Governor Don Siegelman has learned that Karl Rove is in some sort of negotiation for immunity or exec priv before he testifies on Feb. 23. He is asking for people to flood Judiciary Chairman John Conyers with calls to make sure he "stays strong," no deal, no immunity. Here is the text of my email from Gov. Siegelman.
Chairman Conyers' Office
Office: (202) 225-5126
Fax: (202) 225-0072
Dear Ralph,
Contact House Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers and tell him "No Deal!" for Karl Rove.
Once again I am calling on you to make sure Karl Rove testifies under oath before the House Judiciary Committee on Monday, February 23rd.
Rove has been subpoenaed. At first he claimed executive privilege protection and emphatically said he would not show up. Rove and his lawyer asked President Obama to extend the same executive privilege protection that President Bush had extended to Rove.
The White House responded by urging Congress and Rove "to cut a deal," to reach a settlement. Now we learn from Rove's lawyer that Rove is in negotiations with the Judiciary Committee to reach some accommodation before Monday.
There should be no deal offered to Karl Rove, no grant of executive privilege, no immunity, and no accommodation. What the American people want and need to begin the process of restoring justice is for Karl Rove to be brought before the committee, placed under oath, and forced to answer the tough questions about his abuse of power and the use of the Department of Justice as a political weapon.
Please write, call, fax, and email Congressman John Conyers, Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, to thank him for his commitment to the truth and for his determination to bring Karl Rove before his committee.
Chairman Conyers' Office
Office: (202) 225-5126
Fax: (202) 225-0072
Email: john.conyers@mail.house.gov
Thank Chairman Conyers, commend him, and ask him to stay strong and hold fast! There should be no deals cut and no immunity given to Karl Rove.
You may also call 1-800-826-3688 and ask to be connected to Congressman John Conyers' office. Thank him, praise him, and ask him to stay the course with Karl Rove. No deals. No immunity.
Sincerely,
Don Siegelman
Governor of Alabama 1999-2003
www.donsiegelman.org
DIARY UPDATE, DEMAND PUBLIC TESTIMONY (FROM A COMMENTER):
I read yesterday that Rove will be able to meet only with House staffers and attys in private to give his testimony. That means no public questioning shown on C-span or questions by people like Conyers or other Reps, except thru their staff. Sounds like a pretty cushy deal as it is. When you call demand Public Testimony.
UPDATE PART II, WILL THE TESTIMONY BE PUBIC AND TELEVISED ?
Conyers' staff has the "no concessions" piece down apparently, but has anyone asked if the hearings will be public and televised? An old Conyers trick, employed in the July 2008 non-impeachment hearing, is to bury it in the media so no one knows what happened. He held the hearing on the slowest Friday afternoon of the summer, when most reporters had gone home, and though it was on C-Span not a single network or newspaper picked it up, even though Conyers turned away hundreds of citizens from the hearing room because he said the seats were all taken by the "media." He is worried that the general public outside Kos-activist worlds will see this on TV and say HOORAY! and then it takes on a life of its own...
UPDATE III: CAN STILL LEAVE VOICEMAIL THROUGH SWITCHBOARD, 24/7
I guess Conyers' people are off to the Capitol Hill bars, no answer, but you can still leave voicemail through the 24/7 cap switchboard, which kicks in when you ask for Conyers' office...switchboard: (202) 224-3121.