 Empty chair the Judiciary Committee saw the last time |
Rep. John Conyers, D-Mich., chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, Monday subpoenaed former White House adviser Karl Rove, The Hill reported. The subpoena is intended to compel Rove to testify about his role in the dismissal of nine U.S. attorneys during the administration of former President George W. Bush, as well as the Justice Department’s prosecution of former Alabama Gov. Don Siegelman, the report said.
Rove is one of several former White House officials who refused to testify voluntarily in the House and Senate in 2007 on the dismissal of the federal prosecutors. The Bush White House offered to allow executive branch officials to be interviewed behind closed doors, but insisted the officials could not be put under oath and there would be no transcripts of the interviews.
Rove has claimed executive privilege exemption from being compelled to testify but a federal court has rejected the claim.
“I have said many times that I will carry this investigation forward to its conclusion, whether in Congress or in court, and today’s action is an important step along the way,” said Conyers in announcing the subpoena.
Is this the point where Rove switches from “executive privilege” to the Fifth Amendment?
I propose we treat the trolls as trolls need to be treated. These two idiots can’t carry on a debate, generally make nonsense points, and add nothing but noise to blog.
And no, that doesn’t mean you’ve won. It means you’re too stupid to play the game in the manner the game is played. You are trolls.
“Rove is widely regarded among all his political opponents, both R and D, as one of the most devious and vindictive bastards of the modern era. The man has no morals, no standards of decency, and apparently no conscience.”
In other words, the perfect Politician.
# 29 Mr. Fusion said, “In case you haven’t noticed, we don’t post claims without being able to back them up.”
Really? I’m still waiting for links backing up your accusations on Limbaugh thread…
# 31 Olo Baggins of Bilge water said, “When I can’t can’t make a successful argument and am shown to be wrong I resort to ad hominem.”
Yes, we know that.
@ #31 Olo Baggins of Bywater
I think you are right. Its taken a while – but I conclude that they can only be trolls.
So unless they can produce real evidence (as opposed to links to nut jobs etc) to backup the claims – it must be assumed they are just trolling, and therefore a response is futile.
That said my hat goes off to Mr Fusion, he always does a great job of bringing rationality and intelligence to the madness.
You idiots trying to defend the actions of previous Presidential administrations based on party alignment were amusing for a while, but it’s gotten old.
Let us begin by defining politics as the ability of party A to influence the behavior of party B, where either party ranges from an individual to the planet’s population.
POLITICIANS and their entourage do POLITICAL things, and the lawyer elements push the legal envelope all the time. They try to convince us that they represent our interests, when any fool can see that they represent their own interests first. None of them are worth defending, let alone believing in. The best that any of us can hope for is that they’ll leave our activities alone. Even when they try to represent our interests, it doesn’t work, because the same old pigs crowd their way to the trough and keep us from getting all but the smallest pittance from the public funds intended for our interests.
freddy…They’re hit-and-run artists. Which is fine if the commentary is clever, humorous, or thought-provoking. But it’s not.
Never argue with an idiot. They bring you down to their level and beat you with experience.
#35, freddy,
Thank you for the complement, however credit should really go to my hemorrhoids. I don’t need another pain in the butt.
🙂
#22 – Lyin’ Mike
>>It looks to me to be one of the most ethical
>>administrations in history.
That you would even THINK such a thing, but less utter it in writing, brings you to a whole new level of prevarication, Lyin’ Mike.
Your nose just grew to such an extreme it was assigned its own area code. From here on out, you will have to dial “1” when making a call.
Dumbya? “one of the most ethical administrations in history”???
OUCH!!!
THAT’s one I’ve never heard before.
So what are the rules for citizens arrest again?
# 31 Olo Baggins of Bywater said, on January 27th, 2009 at 10:41 am
I propose we treat the trolls as trolls need to be treated. These two idiots can’t carry on a debate, generally make nonsense points, and add nothing but noise to blog.
And no, that doesn’t mean you’ve won. It means you’re too stupid to play the game in the manner the game is played. You are trolls.
18) when quoting your opponent, edit his words to conform to “correctness”
# 34 Paddy-O said, on January 27th, 2009 at 10:45 am
# 31 Olo Baggins of Bilge water said, “When I can’t can’t make a successful argument and am shown to be wrong I resort to ad hominem.”
Yes, we know that.
3) if they argue with you and actually present data (formerly known as “debating”), shrug it off as “propaganda from the Liberal Media”
4) if you cannot rebut the argument pick on details such as misspellings,improper punctuation or taglines
5) If your opponent has an unrefutable argument, change the subject
6) if your opponent consistently overturns your “correct” stories (anything told by Rush Limbaugh), use ad hominem attacks.
I love people proving me right.
J/P=?
Fusion, you know exactly what I’m talking about, as you were one of the people promoting this story awhile back when 60 Minutes ran with it.
#25, you can start with the Lieutenant Governor, who became governor after Clinton, and he ended up in jail. The whole Monica Lewinsky mess was related to Whitewater. Vernon Jordan got Monica a job in exchange for an affidavit in the Paula Jones case, and before Jordan arranged for money to Webster Hubbell, who then stopped cooperating with Ken Starr in his Whitewater inquiry.
#39, OK maybe I have a short memory span, but they are definitely more ethical than the Clinton Administration. I figure the Bush Admin to be on par with Carter, though now I can’t remember anything for Poppa Bush other than a prolonged Iran-Contra investigation. Still waiting for a count of Bush era indictments and convictions.
STARR-RAY INVESTIGATION
– Number of Starr-Ray investigation convictions or guilty pleas (including one governor, one associate attorney general and two Clinton business partners): 14
– Number of Clinton Cabinet members who came under criminal investigation: 5
– Number of Reagan cabinet members who came under criminal investigation: 4
– Number of top officials jailed in the Teapot Dome Scandal: 3
CRIME STATS
– Number of individuals and businesses associated with the Clinton machine who have been convicted of or pleaded guilty to crimes: 47
– Number of these convictions during Clinton’s presidency: 33
– Number of indictments/misdemeanor charges: 61
– Number of congressional witnesses who have pleaded the Fifth Amendment, fled the country to avoid testifying, or (in the case of foreign witnesses) refused to be interviewed: 122
SMALTZ INVESTIGATION
– Guilty pleas and convictions obtained by Donald Smaltz in cases involving charges of bribery and fraud against former Agriculture Secretary Mike Espy and associated individuals and businesses: 15
– Acquitted or overturned cases (including Espy): 6
– Fines and penalties assessed: $11.5 million
– Amount Tyson Food paid in fines and court costs: $6 million
CAMPAIGN FINANCE INVESTIGATION
– As of June 2000, the Justice Department listed 25 people indicted and 19 convicted because of the 1996 Clinton-Gore fundraising scandals.
– According to the House Committee on Government Reform in September 2000, 79 House and Senate witnesses asserted the Fifth Amendment in the course of investigations into Gore’s last fundraising campaign.
-James Riady entered a plea agreement to pay an $8.5 million fine for campaign finance crimes. This was a record under campaign finance laws.
CLINTON MACHINE CRIMES FOR WHICH CONVICTIONS WERE OBTAINED
Drug trafficking (3), racketeering, extortion, bribery (4), tax evasion, kickbacks, embezzlement (2), fraud (12), conspiracy (5), fraudulent loans, illegal gifts (1), illegal campaign contributions (5), money laundering (6), perjury, obstruction of justice.
HISTORICAL CONTEXT
– Number of independent counsel inquiries since the 1978 law was passed: 19
– Number that have produced indictments: 7
– Number that produced more convictions than the Starr investigation: 1
– Median length of investigations that led to convictions: 44 months
– Length of Starr-Ray investigation: 69 months.
– Total cost of the Starr investigation (3/00) $52 million
– Total cost of the Iran-Contra investigation: $48.5 million
– Total cost to taxpayers of the Madison Guarantee failure: $73 million
FRIENDS OF BILL
– Number of times John Huang took the 5th Amendment in answer to questions during a Judicial Watch deposition: 1,000
– Visits made to the White House by investigation subjects Johnny Chung, James Riady, John Huang, and Charlie Trie. 160
– Number of campaign contributors who got overnights at the White House in the two years before the 1996 election: 577
– Number of members of Thomas Boggs’s law firm who have held top positions in the Clinton administration. 18
– Number of times John Huang was briefed by CIA: 37
– Number of calls Huang made from Commerce Department to Lippo banks: 261
– Number of intelligence reports Huang read while at Commerce Department: 500
– Number of witnesses and critics of Clinton subjected to IRS audit: 45
So can we officially declare the existence of a ‘Rove Effect’ where all nefarious deeds and even Democratic bungling is blamed on Karl Rove?
This is even better than the ‘Gore Effect’ which causes cold weather to hit every time he makes a speech.
# 45 MikeN said, “So can we officially declare the existence of a ‘Rove Effect’…”
Yes, it is also what cause the Pelosi congress write checks for “W” on demand and against their will. LOL
#44, Still waiting for a count of Bush era indictments and convictions.
Me, too.
I knew it. The minute Obama is sworn in the neo-con apologists come out of the woodwork. Obama and the Democrats are no saints but your defending the indefensible in my view.
Lyin’ Mike,
You really are a tool. If you care to check the previous 60 Minutes post, you won’t see my name on there. I did see several from you, full of bullshit as usual. If you don’t believe me, check here.
And then your post #44. Ya really. As has been said before, there are lies, damn lies, and people who use statistics incorrectly to bolster a bad argument.
So who were all those “high ranking members” of the Reagan, Bush I and Clinton Administrations that came under criminal investigation? C’mon, you posted it, now back it up.
What administration has not had a political justice department? Presidents appoint people that will do their bidding…Rove should tell these fucking hypocrites to suck his Dick…On second thought, not a good idea with Barney Frank nearby…
#50, al,
Not since Richard Nixon has America had a President that used his office for such ideological gain. Unless, of course you can point out another White House that used political operatives for such nefarious tricks.
Reagan was bad. Andrew Jackson was bad. Bush II was a beyond words.
#51. You forgot one of the worst one. FDR.
Just a big ego on a power trip we get to pay for.
>> MikeN said, on January 27th, 2009 at 10:23 am
>> For the record what is the count of number of indictments and convictions for the George Bush Administration?
>> It looks to me to be one of the most ethical administrations in history.
And, by your standard, the Gambino family was one of the most ethical businesses in New York before 1983.
Only you would take a long post like that and ask for details.
Of course reading posts would help.
#55, Lyin’ Mike,
If your wrote it down then you know who they are. You didn’t just pick the numbers out the air and we know you wouldn’t look something up so that rules out plagiarism.
Who were all the high ranking officials from those three administrations that were under criminal investigation?
Since the Bush Administration refused to investigate itself, I expect to see a few investigations coming out shortly.
Karl Rove is only the first. As the U.S. economy collapses, Obama will need someone else to blame. The Democrats will start pulling in Bush’s staff and the Democratic media will blame them for the collapse.
At least they can’t use the guillotine on them — yet.
Rove can switch to the 5th but he has to show up in person and take the 5th.
#49 – Mr. Fusion
>>And then your post #44. Ya really.
Don’t worry, Lyin’ Mike didn’t come up with that stuff on his own. It was uncredited plagiarism from a wingnut web site. If you use The Google on a snipped of his text, the real source shows up as a hit.
#59, Mustard,
If Lyin’ Mike posted it, he can defend it.
Of course, I saw the plagiarizing crap right off the bat. The sections were titled.