WASHINGTON - Former White House adviser Karl Rove defied a congressional subpoena and refused to testify Thursday about allegations of political pressure at the Justice Department, including whether he influenced the prosecution of a former Democratic governor of Alabama.
Rep. Linda Sanchez, chairman of a House subcommittee, ruled with backing from fellow Democrats on the panel that Rove was breaking the law by refusing to cooperate perhaps the first step toward holding him in contempt of Congress. Just like 91% of the population.
Lawmakers subpoenaed Rove in May in an effort to force him to talk about whether he played a role in prosecutors' decisions to pursue cases against Democrats, such as former Alabama Gov. Don Siegelman, or in firing federal prosecutors considered disloyal to the Bush administration.
Rove had been scheduled to appear at the House Judiciary subcommittee hearing Thursday morning. A placard with his name sat in front of an empty chair at the witness table, with a handful of protesters behind it calling for Rove to be arrested. A decision on whether to pursue contempt charges now goes to the full Judiciary Committee and ultimately to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. I'm your faaaaather, Nancy...
House Republicans called Thursday's proceedings a political stunt and said if Democrats truly wanted information they would take Rove up on an offer he made to discuss the matter informally.
The House already has voted to hold two of President Bush's confidants in contempt for failing to cooperate with its inquiry into whether the administration fired nine federal prosecutors in 2006 for political reasons. The case, involving White House chief of staff Josh Bolten and former White House counsel Harriet Miers, is in federal court and may not be resolved before Bush's term ends in January. The White House has cited executive privilege, arguing that internal administration communications are confidential and that Congress cannot compel officials to testify.
Rove says he is bound to follow the White House's guidance, although he has offered to answer questions specifically on the Siegelman case but only with no transcript taken and not under oath. Democrats have rejected the offer because the testimony would not be sworn and, they say, could create a confusing record. "Confusion"? Aw, no. Can't have that in Congress.
Rove has insisted publicly that he never tried to influence Justice Department decisions and was not even aware of the Siegelman prosecution until it landed in the news. Mr. Rove, where were you when the Hindenberg blew up?
I don't think I was even born y...
ANSWER THE QUESTION!
Siegelman an unusually successful Democrat in a heavily Republican state was charged with accepting and concealing a contribution to his campaign to start a state education lottery, in exchange for appointing a hospital executive to a regulatory board. He was sentenced last year to more than seven years in prison but was released in March when a federal appeals court ruled Siegelman had raised "substantial questions of fact and law" in his appeal. Hey! I'm a Democrat! They can't do that!
Right you are governor. Baliff, release him!
Siegelman and others have alleged the prosecution was pushed by GOP operatives including Rove, a longtime Texas strategist who was heavily involved in Alabama politics before working at the White House. A former Republican campaign volunteer from Alabama told congressional attorneys last year that she overheard conversations suggesting that Rove pressed Justice officials in Washington to prosecute Siegelman. I've heard suggetions that Rove causes earthquakes and volcanos and shit...
The career prosecutors who handled Siegelman's case have insisted that Rove had nothing to do with it, emphasizing that the former governor was convicted by a jury. Oh, so he was, like, guilty? No wonder they're pissed...
#3
When the Congress is Constitutionally overreaching into the Executive branch's powers and responsibilities, yes, a subpoena can be useless.
They will file contempt charges, and then it goes to the courts.
The influencing a prosecutor stuff has already been pretty much demolished over on Powerline, months ago. Their prime witness is a habitual liar and attention whore, who will get ripped to shreds in a court hearing over the subpoena.
Here, let me try.
"After failing to stand up to Access Hollywood, voters wondering that if he can't do that how will he stand up to Ahmadjinninthere, Jackson's remarks confirm that he does indeed have a pair."
#4
Bobby, I don't want to get into the background of my wife, but her family seems to think bo is 'the man of many cultures' and whisper his name just slightly louder than Ahmadjinninthere. Me, I think he is a neophyte tool who will make so many mistakes it will seem a Biblical catastrophe. Example here, if bo is referring to his joint chief of staff then why does he need to urge McCain to listen to Maliki?
(Xinhua) -- The two U.S. presidential candidates on Wednesday voiced their different policies on dealing with threats from Iran, with Barack Obama emphasizing diplomacy and sanctions, while John McCain underlined the establishment of a missile shield in Europe.
It's my guess, based on a very small statistical sample, mind you, that most people think we already have a missile shield.
In an interview with ABC's 'Good Morning America', presumptive Democratic nominee Obama said Iran's reported missile tests justify the need to conduct direct diplomacy with the country and impose tougher economic sanctions, combined with strong incentives to change Tehran's behavior.
What tougher 'economic sanctions'? We already have stuffed their banks, we ban direct trade with them (more or less), and we lean on our allies not to trade with Iran. The Euros, particularly the Germans, won't go further because they need the trade. So 'tougher economic sanctions' is already doomed.
And 'direct diplomacy' should be a non-starter. When you sit and talk with a thug without pre-conditions, you're 90% of the way to losing.
Code Pink was protesting Gary Ackerman today, than whom there aren't many more liberal, because he's supporting sanctions against Iran. But then, we already knew which side they were on.
The Illinois senator was responding to a report earlier in the day that said the Iranian government had tested nine long and medium-range missiles, an act that intended to show Iran's 'enemies' its 'resolve and might', as an Iranian military official put it.
Obama said he would listen to his national security team to decide whether 'this indicates any new capabilities on Iran's part.'
In response to another report released Tuesday that said U.S. exports to Iran rose more than tenfold under President George W. Bush despite hostility between the two countries, Obama criticized the Republican government for using bellicose language against Tehran while at the same time increasing exports to the country. 'It's that kind of mixed signal that has led to the kind of situation that we're in right now,' he said.
Meanwhile, presumptive Republican presidential nominee McCain said in a prepared statement that the Iranian missile tests were proof of the need to build a missile defense system in Europe. 'Working with our European and regional allies is the best way to meet the threat posed by Iran, not unilateral concessions that undermine multilateral diplomacy,' he said.
The Vietnam veteran has criticized Obama's stated policy of engaging Iran through direct talks as 'dangerously' 'naive.'
Posted by: Fred ||
07/10/2008 00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[11 views]
Top|| File under: Govt of Iran
#1
IRNA/TOPIX/LUCIANNE > IRAN HAS REACHED A TURNING POINT TOWARD A NUCLEAR STATE.
#2
Obama criticized the Republican government for using bellicose language against Tehran while at the same time increasing exports to the country. 'It's that kind of mixed signal that has led to the kind of situation that we're in right now,' he said.
He does have good speechwriters.
Posted by: Bobby ||
07/10/2008 6:12 Comments ||
Top||
#3
So, one of our brilliant candidates wants to talk all day, that is the one who said 'it's only words, speeches'. And the other wants to hide behind a missle shield while the enemy figures how to overcome it, the one who wants amnesty for all Mexicans.
I vote for the guy who wants to attack now and blame it on a skin rash or something.
Hey, while I'm at it, the Mexicans have pulled out of the Olympic Games.....everyone who can run, jump, or swim has already left Mexico.
A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
the drug and gang related violence in Mexico.
Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence
over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has
dominated Mexico for six years.
Rantburg was assembled from recycled algorithms in the United States of America. No
trees were destroyed in the production of this weblog. We did hurt some, though. Sorry.
In an interview with ABC's 'Good Morning America', presumptive Democratic nominee Obama said Iran's reported missile tests justify the need to conduct direct diplomacy with the country and impose tougher economic sanctions, combined with strong incentives to change Tehran's behavior. 
In response to another report released Tuesday that said U.S. exports to Iran rose more than tenfold under President George W. Bush despite hostility between the two countries, Obama criticized the Republican government for using bellicose language against Tehran while at the same time increasing exports to the country. 'It's that kind of mixed signal that has led to the kind of situation that we're in right now,' he said. 
