Rep. Sanchez: Karl Rove Should Go To Jail
Yesterday, former White House adviser Karl Rove skipped the country and refused to to appear before the House Judiciary Committee to testify about the politicization of the Justice Department, despite a subpoena.
House Judiciary Committee chairman John Conyers (D-MI) and Linda Sanchez (D-CA), chairwoman of the Commercial and Administrative Law Subcommittee, rejected Rove’s claim of immunity. Conyers called Rove’s absence an “insult to the American people and to the system of checks and balances that are the basis of our constitution and our democracy.”
Yesterday, Sanchez appeared on MSNBC and said that “in the next couple of weeks,” the Judiciary committee will vote to hold Rove in contempt. She believes that if the measure goes to the full House for a vote, there “a very great probability” that it would be approved. Sanchez also said that she thinks Rove should go to jail:
SHUSTER: But in any case, you want Karl Rove put in jail for this, right?
SANCHEZ: I would like to see him held accountable for his complete disregard of the law absolutely.
SHUSTER: But will you say “Yes, Karl Rove should go to jail if he doesn’t cooperate”?
SANCHEZ: I personally believe, yes, absolutely. Anybody who scoffs at the law and who has committed an offense that is punishable by jail time should be put in jail.
Watch it:
Conyers has now given Rove five days to comply with the subpoena. The House has also approved contempt resolutions against White House chief of staff Josh Bolten and former White House counsel Harriet Miers, although the Justice Department refused to bring criminal charges against them. The case is now in federal court.
Transcript:
DAVID SHUSTER, GUEST HOST, ‘VERDICT:’ Rep. Linda Sanchez who heads that subcommittee joins us now. Congresswoman, today you’ve voted to reject Rove’s claim of executive privilege. What are you going to do now?
REP. LINDA SANCHEZ, D-CALIF.: Ah, well the next step would be for the full committee to take up the contempt recommendation to vote on it which I’m being told by Chairman Conyers that he’s anxious to do. And from there it would go to the Full house for a vote.
SHUSTER: And how anxious? When will this vote in the committee take place?
SANCHEZ: Mr. Conyers hasn’t given a time deadline but I can imagine it would be in the next couple of weeks or so.
SHUSTER: And you want the contempt vote to happen right? You do want to hold him in contempt. Is that what you’re saying today?
SANCHEZ: Absolutely. Absolutely. The claim of executive privilege and immunity is ridiculous. It’s clear that in conversations that he’s had with the U.S. attorney’s office over different matters that he was handling, the president wasn’t involved in those communications and so the claim of executive privilege is really not a valid one.
SHUSTER: And Congressman I just want to clarify there is a jail in the U.S. Capitol that hasn’t been used for sometime, but you are saying and the committee and some of your colleagues are saying tonight, “you want Karl Rove in that jail.” If he continues to refuse the demands of this committee Is that what you’re saying?
SANCHEZ: Well, the inherent contempt powers of Congress were last used in the 1930s and there was a jail cell located in the Capitol that was utilized for that purpose. My understanding is that with some of the renovations that have gone on in the Capitol over the years there really isn’t an actual jail there.
SHUSTER: But in any case, you want Karl Rove put in jail for this, right?
SANCHEZ: I would like to see him held accountable for his complete disregard of the law absolutely.
SHUSTER: But will you say “Yes, Karl Rove should go to jail if he doesn’t cooperate”?
SANCHEZ: I personally believe, yes, absolutely. Anybody who scoffs at the law and who has committed an offense that is punishable by jail time should be put in jail.
SHUSTER: Congressman are you worried at all about the time frame though? I mean isn’t this the sort of thing- you’re up against the election. Doesn’t this need to happen within the next five months?
SANCHEZ: Well, it’s not limited to particularly this year. I mean in an ongoing investigation it could potentially happen next year but personally I think time is of the essence and the sooner we act on this the better.
SHUSTER: But just to clarify, and again, real quickly here, do you believe yes or no that the United States House of Representatives, your colleagues will support holding Karl Rove in contempt, if you guys send it to the full House.
SANCHEZ: I think if it goes to the full House there is a very great probability that yes, they would hold Karl Rove in contempt.
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Should - yes.
July 11th, 2008 at 10:14 amBut probably won’t.
Ever more visible results of the Iraq war and the war the Repugs wont get anymore thus, Iran: oil at 147. I also think Rove should go to jail. The Americans have been misled completly
http://ccoaler.blogspot.com/2008/07/oil-at-147.html
July 11th, 2008 at 10:15 amDon’t just say it - do it. When it happens, then I’ll celebrate the Democrats finding their backbones. Un til then, it’s just more rhetoric…
July 11th, 2008 at 10:15 amSHUSTER: But will you say “Yes, Karl Rove should go to jail if he doesn’t cooperate”?
Damn, Shuster’s behaving like an actual journalist. I didn’t know those kinds of jounalist existed anymore in the MSM.
July 11th, 2008 at 10:18 amwhy not put a bounty on rove’s head? there are a lot of people who could use the money.
i’ll kick in the first $100.
July 11th, 2008 at 10:18 amdream on, Pelosi will never let it happen.
July 11th, 2008 at 10:19 amShe believes that if the measure goes to the full House for a vote, there “a very great probability” that it would be approved.
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I’m going to be very interested to hear the rationale of the people who vote against this measure. How are they going to defend Rove? Are they going to pull the “9/11 changed everything” card out again? Are they going to claim that because “we’re at war” (or some other silly justification) that it’s perfectly OK for Rove to give Congress the finger?
July 11th, 2008 at 10:20 am“White House chief of staff John Bolten ”
I think TP means Josh Bolton. This is not to say that that war mongering, whisk broom faced, John Bolton shouldn’t be held in contempt by everyone!
July 11th, 2008 at 10:22 am“Conyers has now given Rove five days to comply…”
“in the next couple of weeks,” the Judiciary committee will vote to hold Rove in contempt.
Five day, a couple of weeks, whatever…my party disgusts me, throw the bastard in jail!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
July 11th, 2008 at 10:27 amkuvasz Says: i’ll kick in the first $100.
I’ll match you, juvasz.
Just think, if a thousand of us put up a $100 each, the amount of the ‘reward’ would be National news.
Maybe this would be the sunlight that kills the mold permeating D.C.
We could probably get it to a $1,000,000 in a week. I like it!
It would also be the first time America put a bounty on a pig!
July 11th, 2008 at 10:30 amThe real problem is in enforcing the subpoena or contempt citation. Unless there is a Congressional jail, the Congress must go through the DoJ to have the case tried in federal court. Bush has already made it clear that he will not tolerate such prosecutions. The AG has made it clear that he will not prosecute such cases. Congress may very well have to revisit the issue of having a jail. Congress needed its own facility in the distant past because of similar confrontations. However, the parties have been able to resolve the issues in recent years. This Republican party and president have been intent on reversing the course of history to return the government and our society to the days of the Robber Barons. Business and wealth reign supreme while the president feels free to confront Congress. We have seen the contempt held for Congress from Bush. The Congress has been unable or unwilling to push it to the next level. They should convert all of the outstanding subpoenas to contempt citations and then impeach the AG when he refuses to go forward with prosecutions.
July 11th, 2008 at 10:30 amWith 5 months before the election, there’s not enough time to accomplish squat. The repugs are stalling the process at every opportunity to make the Democrats look bad, and the Democrats haven’t what it takes to consolidate their slim majority to be effective…they’re still looking out for #1 - themsleves.
Until the Democrats learn that they have to work together in order to accomplish what they promise, the repugs will have a turkey shoot, picking them off one by one. Unfortunately, they may be able to upset the balance in the Legislature this November and keep the Democrats at bay even if the Democrats hold a majority.
Too bad the Democrats weren’t this feisty when the repugs had the majority.
July 11th, 2008 at 10:31 amSomeone who commits a crime should face jail time? Even if he’s a fat, white, well-connected GOP political operative? What has this nation come to?
PEACE
July 11th, 2008 at 10:33 amRemember when pigboy’s lawyer, responding to the question if Rove would actually appear after being subpoenaed? ‘SURE’.
Now he’s telling Conyers Rove had a trip scheduled ‘long before’ the subpoena.
What part of LYING does this assclown not understand? Rove lied to congress. His lawyer lied to congress. And they’ve both lied to the American people.
Smells a lot like treason to me…
July 11th, 2008 at 10:38 amSHUSTER: But will you say “Yes, Karl Rove should go to jail if he doesn’t cooperate”?
SANCHEZ: I personally believe, yes, absolutely. Anybody who scoffs at the law and who has committed an offense that is punishable by jail time should be put in jail.
They need to quit talking about it and do something about it. Congress voted to find Bolton and Meiers in Contempt of Congress and nothing has been done about them. What makes us believe that anything will be done about Rove.
For the life of me I don’t understand why the Democrats don’t user Inherent Contempt on these a$$hats. You can be sure if the roles were reversed the Republicans would do it in a hot minute.
July 11th, 2008 at 10:40 amThe scary thing to contemplate is what this Congress would be like if the Administration had an approval rating of, say 35%.
I think certain members of Congress prefer just rolling over and playing dead rather than actually taking a stand on any issue
July 11th, 2008 at 10:51 amIf I had employees like this working for me I’d….
July 11th, 2008 at 10:52 amHey! wait a minute I do, aww crap!
Go, Linda GO!
Here’s to hoping …
July 11th, 2008 at 10:56 amI personally believe, yes, absolutely. Anybody who scoffs at the law and who has committed an offense that is punishable by jail time should be put in jail.
Then why isn’t Bush already in jail?
http://progressiveworldreview.com
July 11th, 2008 at 10:58 amCould it be that the Dems do not want to go after Rove as long as he can be pardoned by the WH buffoon? I am willing to give a pass to the Dems until Jan 2009, at which point I expect them to go after the entire Bush kabal.
July 11th, 2008 at 11:11 amEveryone out there that wants instant gratification you need to cool down a bit! The Dems are leaving a paper trail so long that it eventually will smother these so-called “Above the Law Repubs.”
July 11th, 2008 at 11:22 amDemocrats: “Okay, Karl Rove, I know we’ve said in the past that if you didn’t testify, we’d take action, and “we meant it”, we issued a subpoena. Now that you failed to respond to a subpoena, we “really really mean it”, we will take action. We will give you 5 more days, and if you don’t show up, we will take more action, we “really really really mean it”.
July 11th, 2008 at 11:34 amIf Nixon would have had this Democratic Congress when he was in power, he never would have had to give up his office.
July 11th, 2008 at 11:37 amjust look @ the brilliance of this:
July 11th, 2008 at 11:43 amBush doesnt even have to invoke executive privlidge, because he knows Pelosi is gonna protect Rove.
If Linda Sanchez and John Conyers actually make this happen, the approval rating of Congress will double overnight.
Of course, that will still only take it to 18% but it’ll be a start.
July 11th, 2008 at 11:45 amProgressive101 Says:
If Nixon would have had this Democratic Congress when he was in power, he never would have had to give up his office.
July 11th, 2008 at 11:37 am
______
And if he would have had this press corps, Woodward and Bernstein would’ve dismissed the Watergate break-in as a meaningless petty theft.
July 11th, 2008 at 11:50 amThe Judiciary Committee is made up of a bunch of lilly livered cowards. They aren’t going to go any thing about Karl Rove and they know it. If they had any balls at all Karl Rove would have been locked up in the jail at the Capital building. All they do is talk and that’s it. I’d bet you their not going to do a thing, but jaw bone this until after November. If it were a Republican lead commitee and a democrat refusing to appear, Rove would be there or in jail. The real problem is Nancy Pelosi and her weak approach to every issue. They make me sick and I’m a democrat who can’t stand the Republican party. I won’t use the word “hate” because you should never hate a fellow American.
July 11th, 2008 at 11:58 amOf course he didn’t show up. He is after all, the personification of the old adage, “when pigs fly….”
July 11th, 2008 at 12:01 pmhussein toasterhead Says:
And if he would have had this press corps, Woodward and Bernstein would’ve dismissed the Watergate break-in as a meaningless petty theft.
In large part, that’s just what happened. Not the W&B part, but they were writing about Watergate etc. for a long time before any other publication got on the bandwagon. And Congress largely ignored the whole thing until John Dean blabbed.
July 11th, 2008 at 12:04 pmOrange would be a fabulous color on Karl.
July 11th, 2008 at 12:08 pmI say rove should be put on the no-fly list. let him try to get back in the country then.
July 11th, 2008 at 12:33 pmJail is too good for Rove. He’s fled the country, he deserves to be renditioned.
July 11th, 2008 at 12:35 pmHe should, but will they actually do anything about it….I doubt it.
July 11th, 2008 at 12:38 pmDo not pass go.
Do not stop at KKKrispy KKKremes
Do not committ anymore Federal Crimes.
Go to Jail, fatso.
July 11th, 2008 at 1:00 pmI’d love to see Rove in an orange jumpsuit with shiny shackles.
Throw away the key to the whole Bush Crime Admin.
July 11th, 2008 at 1:05 pmRep. Sanchez says:
Is this before or after his escape ‘vacation’ plans?
Oh, we’ll wait five days longer… NO? Afterall, he’s only had weeks to notify the Committee… BUY DID NOT until he did not show. WHERE IS THE ARREST WARRANT?
.
July 11th, 2008 at 1:10 pmI have the perfect “going-to prison” gift for Karl Bend Rover - ABSTINENCE PANTS!
hope they make ‘em big enough to cover his big fat, pasty ass!
July 11th, 2008 at 1:14 pmNo action taken at the time he refused to testify
July 11th, 2008 at 1:16 pmequals
no action taken, ever.
Doesn’t think conflict with Obama’s Rove’s Immunity from Everything Bill?
July 11th, 2008 at 1:19 pmSomeone should tell that dickless wimp Conyers that action speaks louder than words…or letters.
July 11th, 2008 at 2:26 pmThe utter contempt for the rule of law, Congress, and the American people by the Bush administration makes even Nixon look like a rank amateur.
July 11th, 2008 at 2:32 pmthis is where stacking the courts comes in.
July 11th, 2008 at 3:42 pmRove will be seen as a dedicated soldier in the war against the Liberal Menace by ANY “Federalist Society” judge he goes before.
Amazing how rules are only for some citizens. And look how the media kisses him up ! Incredible what some will do to party on Martha’s Vineyard in the summer.
July 11th, 2008 at 4:29 pmWhy is he not in jail this moment?
July 11th, 2008 at 5:04 pmRight now he is a fugitive, is he not?
jail?! karl rove should be put into a large cannon and shot out of the earth’s orbit!
July 11th, 2008 at 10:18 pmLook to the Chinese for the proper portrayal, Bush and his crew truly are a pack of running dogs.
July 11th, 2008 at 11:04 pmWATERBOARDING!
Why not? It was deemed humane and appropriate by his former boss–to obtain information from reluctant or uncooperative ‘persons of interest.’
I belive Mr. Rove has now met all the criteria for such an interrogation procedure.
And besides, consider how long such a clip would play on YouTube?
July 12th, 2008 at 6:26 amI don’t care what his excuse is or whether he can claim executive privilege, throw him in jail - no trial or hearing - straight to jail. And while your at it throw that weenie Pelosi in too…Gitmo!!
July 12th, 2008 at 8:23 amNo; Sanchez and her co-laggards should go to jail. How many stern letters have these people sent? They’re willfully being incompetent at their job which is to uphold the rule of law.
The fact that Rove has not been brought to justice lays squarely at the feet of Sanchez, Conyers, Pelosi and Reid.
July 12th, 2008 at 10:44 pmWhat a scumbag Rove is. Just throw him in jail, no vote, if Rove and the Repubs can torture and kill ‘terrorists’ without a trial, than that’s no big deal.
July 18th, 2008 at 7:01 pm