Why Karl Rove Should Go To Jail

Again last week, we saw the arrogance of former White House advisor Karl Rove when an empty chair sat for him in front of the House Judiciary subcommittee where he was required by subpoena to testify. Not only did he refuse to appear before the committee -- let alone testify -- but he defiantly left the country thereby blatantly ignoring his obligations under the congressional subpoena served on him. When he did return to the country, Rove found the time to gab with TV reporters on a summer press tour in Beverly Hills, but failed to stop by the Judiciary Committee in Washington.

After my ruling that Mr. Rove's claims of immunity are not legally valid, Congressman Conyers and I gave him one last chance to comply with the law. He ignored us. As he let yet another deadline slip by this week, Mr. Rove's disregard for Congress has become intolerable. Mr. Rove needs to understand that he is not above the law and should obey a subpoena just like any other American is required to do.

Mr. Rove should not be able to hide behind the president to avoid the American public. Americans are fed up with this administration flouting the law. They expect Congress to hold people accountable and that is exactly what we intend to do. Letting Mr. Rove get away with this would set a dangerous precedent. I have recommended that we hold Mr. Rove in contempt of Congress. If we need to revive the inherent contempt procedure which gives Congress the authority to arrest those who defy Congressional subpoenas, then so be it.

The courts have made clear that no one, not even the president, is immune from compulsory process. Any person who scoffs at the law and who has committed an offense that is punishable by jail time should be put in jail. This includes Karl Rove.

Congresswoman Linda T. Sánchez is the Chairwoman of the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Commercial and Administrative Law. She represents the 39th Congressional District of California.

Comments

[Willz]

Iraqi Surge: The Great Taste vs Less Filling Debate

Fellow Bloggers,
Can I take you folks down memory lane?
Do you remember those silly beer commercials, in which each side was yelling what they thought was the key attribute of their favorite suds?
One side would yell - "Great Taste!!!"
While the other was yelling - "Less Filling!!!"

Republicans, Democrats- ---ARE YOU KIDDING ME???!!!!!!

Honestly, its starting to get on my nerves...I'm a Democrat , but its enough to make me want to petition for a box on the ballot marked 'Neither'.
Isnt the important thing that fewer lives are currently being lost?

Furthermore, how can we seriously discuss the notion of ANY kind of a 'Win', when more lives have been lost in this struggle than were lost on 911? The audacity of ANYONE to proclaim a victory is tantamount to one saying - '"just start banging your head against the wall...the pain will go away when you stop!"

The notion of a win in Iraq reminds me of a comedy skit I heard on the radio when I was a child....they were interviewing 'Tonto'...the journalist asked Tonto how he met the Lone Ranger...

"I bandaged his wounds and saved his life"

"Wow - thats great Tonto! - I can see why you two are great friends"

"Well- its was the least I could do - it was me who shot him"

[Economike]

Ms. Sanchez can you tell me why Schumer and Feinstein voted for Muchasy who has been instrumental in sheilding Bushes cronies? And how come Nancy Pelosi is making sure there will be no impeachment proceedings that could lead to an actual conviction? Do they have some grander scheme that maybe the rest of us aren't privy too. What is the deal?

[RRundbaken]

The president said he would punish anyone found out to have revealed the name of a CIA agent. We now know that Karl Rove did that but he conveniently quit his job. Arrest this guy. We are pulling people off the streets for hardly any reason and holding them for years with little evidence of a crime. Karl Rove revealed state secrets. Arrest him and show this administration that the rule of law still applies and the Constitution applies to everyone, even presidents and their staff.

[fungeezer]

So do it already. Lock him up. It's a welcome start.

[oneblackvote]

Arrest him, now.

[editrix66]

I agree with almost everyone here. We don't need justifications on why Karl Rove needs to be in jail. We agree with you. Congress needs to just use whatever constitutional authority it, and ARREST HIM! Otherwise, this Congress looks weak in the face of a corrupt administration. Bush just declared executive privilege in the Valerie Plame case! Scooter Libbey has already ben convicted in connection with this case (and pardoned), and Bush is now using his office to protect crimes committed by his vice-president. Congress needs to act to protect our constitutional checks and balances and the interests of the American people. Let's stop the discussion and call the sergeant at arms. Perhaps then, Congress will gain our respect.

[AzRealProgressive]

Good. Call the sergeant at arms, and do it! do it yourself, quit waiting on others.

[shockjock]

Rep Sanchez,

Please,

Stop bullshitting and put Rove in the Capitol jail.

and please,

share my sentiments with with Rep. Conyers.

You do fine work and thanks for endorsing Senator Obama.

My regards you and your sister.

[cae]

Rep. Sanchez,

As you can see, we out here are besides ourselves with frustration over the inaction of the Dem leadership and Congress. I and many others worked so hard to change things in 2006 and since then have basically been waiting for the cavalry to come in and start dealing with all the law breaking in Washington. But the law breaking has been permitted to stand, time after time, in spite of empty words of how the Bush administration was going to be held accountable--for anything! And NOTHING has been done. Just some committee hearings that went so far and no more. And suddenly, the issues just disappear. What?

I believe this is a reason for the pitifully low poll numbers for the Congress and Rep Pelosi. Lower than GWB!

It's nice to see words like yours, but based on past behavior, I've given up even trying to get excited or look forward to some action. The rule of law is too unimportant for ya'll in Washington? Then please resign and get someone in with some honor and a back bone.

If it turns out you're going to be different and will lead to some action, I apologize for lumping you in with others. Best wishes.

[PatA]

I am 65 and I have no faith in our government officials.
I worked so hard and gave money ,that I couldn't afford to give, to the Democrats because they promised change. I believed they were truthful.
Well, I am heartsick and worry about what my grandchildren are going to have to pay for when they become young adults.
The fact that Rove wasn't arrested is just one more sign to me that the whole process of what is right is wrong.

[Perla]

Dear Reps. Sanchez and Conyers,

Please just DO IT!
Tomorrow is a work day: Arrest the ever-smug Karl Rove.
It will be good for him. It will be good for all of us.

You don't need to convince us that you have the right to prosecute him.
Exercise the powers and responsibilities that are yours.
We have been waiting for you to do your job.

Thank you.

[AzRealProgressive]

May I offer a suggestion? If you feel this strongly about this, the only way you are going to get your message across is if you show up at her office in force and demand she do something. Get together, take a trip and use you duty as citizens to protest what you believe.

[rem]

Frankly, what we need is to use the Constitution by impeaching Bush AFTER he has left office in order to nullify the pardons he will inevitably make. The Constitution states regarding the President that "he shall have Power to Grant Reprieves and Pardons for Offenses against the United States, except in Cases of Impeachment." An impeachment should nullify those pardons. Let us begin working to this end, getting a Congress that will support this.

[AzRealProgressive]

What? 'Impeach him after he has left office". Did you think about this when you wrote it? You can't impeach someone who is not in office. Impeachment is only for those in elected office during their term. That is elementary my dear Watson.

[coach777b]

The Democratic Congress wonders why Americans rate them so low. This is why. If the Judicial Committee or Rep. Pelosi had any backbone, Rove would have been met at the airport upon his return by U.S. Marshals or the Sgt-At-Arms and immediately hauled off to jail. There's nothing complicated about it. he has placed himself above the law and above the U.S. Constitution. America was waiting for the response from Congress. The response was to write an article. I'm sick of every jellyfish Democrat in this Congress. I hope they are all voted out and some people who not only have a backbone but also honor the Constitution replace them.

[AzRealProgressive]

Pelosi has no authority to ask for an arrest. If she had such authority she would exercided it a long time ago.

[Lemeritus]

Suggest you study McGrain v. Daugherty, 1927, before spitting those Republican cherry pits.

[KevinLoyalAmerican]

So far, the 2006 elected Democratically controlled Congress has kept one and only one promise - "Impeachment is off the table".

Clearly it is all the guts they really have. Disappointing and sad, but not at all surprising.

The Bush/Cheney Crime Syndicate, the oil companies, and OPEC will continue to run this country...

[reno 77]

Representative Sanchez,
Drafting words without action is akin to conducting an orchestra without instruments. It’s nice to see that members of congress have trained themselves to faint on cue regarding this administration’s daily transgressions; unfortunately this country needs more than empty rhetoric to fight the real problems that face the nation. You’re points are valid and well spoken, but at the end of the day we know it's all play-acting.

[lisakaz2]

Talk is cheap. Do y'all have inherent co-equal powers or not? Wake me when you actually do something, like arrest this arrogant jerk.