BY THE SUPREME COURT, and could NOT CLAIM EXECUTIVE PRIVILEDGE. The mob has stolen our country.


Let's get it back. ARREST KARL ROVE.

[willfarnaby]

Alas, somewhere around 14/15 of Americans have proven themselves to be, in general, simply drones, sheep, slaves... they'll take any amount of abuse and subject themselves to the fascist boot in the face without fighting back.

[kay]

Obama came out today with proposals on bankruptcy. He was smart and effective.

I expected the Left to support him on that. Nope. Is it too boring? Too practical?

Why do I get the feeling you're only interested in big, dramatic causes that involve "frogwalking Rove" and personal vindication and draconian punishment?

Why nothing from the Left on healthcare or the economy or...mundane things?

How likely is it that the country is going to support the next President spending 90% of his time on exacting "accountability" on the last President? They won't. They'll want the next President to start addressing issues they care about. They won't care about Karl Rove.

I don't care about him.

[syllepsis]

The fundamental problem, Mr. Waxman, is that Rove is already defying Congress' subpoena.
Congress COULD do something about it. Exercise the power of inherent contempt, for one, to compel testimony. This was used during the Teapot Dome scandal against another Republican administration that was corrupt to the core.
Enforce the laws you have before writing new ones!

[willfarnaby]

But it's easier to contemplate future "legislation" than to prosecute a powerful CONstituent of Murder Inc. for, oh, TREASON, OBSTRUCTION OF JUSTICE, ETC....

[flyrod]

That'd be a pretty good place to start. Just because Rove is claiming executive privilege, which is completely bogus in this case, doesn't mean he doesn't need to show up.

And Rove is the one calling Obama arrogant?

[mellene]

I'm all for eliminating a possible Rove-type coming into control again. However, it always seems like the pendulum swings in favor of Republicans getting away with this kind of control and the Democrats clean it up so they never get a chance to behave like Republicans who want control for the few and rich.

[NotMcCain]

Dear Congress,

Please don't think up crazy rules to prevent "another" criminal, Bush-style administration.

Use the next 7 months to find ways to hold THIS one accountable!

Thank you.

The Constitution of the United States

[MissKaren]

Amen to that, brother.

After the Holocaust, it was Never Again. Pope Paul VI, in the UN, said "Jamais Plus de Guerre," no more war. In this case, it's "No more bull."

Let's have hearing after hearing. Of course, Bush will pardon Rove when he leaves. He has to. But that means that Rove can be hauled in front of Congress under immunity and be forced to tell the truth on pain of perjury. He may not be prosecuted for what he actually did but he can be a major force in making sure it never gets to happen again.

[OhComeOnNow]

Succinct and to the point. BEAUTIFUL!!!

[frustratedinohio]

There are laws already in place to make sure nothing like this could ever happen. This administration overrides them and does what it wants. It's not about legislation, it's about enforcement. We should be arresting Rove and impeaching Bush. There's no way around it. If we don't we will have more criminals like this in this office.

[IntelligentDesign]

Right.

[darcy]

frustrated and NotMcCain, absolutely right!

[runforlife]

Agreed. In addition, I'd like to echo the obvious. The past eights have been a model of a cowardly congress. Bush's administration has scoffed at the law but the DEMs on the hill have shown a complete lack of guts. We have ourselves to blame.

[Retrofuturistic]

You are absolutely right. Unfortunately, the three branches of government and the media are all corrupt, so the American people have no recourse. Impeachment is a necessity but nothing gets done. The media does not report dissent, so many people don't even know it occurs. The status quo continues.

Without impeachment, the next president will continue to have the powers that Bush stole, and the U.S. will no longer be a democracy.

[syllepsis]

Waxman is well intentioned. But what good is a law if you can't enforce it?

[progessiveevangelic]

what WOULD it take for you and the rest of the mindstuck to stand up to the facscist?

Rape of young children? Check. Read Naomi Wolf article on the front page of this blog now.


Theft of the treasury? It happened already. Your children's children money is is the insiders Swiss accounts, now, by way of war black hole.


Loss of privacy? FISA vote today dismantles the basic BILL OF RIGHTS.

[pattio66]

not "can't enforce," the problem is "hasn't enforced," which may indicate that ultimately Congress "won't enforce."

[HopeandChange]

Another Rove isn't a realistic possibility. The odds are against there being another brilliant mind like his in our lifetime. We need to just sit back and enjoy the time we had.

[WLA]

The position of contrarian has already been filled by Beel. Oh, wait. You're serious. Get help.

[BronxBorn]

I thought H&C was Satire.
whoops.

[BronxBorn]

I think not!
Here's a fine up-n-comer : )

http://static1.firedoglake.com/29/files//2008/07/gonnagethisasskicked.jpg

[Nochnoi]

I disagree with the "brilliant" part of you comment, but completely agree and hope you are correct that there is no one like him ever again in my lifetime........

[Beelzebul]

Next thing you know, he'll want to pass legislation changing The Star Spangled Banner to La Marseillaise.

[SweetSydney]

"Lift every voice and sing."

[Adjuster]

I would change American cheese to French fumage just to p iss off nit wits like you, if I could.

[Economike]

You mean the Nationale don't you

[anova9]

The horse is missing. Quick - lock the stable!!

[Paintingislife]

Good one, anova9!

[peachfuzz]

There are going to be many laws made as a result of BushCo's misadministration.

But nothing takes the place of non-corrupted, dedicated, pure protectors of America.

The other side always pays more and people are weak for shiny things.

[SweetSydney]

Do you consider Bambi a "pure" protector of America?

Some on this site have compared him to Je-sus, the Messiah. Yesterday, one poster said he would have to "overturn some tables in the temple" which is a metaphor that doesn't leave to much room for doubt.

Seems that "cult" is an apt description of some of his supporters.

[Gordon]

I read a post on the Daily Kos last week that proclaimed that the mighty one is already destined to have one of the best presidencies ever. It's a done deal; a foregone conclusion. Not just a great candidate. A great president. Already.

[WLA]

Deflect and spin. Parrot the lines.

[CyrusBeaucephus]

A bucket of horse turds would be preferable to the current WH occupants, but please do whine some more about the long-overdue political pendulum shift that is taking place

[AmazingChicken]

See, this is a problem. Some folks are paying attention to issues that will impact the future, while others are focusing on 'Mini Me' and his sexual proclivities.
Seriously, people, which is the bigger issue?
Although in fairness Mr. Me is going to produce some results (his movie) WHILE THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY, MY PARTY, CANNOT GET S**T DONE TO HOLD THESE.....REPUBLICANTS RESPONSIBLE FOR WHAT THEY HAVE DONE AND CONTINUE TO DO TO THIS COUNTRY.
Whew. Thanks for letting me get that off.

[BronxBorn]

And are not health benefits part of an employee's salary?

So, the American Taxpayer is picking up the Health Insurance Tab for for a non-elected political operative, and the trolls are fine with that.
If the shoe was on the other DEM foot the wingnuts would be screamin' SOCALISM !!!
friggn' hypocrites

[WLA]

That's their answer to everything. Fix that bridge with taxpayer money? Socialism!

[Economike]

Dick Cheney was counting on salting those dollars away.

[ClydeSloppers]

I for one think Karl is brilliant in his new role as poltical commentator on Fox. He, Dick Morris and Laura Ingraham along with Shawn and Bill O really know how to size up this year's campaigns.

[WLA]

LOL.

[Oridaman]

Is today opposite day?

[venicesurfer]

this is absolutely ridiculous. no wonder congress's approval rating is at an all time low.

just 9% approve.

http://rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/mood_of_america/congressional_performance/congressional_performance

i admire karl rove by the way. politics is a dirty sport. thats just how it is. and im not even a republican. im a liberal. but not the annoying whining kind.

[Birdman]

So waht you are saying is you have no problem with a person using taxpayers money for political gain? Obviiously you seem to miss the part about government by the people for the people.

[WLA]

The goosestepping kind.

[donttasemebro]

It's not supposed to be a dirty sport, and I for one refuse to accept it as such. We either change the way things are done, or we suffer the consequences of several more presidential cycles of partisan warfare to the detriment of our beloved country. Call me a whiner all you want. I WANT CHANGE!!!

[Adjuster]

I can't wait to see the trolls/ repthugs whining when all the power they gave to the executive branch, which they thought they could hold for another generation or two (just until they could turn the country into a corpratocracy), when President Obama inherits it.

Hypocrites one and all!