BREAKING: Judiciary Committee Threatening to ARREST ROVE! (Conyers: "Kick Rove's A**"?)
Thu May 15, 2008 at 05:29:43 PM PDT
I was recently watching Verdict with Dan Abrams. Abrams does a better job than anyone else on TV (maybe even than Olbermann) in covering the corrupt prosecution of Don Siegelman. Robert Wexler was on, and they were talking about the case. Wexler serves on the house committee that is investigating this case. He said that they are trying to get Rove to testify without a subpoena. Rove is refusing, and is making it clear that he will not comply with a subpoena (since when did subpoenas become voluntary?). Rove is raising more "executive privilege" crap. Wexler said that Mukasey has made it clear that he will not enforce a contempt citation against Rove. Congress has become powerless against this president who fancies himself a king. I have never forgiven Schumer or Feinstein for what they did on Mukasey's confirmation, and I have refused to give money to the DSCC because of Schumer's action. This further validates my anger. But Wexler then said something that no democrat has mentioned yet. He said that if Mukasey doesn't enforce a contempt of congress citation, that congress would hold Rove in inherent contempt.
See my update: John Conyers is now threatening to actually arrest Karl Rove!
If held in inherent contempt, congress would order the house sergeant-at-arms to arrest Rove, and hold him in the capital basement. Congress would conduct something similar to a trial, and force Rove to testify. This method was often used in the 19th century.
You want to know why republicans lost a house seat in a district in which Bush got 62% of the vote? You want to know why people are leaving the republican party in droves? You want to know why we are looking at the possibility of 60 senate seats? Rove's criminality is one good reason why. Another good reason would be Bush's recent claim that he is giving up golf to 'sacrifice' for the troops in Iraq.
The damage this president has done to the constitution has been beyond calculation. He breaks the law at will. He tortures, he commits war crimes. It is my hope that as president, Barack Obama will name a special prosecutor to investigate all of the crimes that this petulant boy emperor has committed. Crimes against humanity. Crimes against the constitution. George Bush belongs in prison.
UPDATE Dan Abrams just said that Conyers on the Judiciary Committee is threatening to ARREST ROVE! They can actually issue an arrest warrant, and then send the sergeant-at-arms anywhere in the country to arrest this son of a b****.
According to CBS News
Just off the House floor today, the Crypt overheard House Judiciary Chairman John Conyers tell two other people: "We're closing in on Rove. Someone's got to kick his ass."
Asked a few minutes later for a more official explanation, Conyers told us that Rove has a week to appear before his committee. If he doesn't, said Conyers, "We'll do what any self-respecting committee would do. We'd hold him in contempt. Either that or go and have him arrested."
It is about time that congress remind this boy emperor that we have THREE branches of government, and that the president is NOT a king.
Second Update From Wikipedia, on inherent contempt:
Under this process, the procedure for holding a person in contempt involves only the chamber concerned. Following a contempt citation, the person cited is arrested by the Sergeant-at-Arms for the House or Senate, brought to the floor of the chamber, held to answer charges by the presiding officer, and then subjected to punishment as the chamber may dictate (usually imprisonment for punishment reasons, imprisonment for coercive effect, or release from the contempt citation.)
