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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I'm heartsick that the promise of a pro-active Democratic take-over of Congress in 2006 has devolved into toothless barking. Not only that, but the total caving-in of the Dems. Quit talking about what you can do. Do it! Rove and all the neo-conservative minions of the Bush administion know you're only trying to run the clock out with talk and posturing. The Democrats have lost the support and respect of so many of us life-long progressives. No wonder so many Dems have threatened to jump parties despite the consequences! Could those consequences be any worse than the Democratic rolling-over to the least popular Administration in our lifetimes?
Please Ms. Sanchez - Stop talking about this and do it.
No more wimpy Congress. Re-establish the balance of power!
So why isn't he in jail already?
Evidently he did nothing to warrant arrest and jail.
Congress had a second chance when we finally got rid of Alberto Gonzales but instead immediately proved their incompetence by putting Mukasey in as A.G. . Hell, I'm still waiting for Meiers and Bolton to be held in contempt for their Senate subpeona no shows.
You reap what you sow.
If by chance you manage to actually arrest him, can you please do so under the 2007 Military Commissions Act? You know, the one that officially does away with habeus corpus, the one that your COngress signed into law.
Just more toothless barking, (Sigh)
I've about had it with our "Law and Order" "Take-A-Bi
Why? Because it only applies to you and me! Little folks.
A backyard Saturday afternoon rather sedate adult birthday party results in visits by police about noise ordinance violations and threats of arrest, while rich developers a few feet away make far louder noise using jack hammers and concrete-busters from early to late 7 days a week, no problem. Police won't even answer complaint call, and the rich get ever richer.
High school kids' parents can now be sent to jail for three or more "tardies", yet school personnel are under no added obligation to keep more accurate attendance records, which at present are often recorded by student volunteers and poorly paid clerical staff. Political grandstanding by legislators.
And, finally, when I get a summons for jury duty. I don't dare not show up, because I know a policeman will come to my door with a subpoena and haul me away in handcuffs. I've seen it happen to others; never mind the pay is miniscule and hardships great.
And don't get me started on the disparity in sentencing for drug offenses, or the Jena Six incident, or credit card usary rates, upside-down, fraudulent mortgages, insurance failure to pay claims, Enron, or the Great Fanny/Fred
And then, there's Karl Rove, taking the double standard to a whole new level.
And can you imagine living anywhere else? Anywhere else has it worse. Makes one shudder to think of it. In England you get all of that and waking up to call for prayers at 5am at the local mosque.
Chairwoman Sánchez,
Are you one of those in Congress who voted to give Pelosi her position as Speaker of the House?
Are you doing anything to motivate her to take action? Or are you only trying to convice us to agree that Rove should be in jail.
How did Pelosi obtain her position as Speaker of the House? How does she maintain it?
At what point do you hold her accountable?
This corrupt "Mafia" has gotten away with so many crimes that one must wonder if they are all complicit in this sorry little game. Were it an average citizen, law enforcement would have already picked us up and thrown us in jail. Although a life long Dem, I do not understand Peloci's inactivity in all matters "Bush".
Even the most uneducated and "out of it" American can see right through the Bush smoke and mirrors schemes and knows right from wrong and friends...
The modus operandi of organized crime is to blackmail AND threaten death
to their targets and their family members. The 'ant tracks' letters 4 example?
I think mafia, crooks, pretty much sums it up by the majority here. What the problem is , is that we no longer have a free press. The press is controlled by a Communist regime, I'm sorry a Capitalist Welfare state, that only reports on those items they are allowed to report on.
With the - worst president in history - still in power, none of those crooks will ever go to jail.
All we (who care about justice) can do is wait, and hope, and pray, that eventually they will at least
be brought up on charges. Anybody but Bush/Cheney would have sent Scooter to jail where he
belongs.
Like it or not, fair or not - - we have no choice but to wait it out - and hope for the best. when the Democrats take over.
As bad as they are, I have no hope in the Dems either.
Rove is playing a dangerous game, trying to run out the clock. I hope he has thought what would happen if he is found guilty of something when Bush is not president. Bush will not be there to pardon him. I say charge him when Obama is President, toss him in jail and leave him there.
The current Congress is corrupt and complicit in the crimes of the current administration. Whether it's Sanchez, Conyers, Nadler, Leahy, Wexler, and certainly Reid and Pelosi, they have all failed their sworn oath to the Constitution. In that they are worse than Republicans because whereas everyone knows that Republicans are anti-democratic authoritarians, it was expected that the Democrats would honor their oath and would hold them accountable. The Democrats in Congress have failed the American people at one of the most crucial times in the country's history.
Everyone knows the "why".
We want to know the "when".
Demand on a Subpoena (ironically under the powers of the President) Rove again. If he doesn't show up, find out where he is and have Federal Marshalls arrest him. If he won't talk, then keep him in jail until he makes and appearance or until the end of this term of Congress. Of course, he if he appears he may just plead the 5th Amendment or Executive Privilege or national security, but at least show some guts to carry out the arrest order or you will look like bigger fools.
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