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.

Comments

[RnR]

Rep. Conyers - I'd be real careful that I didn't actually touch him though :)

[RayPacNW]

Honorable Representative Conyers,

Use the powers of inherent contempt and instruct the Sargeant At Arms and his force to arrest Rove. With all respect, Sir, this is wholly appropriate, and nothing less will do.

[TLV]

When you break the law, you pay the price. Who or what is keeping this from happening to one of the worst political criminals of all time? Investigate, prosecute, indict, sentence. Do it now.

[sharonh]

Thank you Mr. Conyers for your tenacity in the face of aversion, for your continued bravery and perseverance. Not a person in this country is immune from it's laws, you are right and you know it. I applaud you. I believe a change is going to come and now I am able to carry on. It's been a long time coming. My apologizes to Mr. Cooke.

[jackie4444]

Looking at an article today elsewhere, it appears that after voting to hold Myers and Bolton in contempt, the Judiciary Committee THEN FILED A CIVIL ACTION in court for enforcement of the subpoena. The Judiciary Committee has contempt powers which don't arise from any act of
a judge, right? It seems to me that the Dems are again chasing their tails, like some kid yelling
"mommy, mommy, johnny won't help me like you told him to, so MAKE him'. Can someone with
federal law background explain why members of the JC and not, for instance Rove/Myers/Bolton
are out there filing civil actions to get the matter into court?

[ikesambobby]

Let's take our country back!

[Zentomato]

Congressman Conyers I have held you up as one of my heroes for years now. I've always thought that you really had genuine ethics and that you cared about the Bill of Rights and the Constitution but after we, the electorate, gave you an electoral mandate all we have witnessed is cowardly capitulation to the Bush administration. The trust I had in you sir, you squandered in your malaise approach to real Constitutional justice. Sorry sir, I don't believe you anymore.

[Zentomato]

Huff-Po is snoozing on this news concerning Rove. Alternet is reporting that Rove has left the country without informing the House commitee.

[fpie]

As of this week Karl Rove was visiting a political confab on the island of Gotland, Sweden. I imagine he has been passing along tips to the local coservitives on dirty tricks and stealing elections. Rhinfeld and his guys conned the swedes into electing them and have been following a pattern very similar to Bushco. Their policies are very unpopular and when asked about it their response is that they are in power and will do just as they please.

[exflatlander]

Sure sounds like thre Rove pattern.

[focher]

Dear Rep. Conyers,

I am reminded of a scene from The West Wing where one advisor to the President says "If you veto this bill and they override the veto, we will look weak." The reply was "If they override the veto, we are weak."

For almost 2 years now, Democrats have been firmly in control of the House. While individually some Democrats have remained committed to their principles, as a whole the Democrats in Congress have not just looked weak, they have proven that they are weak. Some of us are tired of Congress members publically complaining about this administration's behavior. If Congress will not, as an equal branch of the US government, exercise powers granted to it under the Constitution against a branch that exercises powers not granted to it then what do you want from the citizenry? We have no recourse. We are forced to sit back, sigh, and live in frustration that the people we elect do not do our bidding.

I have been to the halls of Congress. I know that there is a Congressional police force. Use it. Send them to Karl Rove, arrest him, and bring him to Congress. It's your subpoena power he is violating. Would that create a Constitutional crisis? You might think so, but the rest of us think we have already been in one for 7 years.

[SharonWantsToTalk]

Arrest him already! its the only choice.

[Wilburrr]

Rep. Conyers,

Please remember the words of the late Sen. Barry Goldwater, who said on the occasion of his nomination speech in 1964, "I would remind you that extremism in the defense of liberty is no vice! And let me remind you also that moderation in the pursuit of justice is no virtue!"

[dhinds]

Part I

It sounds to me like the conditions are finally right to present the criminals that have done so much damage to our country with the bill. The Constitution, equality and the rule of law; the economy and the moral fiber of a nation have all been cheapened as a result of their deceitful criminal behavior and Chairman Conyers is unlikely to lose his focus.

The motivation for the Iraq Invasion is the issue that characterizes most clearly the nature of the current Administration AND the judgment of the two major Presidential candidates.

In his 35 Articles for the Impeachment of President Bush, Congressman Kucinich calenderizes a chain of events that preceded and apparently, led to the invasion of Iraq; a chain of events beginning with a White House reunion held with the major oil companies comprising the National Energy Policy Development Group (NEPDG) BEFORE 9/11, which provided a pretext for invading Iraq.

Recent events, which include the no-bid contracts being provided to the members of the National Energy Policy Development Group, lend credence to that interpretation of the circumstances that motivated the invasion of Iraq by the United States Military and the mercenaries contracted by the Bush Administration.

[dhinds]

Part II

It is imperative to determine whether both Congress and the public were intentionally misled in order to implement the strategy outlined during the NEPDG's White House reunion, where the importance of removing Saddam Hussein (who had nationalized Iraq's oil in the 1970's) from power, and thus gain access to that nation's petroleum reserves, was discussed.

Were mistakes made regarding the weapons of mass destruction and the importance of removing an undemocratic regime?

Or was the invasion organized and carried out by a member of the American oil industry who intentionally defrauded Congress and the public and abused his power as Commander and Chief of America's Armed Forces in order to use their military might in support of his own personal agenda? (Remember, this is the man that used a fighter jet to visit his sweetheart while in the Texas Air National Guard).

The importance of realizing a Full Investigation into the allegations contained in House Resolution 1258 can not be overstressed. Please give this matter the utmost and immediate priority!

Call or write the House Judiciary Committee to demand a Full Investigation:

Hon. John Conyers, Jr., Chairman
http://judiciary.house.gov/contact.aspx
2138 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
p/202-225-3951

To contact Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi:

http://www.speaker.gov/contact
Office of the Speaker
H-232, US Capitol
Washington, DC 20515
[phone]

[Jerilyn]

I hope Nancy Pelosi and her Dem team in congress have the courage to do what they must: uphold the rule of law in this country by citing Rove for contempt and going after him with all due speed. If they don't do that they will once more be complicit in the Bush administration abuses of power they publicly deplore but usually don't have the guts to do anything about when push comes to shove.

Like for instance the long overdue impeachment of a president whose arrogant betrayal of the public trust goes far beyond anything Nixon, Reagan, or Clinton ever did. Among other things, Congress has let the Bush boys get by with taking the country to war under false pretenses, a high crime and misdemeanor if ever there was one and one that many innocent people are paying for in blood. Not to mention the national debt from this wild spending extravaganza, which Bush has laid on the backs of this generation of Americans and many to follow as well.

Jerilyn Bowen

[jfor]

Personally i do not believe a word you or Pelosi or Reid has to say on this matter.
Bush has basically zero support and you treat him like he has some kind of mandate.
Impeachment is off the table.
Bush can now legally spy on Americans,
You have not stopped the torturing that is done in our names.
You continue to fund the war, time after time.
Your against withdrawel.
Oil is four times more expensive than seven years ago.
Rove walks all over you and you do not arrest him.
Our children are even dumber than before.
Our economy sucks.
I know there is more but my heart can't take it.
All brought to you by George W. Bush and the Democratic majority that cares more about their re election than they care about the Constitution.

So tell me again what do you spineless jellyfish plan on doing ?

* "you" includes all elected democrats that refuse to do their job.

[Jerilyn]

Right on, jfor! You said it, bro.

[arrogant1]

ditto

[Diana]

Very well said.

[wardropper]

The question we are all asking is:
When will the law in this country actually DO something about a criminal administration?
Talk is cheap.
Why, even I, without the equivalent of so much as a kindergarten achievement star in law, can talk for an hour about the concept of law and order.
We expect much more from our highly-paid judiciary than that.

Er . . . don't we?

[eplebneesta]

Arrest the "man", put him in the dungeon and begin his trial.
It seems to me that the administration would have two options:
1) A commando raid.
2) Take Congress to court and prove that executive privilege is lawful and
applicable to this case.

Remember that the US is NOT at war. Congress has never declared war. When anyone, especially those in government, uses the word "war," it legitimizes the illegal actions of this administration. To not prosecute the crimes is to implicitly support them. No war, no wartime powers.

I realize taking on the least popular "president" in US history, especially in light of such minor crimes with so little proof, must seem like a daunting task, but I know you can do it if you try; be _The_Little_Congressman_that_Could_. And I believe a few US citizens would admire (or, dare I say it -- revere) you for it.

Only by prosecuting these flagrant lawbreakers can we show our populace and the rest of the world that the US is still a democracy and a nation of laws. The last 7+ years must be associated only with Bush, not the US.

E Pleb Neesta
GODISNOWHERE
Blessed are the cheese makers.
Econ101: Demand raises prices, SUVs increase demand so SUVs raise prices.
Treat the owners accordingly..

[egal]

Oh, don't worry, there are plenty of massive, impeachable, unconstitutional, anti-human-rights, and military treason violations on which to arrest and fine the entire administration--and plenty of proof, it the rest of our leadership had the balls and the integrity to do so.

[eplebneesta]

Sorry, forgot my /sarcasm/ tags.