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.
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Rove is a lying fraudulant criminal. He should be in jail for many of the things he did to mislead us into this war. I believe Reagan testified in the Iran Contra trial.
Why hasn't he been hauled in there by force already? And once he starts lying, will someone please charge him for his many crimes? We all want to see him reap what he so richly deserves. He'd look great in an orange jumpsuit.
This is more than sad, it borders on being a great tragedy.
There doesn't look to be any hope for the future of this nation.
Maybe Congress ought to stop telling us what they PLAN to do and actually do something instead.
They can't do anything yet. They have to give him a few more chances. It just might work (about the same time as cows fly out of my butt).
There is no law against ignoring a congressional subpoena. (It's been proven)
Please, do enlighten us. Where did you learn this little gem of a legal precedent?
No precedent. This is the case that establishes the precedent.
If it were truly against the law to ignore a congressional subpoena, wouldn't the guilty be prosecuted using People v Rove? This is what future opinions would state.
No one believes Rove will not get away with this. Not even Johnathon Turley. They don't believe congress will do its job.
Well said, Rep. Sanchez, as was your ruling on Rove's claim of immunity. But talk is cheap. Meanwhile, Rove continues to walk around, thumbing his nose not only at Congress, but also the whole legal system, the Constitution, and every law-abiding citizen in America. I truely wish that Congress would take the appropriate action and revive the contempt procedures and arrest this arrogant, law-breaking individual. Please do what's right and lock him up.
Has it occurred to anyone that the reason Miss Sanchez and others members of Congress have not formally acted against Rove is because they simply do not have the legal high ground to do so?
Hating Rove, Hating his politics, and hating everything he stands for does not make him a criminal in the eyes of the law, or the constitution for that matter.
They are fully aware of this, thus no action on their part.
Yes, they do, Congress can hold him in Contempt and put him in jail.
How can anyone know if there's no legal high ground to act upon when he refuses to cooperate with Congress? The legal issue at hand right now is Rove's refusal to even appear before the Judiciary Committee on a subpoena, let alone testify under oath. Please read Rove's lawyers' legal claims of immunity and Rep. Sanchez' ruling.
It's not about hating Rove, it's about his actions which give the appearance of evading justice.
There are all kinds of evidence on Rove's role in the Siegelman case including living witnesses, and if you care to go to the Raw Story, a law professor from NYU says that Rove is on shaky grounds legally. Furthermore, by claiming executive privilege on the Siegelman case, Rove is implicating the White House in it, and the WH denies any role. Executive privilege in the Siegelman matter does not signify.
Rep. Sanchez, I wrote to your committee chairman, John Conyers, that if the Congress does not act in this one particular matter at least (Siegelman), there is no rule in this country for anyone in political power as there is for the rest of us. It reminds me of the OJ Simpson case very much. Do not be afraid to go ahead, and thank you.
Ms. Sanchez: I applaud you for having "recommended that we hold Mr. Rove in contempt of Congress", but, to be blunt, I will believe it when I see it.
The Bush administration isn't "flaunting the law." They are flouting the law, because the law isn't on their side. Congress has a 9% approval rating because they won't do anything to bring Bush and company to justice.
Yeah, you'd think at some point, someone in Congress would try something new, like, say, SHOW SOME BACKBONE and see where the approval ratings go. You know, just for kicks.
You are absolutely correct if the Democrats would use the powers they have in this situation they can. People seem to forget though they only have a one vote majority right now. However, this doesn't apply to this situation.
This particular subject aside, you don't think Denis Kucinich showed backbone with his articles of impeachment? Yes the rest of the vertebrae who wouldn't support him show their true colors (we can't expect the Repugs to start eating their own---yet) but a few others are living up to the oath they took when they took office.
So, when are you going to have him arrested?
OK then, Rep. Sanchez. Let's see him do the perp walk. We're all waiting...
I am begging you Ms. Sanchez, to make an example out of this guy. ARREST him! Trust me, most of the public at large would be behind you. We have had enough of this Wild Wild West Administration, trampling over the law. Someone has to hold them accountable. We cannot continue to let this happen! Use your power. It has been said before, but I think it is worth restating, that you all are an EQUAL branch of government! If we cannot bring any of these people to justice, then what does that make us as a nation??? What message does that send to the world?
Again, I implore you to use the full extent of the law to bring this man to justice. Americans have had enough.
Well said Rep. Sanchez, I believe that the lack of accountability has reached crisis proportions. The FISA vote provided a coverup and prevented accountability for all those involved, from Congress to the White House. Now Rove is flaunting the law, it is not good. The Rule of Law prevents chaos, the Rule of Law prevents vigilanteism. In my humble opinion, you and Rep. Conyers should use your inherent contempt procedures and get on with it. Too much talking, we need justice. We need a reckoning. We need it now.
I want to thank you and your sister, Rep. Loretta Sanchez, for stalwartly rejecting the FISA coverup. There's so damn many things that need to be set right, settling the Rove matter would be a good start.
Sounds good to me, now let's do it. I'm not holding my breath on him getting arrested though.
First thing to do is invalidate his passport, otherwise he'll wind up in the Caymans.
Then do your job, Congresswoman.
I don't mean to pick nits, but language is important. Rove didn't "flaunt" the law. Quite the opposite. He flouted it.
Language aside, I'm with you. Rove belongs in prison.
While I agree with your sentiment littlejohn, I think she did not misuse the word. What she perhaps inadvertently said was that the administration is using the law that it makes up because the Administration IS the law; therefore FLAUNTING is the right word.
Unless Congress makes Rove, and the rest of the gang who refuses to obey their subpoenas suffer some consequence for it, it is the law that they can.
There is an old saw that is mentioned in discussing what the law is. The Law is what the last official with jurisdiction to do so makes it out to be. Here the Congress, by saying this is against the law but by doing nothing, proves that it is not against the law. How sad for all of us.
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