Congress to Rove: ‘No justification’ for refusing to testify on Siegelman case.
Congress to Rove: ‘No justification’ for refusing to testify on Siegelman case.
Today, House Judiciary Committee leaders sent a letter to Karl Rove’s laywer, Robert Luskin, rejecting Rove’s offer to answer questions on his involvement in the Don Siegelman prosecution and other issues in writing. They wrote that, considering Rove’s willingness to speak to the media on the subject, “we can see no justification for his refusal to speak on the record to the Committee”:
As our previous letters have made clear, the Siegelman case is a principal reason for our invitation to Mr. Rove. But as we have also explained, that issue cannot be separated from the broader concerns about politicization within the Department and the U.S. Attorney firings , and Mr. Rove has made on-the-record comments to the media about all these interrelated matters. […]
Since you indicate Mr. Rove is now willing to submit written answers to questions, which by definition would be recorded in a manner similar to a transcript, we do not understand why he would not submit to providing transcribed answers to live questions, as he has done in media interviews.
In April, Luskin had indicated that Rove would testify if Congress subpoenaed him. By the end of the month, Luskin backed away from the pledge, claiming he had been taken out of context.
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23 Responses to “Congress to Rove: ‘No justification’ for refusing to testify on Siegelman case.”
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They issued him an “invitation” to testify. How special. Congress better DO SOMETHING and demand his testimony.
May 14th, 2008 at 5:38 pmEnough with the letters, stop playing nice and just subpeona him already. For christ sakes stop handling him with kit gloves. Do your job for once or move over and give it to someone that will….
May 14th, 2008 at 5:39 pmHmmm… maybe taking three straight special elections in red districts has convinced Congress to find some balls.
I’m not betting on it yet, but it sure would be nice to see.
May 14th, 2008 at 5:41 pmNotice when a repub rep wants to backtrack they were always “taken out of context.” So, then they can’t be held to the original agreement. What an ass !
May 14th, 2008 at 5:42 pmToday, House Judiciary Committee leaders sent a letter to Karl Rove’s laywer, Robert Luskin, rejecting Rove’s offer to answer questions on his involvement in the Don Siegelman prosecution and other issues in writing.
If he’s going to answer in writing, he’s waiving “executive privilege”.
So he damn well should appear and testify under oath. There’s nothing in “EP” that says that testimony not under oath is like not saying “Simon says” so it doesn’t count….
Cheers,
May 14th, 2008 at 5:45 pmI love how these crooks claim “executive privilege”, does that mean the “executive” Bush knew what was going on?
Well, that’s what the American people would like to know. Does anyone in government really care about the people anymore?
May 14th, 2008 at 5:47 pmIt’s okay with me if 1,5,10 years from now? Rove gets his. Actually the longer he waits, the better. But it’s coming.
May 14th, 2008 at 5:47 pm“…we do not understand why he would not submit to providing transcribed answers to live questions, as he has done in media interviews.”
You naive fools! You don’t suppose that the fact that before Congress, unlike the media Ho’s, he will be forced to perjure himself, admit guilt, or refuse to testify has any thing to do with him not being willing to offer sworn testimony. I suspect that like King George the Dumb, imposing the fifth means downing a bottle of cheap bourbon to KKKarl.
May 14th, 2008 at 5:48 pmI am starting to get the feeling that the label of Democrats as “weak” are probably true. All I hear are threats of subpoena’s but never the actual issue of one. Pelosi taking impeachment off the table in the face of a clear reason to impeach. No wonder this administration has no respect for the rule of law. When they break it, they can count on congress to literally do nothing more than issue idle threats.
May 14th, 2008 at 5:48 pm“Congress to Rove: ‘No justification’ for refusing to testify on Siegelman case.”
So now what? Send the letter Certified?
May 14th, 2008 at 5:50 pmIn April, Luskin had indicated that Rove would testify if Congress subpoenaed him. By the end of the month, Luskin backed away from the pledge, claiming he had been taken out of context.
Can someone please explain how “context” is measurable when you claim your client is willing to testify in front of Congress if they should subpoena him ?
May 14th, 2008 at 5:50 pmThe only justification for Karl Rove not speaking on record is because he would have to lie. He will never admit to what he has done. There is only one way Rove will ever spill his juts and that’s if he gets full immunity.
May 14th, 2008 at 5:53 pmWhy would executive priviledge be used if rover was connected to Seligman’s jailing ? Either he did concoct false evidence or he didn’t.
May 14th, 2008 at 5:55 pmWell even if rover lies and gets caught there is always a pardon waiting well until Jan 2009 at least.
May 14th, 2008 at 6:11 pmIn April, Luskin had indicated that Rove would testify if Congress subpoenaed him.
Well, yeah, but in fairness to Luskin, he only said that because he didn’t think Congress would ever do it.
May 14th, 2008 at 6:20 pmRove knows he can’t handle the heat of direct questioning. He’s the guy at the nexus of all the lies. It’s, probably, humanely impossible for anyone to keep them all straight “on the fly”. Plus, Goodling and Gonzo etc., have used up all the “I don’t recalls”. Heck! The poor little turdblossom would probably need an IV to replace all the sweat. I would gladly pay a buck for that program, but, I’m not holding my breath.
May 14th, 2008 at 6:28 pm>If he’s going to answer in writing, he’s waiving “executive >privilege”.
Right..about something that neither he nor the president claim to have had anything to do with…
May 14th, 2008 at 6:29 pmwhile I think this will almost certainly go against bush at an appelate level, I beleive the judge hearing the miers stuff is a bush dittohead..however, since his written decision will be dissected at the apellate level, he’s going to have to work REALLY hard to come up with even a semi-plausible reason for allowing the invoking of Ep in this case..
rover is the best at lying and twisting the truth plus he has a closet full of dirt on anyone trying to pin him down.
May 14th, 2008 at 6:33 pmMemo to Conyers: Forget the invitation and penpal methods for Tubby McTreason Rove. Go to Plan B and force subpoena power on Rove and demand testimony.
May 14th, 2008 at 6:41 pmSubpeonas have been issued, ignored, contempt of congress charges have been filed and the justice department refuses to enforce them. How ’bout that!? Write to Conyers and Waxman and demand that congress take some kind of action.
May 14th, 2008 at 8:13 pmI am beginning to think that maybe there is a reason the Congress is willing to wait to have the pig Rove testify until AFTER January 2009:
No pardons!
May 14th, 2008 at 8:19 pmThe Time to throw the WAR CRIMINAL KARL ROVE behind bars is far over due… get his ugly face to unswer questions under oath. The paint a red targeg on his ungly gutt and send him to the Iraq’s front line!
May 14th, 2008 at 11:18 pmCongress needs to stop playing games with “Fat Boy”. He’s not going to take them seriously until his ugly a_ s is sitting in court. What other American would get as many chances to come before they’d be locked up. I urge all of you to contact Rep. John Conyers and ask him to hold Rove in contempt so we can have his trial going on during the election. What Bush, Rover and all of the other criminals don’t understand is President Obama’s Justice Department can still investigate all of the crimes they committed and prosecute them. They are all guilty of “War Crimes” based on the Geneva Conventions for “Crimes Against Humanity”. Karl Rove is a War Criminal and he knows it.
May 16th, 2008 at 12:31 pm