Karl Rove, The White House And The Rule Of Law
Today was the deadline for a Judiciary Committee subpoena issued to Karl Rove, demanding his appearance before the Committee to testify on his role in the politicization of the Department of Justice and the politically selective prosecutions of Democrats. Unfortunately, Mr. Rove chose not to show up.
The claim that Mr. Rove and the White House make is that high-level aides to the president are totally immune from compelled congressional testimony. Not that there are certain subjects they cannot discuss in a public hearing, nor that the White House has a right to review questions that are asked, but that they are in a class entirely by themselves -- a separate group that is above the reach of a subpoena and, consequently, above the law.
Over the past 18 months, congressional inquiries have uncovered a level of politicization that runs the breadth of the administration and profoundly threatens one of the core elements of our democracy -- equal justice under law. We have seen it in the firing of nine U.S. Attorneys for partisan political purposes, in the hiring practices at the Justice Department, and apparently in the politically selective prosecution of Democrats like Alabama Governor Don Siegelman. Thorough investigation of these abuses of power requires that Congress get answers from the Executive Branch. By ignoring the Judiciary Committee subpoena, Karl Rove and the White House once again showed their utter disregard for our system of checks and balances, for Congress as a co-equal branch of government, and ultimately for the American people.
The question that now confronts the Judiciary Committee and, ultimately, the full House of Representatives, is what action to take in the face of such blatant defiance of the rule of law. As Chairman of the Judiciary Committee, I am considering all options. Regardless of the path we take, the end result must be the same: the full restoration of our Constitutional system of checks and balances and the principle that no one -- not Karl Rove and not the president -- is above the law.
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Rep Conyers,
You had better get back home to Detroit and lawyer-up that wife of yours. She is in real trouble. I enjoy reading your thoughts on corrupt elected officials, it's like you have some type of first hand knowledge.
Rep. Conyers,
My suggestion to you is to not grandstand/stage the whole Rove arrest. Make it swift, effective and do it when Rove will least suspect it. Don't discuss the preparations for his arrest with anyone who would not be directly involved and make sure the court is discreet in processing the warrant paperwork. And DEFINITELY DO NOT leak any actions to the blabber-mouth-when-it-doesn't-count MSM.
If Rove or others complain about these methods, refer them to Gramm's comment about whiners and tell them to talk to Gramm if they have any complaints.
Then ship him to Gitmo.
Mr. Conyers,
I'm wondering if it is better to impeach this administration or to wait until they leave office so that
George Bush can not grant a blanket pardon to his entire cabinet?
It seems that justice can only be served if this administration is brought to trial in a civilian court of law.
Impeaching this president still allows him to walk free, to wake up to his morning coffee in lavish comfort, to go on a highly profitable speaking and book tours and to enter the private sector in business dealings.
Removing him from office is not justice and I doubt there is enough time for impeachment
to be effective at this point. The only benefit of impeachment is to get to his records.
With that in mind, it would certainly make sense to use Congressional authority to bring Rove and then
Cheney before Congress under oath, if nothing more than to get all your legal ducks in a row and to prevent the destruction of critical evidence.
Vincent Bugliosi's book, The Prosecution of George W. Bush For Murder outlines a strong argument
for this case.
I also recommend the subpoena of all records related to this case from the likes of The Carlyle Group, Blackwater, Halliburton/KBR and Dyncorp and their subsidiaries.
These firms have benefitted immensely from conspiracy to defraud the government in a war for profit.
It is within your power to gather the finest legal minds on this continent to see that justice prevails.
You can't impeach a President after he leaves office. Once Bush is out of office he can't be held responsible for what he did while he was President. It wouldn't hold up in any court.
No, you can't IMPEACH a President once he leaves. But you can try him for treason and war crimes.
The President can pardon EVERYBODY involved before he leaves office, even before the criminals face trial, like his daddy did; under impeachment he cannot grant pardons.
dhinds,
Both of your posts make excellent points, and are clear and eloquent.
Are you aware of the map of Iraqi oil fields that was presented during the NEPDG and that is available on the internet as a result action taken by Judicial Watch.org to get access to information about that meeting?
Here is a link to the map on the Judicial Watch site:
http://www.judicialwatch.org/IraqOilMap.pdf
The presentation of this map during the NEPDG should be included in the review of the Cheney / Busch administrations planning / motives that led to the Iraq war.
Here also is a link to an attempt on the Power Line blog to refute this map as evidence for wrong-doing. It is worth reading, to see the opposing view, which can be refuted.
http://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/2004/01/ (search for "Foreign Suitors for Iraqi Oilfield Contracts"
Mc52;
For some reason the first link http://www.judicialwatch.org//IraqOilMap.pdf), does n ot seem to work. Is it me?
Try this:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=132&topic_id=3190892
I can only imagine posting here is a trial balloon for an unsure Congress. Of course Rove should be pursued, 100% - what about Tim Griffin and vote caging lists? The trashed emails? The erased hard drives? The Presidential Records Act has been violated twice.
Scott McClellan's book also states Rove was heading a massive White House effort to supply Conservative talk show personalities with comprehensive talking points. This amounts to a violation of U.S. anti-propaganda laws if the sources weren't disclosed on the air. The Downing Street Memos? The Sibel Edmonds testimony?
The evidence has been around, the backbone hasn't. Investigate now!
Rep. Conyers:
Karl Rove is in the Crimea, and obviously intends to stay out of the United States until the session ends.
See http://notionscapital.wordpress.com/2008/07/12/karl-in-the-crimea-rove-not-marx/
If Mr. Rove's Attorney, Robert D. Luskin of Patton Boggs LLP, concealed his client's foreign travel plans, as committee staff now maintain, should not he be charged with Contempt of Congress charge as well?
Congressman,
Thomas Paine claimed that here in America "the law is King." Well, here's is a BIG test. Is it or are the members of the executive branch (former and present) above the law because the president is now King? Which is it? Hope y'all make the right choice.
Rep. Conyers,
Our system of checks and balances WILL NOT survive if ANYBODY in the executive branch is allowed to be "too high-level" to honor a subpoena.
Because it's not just Karl Rove. Try to subpoena any of his subordinates, and you'll get the same result. Suddenly, "executive privilege" will extend all the way to the interns.
If Karl Rove gets away with ignoring THIS subpoena, it sends a message to the White House that they can ignore ANY subpoena they want. And most Americans will probably figure that Congress must not have the authority to subpoena people who work for the President.
The ONLY options to consider are whether to send the Sergeant at Arms to arrest Karl Rove at his house, or at Fox News.
Congress's approval rating is now 9% - worse than Bush's. That can easily be explained since the die-hard Bushies now have to deal with a Democratic majority, and the remainder of the country that now THINKS is really pissed off that Congress is STILL giving Bush everything he wants, the latest being immunity for telecommunicationi firms that spied on Americans.
Why not just open the jail doors and let everybody out of prison since this White House is guilty of just about every crime imaginable from fraud, drug abuse, and corruption to murder of innocent Iraqis and treason.
Dear Rep. Conyers:
The only way to ensure "the full restoration of our Constitutional system of checks and balances and the principle that no one -- not Karl Rove and not the president -- is above the law" is to impeach Bush and Cheney. The American people are counting on you to do the right thing. Please act quickly.
You shold read the polls because the majority doesn't want them to impeach Bush. It is only you kooks on the left and congress is throwing you a little olive branch so you will be sure to vote.
Yeah, so I guess the majority rules. Like, the majority of people oppose the Iraq war, and it is 'you kooks on the right' who support it and Bush/Cheney/Rove.
And the simple statement about polls not supporting impeachment.
That's just a fabrication.
show us that poll, troll.
Look. Crimes have been committed. Are you really so contemptuous of our Constitution that you would give THESE guys a pass to suit your politics? Pathetic.
The law is the law. Apply it randomly and you have chaos and anarchy. That seems to be okay with some of the remaining ignorant 23%ers.
Where did you see a poll on this?? Link please....
you are so wrong! Check out the polls here:
http://www.democrats.com/bush-impeachment-poll-2
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/10562904/
That's because they think "voting" means for someone on American Idol !! The part of the public that is paying attention (the "kooks on the left," as you so respectfully refer to them) DOES vote consistently to remove lawbreakers from office. It's as simple as that.
Mr. Conyers,
Do it. Just do it. This man is defying Congress. He is in contempt. He cannot be allowed to do this. I don't care if he's Republican, Democrat, Independent, or in the damn Green Party (yeah, hardly) he must obey the laws of the land. If you do not act swiftly and with a firm hand, you will be betraying your oath of office to uphold the Constitution of this country.
Don't let us down. We've all lost so much hope and belief in our system over the last seven years, please don't let it completely disintegrate. We need men of action and principle to take stands for what is right.
Former Pres. Clinton got impeached for alot less and do you think for one second if it was a Democratic president that had done this he would get away with or gotten away with even half of it? I think not. The Repubs were hell bent on the law being followed so why aren't the Dems? Do your job and the job of the American people. The majority of us want to see Bush and Cheney impeached. If you don't do your jobs then that sends a very powerful message to other countries and future presidents and that's that they can get away with anything even if the opposition is in power in Congress, especially if that opposition are the Democrats. You have nothing to lose and everything to gain. The Dems already have a reputation for being spineless so why don't you prove us wrong for a change?
You got the cowardly lion to leave the country. That's something, I guess.
Yes. All true. Now DO SOMETHING INSTEAD OF JUST TALKING ABOUT IT THIS TIME!
We all know what should be done. All that remains to be seen is if ANYONE has the guts to do it.
Dear Representative Conyers. You know what needs to be done here. Please find the courage to do the right thing. If not you, who? If not now, when? This is contrary to everthing we stand for. The country will back you up.
Rove thinks that the Dems will cave because they don't want to do anything that might jeapordize their chances in November, is his right? Stay tuned for this one, it could get interesting.
Uh..... we've been through this before..... would be nice if you all actually DID something.
Didn't everyone take an oath or something about preserving and protecting the Constitution? Seems like it's been shot to hell for some time now - pretty clear to anyone with the slightest interest.... yet Congress has done WHAT? Well, what BESIDES caving continually to an out of control President whose 'unitary Executive' is more akin to Stalinism than anything our Founding Fathers had in mind.....
Our nation's founders would be appalled at the FAILURE of the Legislative Branch to do what they should have done.... you can;t prevent tyranny if you refuse to enforce laws, you can't prevent tyranny if you stand by silently and complicitly.
We either have a Republic or not. WHICH IS IT Rep. Conyers?
Have I seen the collapse ot the American Republic into Imperial Empire or will theRepublic be reborn?
The choice is yours. DO SOMETHING FOR GOD'S SAKE.
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