The Hollow Men - Politics and Deception

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House Judiciary Votes to Cite Karl Rove for Contempt

Jul 30 at 12:12pm by Jagwire X

Contemptible Rove?

Karl Rove the smug and arrogant puppet master behind much of the Bush Administration’s policies and power has failed to respond to the authorized subpoenas in the matter of the US Attorney firings and the allegations of his interference in the prosecution of former Alabama Governor Don Siegelman.

The House Judiciary Committee, voting along party lines, had elected to push the motion for contempt to the full House of Representatives, where a straight majority vote will be necessary to formalize the contempt citation.

The House Judiciary Committee, decision is only a recommendation, and it is up to Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., to allow a final vote. It is unclear whether she would be so inclined. Rove has denied any involvement with Justice decisions, and the White House has said Congress has no authority to compel testimony from current and former advisers. If so he should have nothing to fear in answering the subpoenas.

Following the actions in the previous contempt citation the House Judiciary Committee filed suit in federal court, seeking an order compelling the US Attorney to proceed with the prosecution. However the case was assigned to federal judge John D. Bates, a staunch Bush ally who dismissed the Plame lawsuit, the Cheney Energy Task Force lawsuit, and the DNC’s lawsuit seeking a ruling by Federal Election Commission on John McCain’s attempt to withdraw from his campaign’s public financing commitments. He also upheld the validity of Bush’s signature on an a bill not properly passed in the same form by both houses of Congress.

The House’s earlier contempt citations were referred under the statutory contempt procedure to the US Attorney who declined to prosecute the cases, upon the instruction of both the White House and the Department of Justice. Given that the previous contempt citations were brought up in the framework of investigation into whether or not the White House or the Department of Justice improperly directing prosecution decisions of the US Attorneys, this would seem to be a flagrant ethics violation as well as conflict of interest.

The Judiciary vote is that point where the decision needs to be made as to which type of contempt violation occurred. Statutory contempt which gets referred for prosecution to the US Attorney, and may be subject to the same conflict of interest, or inherent contempt which can then be prosecuted by the House itself in a trial before the body.

I don’t really have much faith in the House pursuing statutory contempt. It seems to me the inhertent contempt is a more accurate charge in any event.

It’s a step in the right direction but I’d really like to see the House of Representatives step up to the plate and actually get something done for the people.