Rove Reportedly Will ‘Help Lead’ GOP’s Fight Against Eric Holder For Attorney General
Rove Reportedly Will ‘Help Lead’ GOP’s Fight Against Eric Holder For Attorney General
Senate Republicans, including Sens. Arlen Specter (R-PA), Chuck Grassley (R-IA), and Jon Kyl (R-AZ), are trying delay confirmation hearings for Attorney General nominee Eric Holder, raising questions about Holder’s role in the 2001 pardon of Marc Rich. Grassley even tried to tie Holder to Gov. Rod Blajogevich, saying last week, “Public reports have just emerged that in 2004, the Governor of Illinois hired or sought to hire Mr. Holder.”
On Dec. 1, just one day after Holder’s nomination, Karl Rove told the Today Show that Holder’s record “will be examined” because he was the “one controversial nominee“:
ROVE: He was deeply involved as the Deputy Attorney General in the controversial pardon of Marc Rich. … I think it’s going to be clearly examined, if for no other reason that people want to lay down markers that that kind of behavior is inappropriate. … But again, there will be some attention paid to this.
On Friday, Senate Judiciary Chairman Pat Leahy (D-VT) released a statement noting that the Republicans initially praised Holder, but now seem to be taking their marching orders from Rove:
LEAHY: In addition, Senator Grassley has acknowledged Mr. Holder’s impeccable credentials while reserving judgment. But of course since then, Karl Rove has appeared on the Today Show and signaled that Republicans ought to go after Mr. Holder. Right-wing talk radio took up the drum beat.
Today on MSNBC’s Chris Matthews Show, Washington Post reporter Ceci Connolly revealed that Rove is indeed “helping lead” the effort against Holder:
CONNOLLY: Word on the street is that Karl Rove is going to be helping lead the fight against Eric Holder when his nomination for Attorney General heads up to the Senate.
Watch it:
A year after he resigned from public office, all roads still lead to Rove.
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Will Rove first recommend a legal model presented by the Bush Administration? After all, they brought us a long line of disgraced and deposed “lawyers” like Libby, Gonzales, Meiers, and Addington.
December 14th, 2008 at 11:02 amRove continually thumbed his nose at Congress & ignored subpoenas. Not only should everyone therefore be ignoring this creep, he should have been arrested long ago.
December 14th, 2008 at 11:09 amPlease don’t put CC’s image on my screen.
December 14th, 2008 at 11:11 amWhy hasn’t Rove been arrested for outing a covert CIA agent, among other things? He is a festering boil.
December 14th, 2008 at 11:12 amWill we ever be through with Rove? What will it take for him to be done? Indictment? Prison?
December 14th, 2008 at 11:15 amRepublicans treat their criminals as celebrities – what do we do to eliminate this vermin?
Isn’t pardoning Marc Rich something that would have made Rove feel this guy might have possibilities for the GOP? After all, there will probably be a lot of pardons needed for them in the very near future.
December 14th, 2008 at 11:15 amwell hell yes the slug is going to fight against the guy who’s going to eventually indict and convict his azz…
.
unrelated question: watching abc now… has george done something different with HIS hair? a little more forehead maybe?
December 14th, 2008 at 11:16 amcould be my imagination…
I don’t think it’s gotten to the washed up lemmings that they don’t get to chart the course of our government; the republicans are a small enough minority in the senate; Karl Rove should never have been within 3,000 miles of the federal payroll; and Newtie should be stuck in Georgia picking peanuts for Jimmy Carter.
December 14th, 2008 at 11:20 amSo what happened to the idea that candidates deserved an up or down vote? Funny I remember the republicans trashing dems for this sort of thing as being unpatriotic and tying up government. Yet when they, obstruct the working of government it is okay?
December 14th, 2008 at 11:24 amRove better get his pardon barbs in now–as Bush’s term slinks away toward it’s finale; guys like Rove will re-evaluate the important role pardons will play in their lives.
December 14th, 2008 at 11:25 amKarl best be careful what he says. He may be endangering his own Pardon. At least lets hope so. I know Fitz still has some dirt on Karl he would still like to use now that he will not be under the protection of the admin.
December 14th, 2008 at 11:29 amSo Rove’s trying to resurrect his political relevance. First, lets it be known that he’s writing an axe-grinding biography of his time in office, then tries to insert himself into the Holder nomination, no doubt using his tell-all as a threat to beltway republicans: torpedo Holder, or risk getting your dirty laundry aired for all your collegues (and constituents) to see.
December 14th, 2008 at 11:31 amWhen Holder is confirmed we shall see the platter upon which Rove’s head is served up for the fight—over how long the crooked bastard serves in Leavenworth.
December 14th, 2008 at 11:37 am“Turd blossom’s” reputation should have wilted by now. I guess the rethuglicans like the smell of recycled poo.
December 14th, 2008 at 11:37 amlol the Republicans really don’t know what’s going to hit them come January. Holder will be approved and quickly.
December 14th, 2008 at 11:49 amIf they try to oppose Holder just because he signed off on the Rich pardon, then they are going to look like vindictive fools. And they are already spinning the situation by saying that Holder “wrote and pushed” the pardon, which is another Republican lie.
December 14th, 2008 at 11:50 amLiberalVoter Says:
Why hasn’t Rove been arrested for outing a covert CIA agent, among other things? He is a festering boil.
That’s the problem I have with Patrick Fitzgerald. He had more than enough grounds to arrest Rove and Knovak and yet he chose to concentrate on Libby. I’m betting he had a deal with Bush to only go after Libby.
I have never been a Fitzgerald fan and still doubt his integrity.
December 14th, 2008 at 11:53 amDear Rovie, Remember. What goes around, comes around!
December 14th, 2008 at 11:56 amthe Lone Voice of Reason Says:
Isn’t pardoning Marc Rich something that would have made Rove feel this guy might have possibilities for the GOP? After all, there will probably be a lot of pardons needed for them in the very near future.
It’s going to be interesting what kind of an affect this is going to have on Bush pardons. It will be a little embarrassing for the Republicans if Bush pardons someone as bad as Rich while the Republicans are trying to stop Holder’s confirmation because of Clinton’s pardon.
Besides, that pardon is small potatoes compared to the things the Democrats had to object to in confirming Ashcroft, Gonzales and Mukasey. But did they do that? No, they didn’t.
I really want the Democrats to start playing hardball with the Republicans in the next Congress. They need to dish back some of the treatment the Republicans dished towards them for 8 years.
December 14th, 2008 at 11:57 amThat’s the problem I have with Patrick Fitzgerald. He had more than enough grounds to arrest Rove and Knovak and yet he chose to concentrate on Libby. I’m betting he had a deal with Bush to only go after Libby.
-Bilbo Hussein Baggins
Apparently, Rove and Novak were more forthcoming than Scooter (although it took Rove a number of appearances before Fitzgerald to get his story straight) and that’s why the investigation focused on him.
December 14th, 2008 at 12:01 pmHmmmm. If Rove hates him, he (Rove) must be scared. I wish!
Meanwhile: Harry Reid can recess Congress and President Obama will appoint whomever he wishes. Go Democrats!
December 14th, 2008 at 12:06 pmBut I thought it was the republicans who have touted over the last 8 years that the president’s nominations are precious and voting against them means one hates America? Huh.
December 14th, 2008 at 12:06 pmNat Says:
Apparently, Rove and Novak were more forthcoming than Scooter (although it took Rove a number of appearances before Fitzgerald to get his story straight) and that’s why the investigation focused on him.
Agreed. But he still had more than enough grounds to arrest both Rove and Novak. Didn’t anyone besides me find this puzzling?
December 14th, 2008 at 12:09 pmWillowOrchid Says:
Meanwhile: Harry Reid can recess Congress and President Obama will appoint whomever he wishes. Go Democrats!
Not necessarily. Congress still has to approve Obama’s choices. And Harry Reid is keeping at least one person in the chambers at all time to prevent Bush from doing his “recess appointment” song and dance once again.
I find it hard to believe that many Republicans are going to go along with this considering how high Obama’s approval rating is. With his approval rating that high, it appears many Republicans see the sense in trying to at least appear to be bipartisan. Those running for reelection in 2010 need to be particularly careful. If Obama proves to be successful, which I believe he will be, any Republican who is up for reelection in 2010 who spent two years opposing everything Obama tried to do is going to be toast.
December 14th, 2008 at 12:12 pmRove was not okay with Clinton pardoning Marc Rich, but he is okay with George Bush pardoning Osama bin Laden. See?
December 14th, 2008 at 12:12 pmROVE: He was deeply involved as the Deputy Attorney General in the controversial pardon of Marc Rich.
Please, someone correct me if I am wrong, but wasn’t Scooter Libby one of Marc Rich’s lawyers that helped him get that pardon? I thought I heard that before, but I never seem to hear it mentioned whenever the pardon of Marc Rich gets dragged out again. And Marc Rich was convicted of tax evasion, right? Not murder? He didn’t kill anyone before fleeing the country, he just didn’t pay a lot of taxes he owed. I do not understand the republican obsession with this guy. Are they jealous because he managed to do what they always dream fo doing – not paying taxes?
So, I ask again, wasn’t Karl Rove’s partner in crime, Scooter Libby, one of Marc Rich’s attorneys?
December 14th, 2008 at 12:14 pmROVE: He was deeply involved as the Deputy Attorney General in the controversial pardon of Marc Rich. … I think it’s going to be clearly examined, if for no other reason that people want to lay down markers that that kind of behavior is inappropriate. … But again, there will be some attention paid to this.
Scooter Libby was Marc Rich’s attorney. But it’s ok if you’re a neo-con.
December 14th, 2008 at 12:16 pmI can see the hypocrisy already…
The repubs are going to argue that their objections to Holder have nothing to do with politics and everything to do with raising the bar on this important govt. position. A bar they allowed to drop (into the mud).
hypocrisy and hubris — we haven’t seen the end of the malevolence…
December 14th, 2008 at 12:16 pmYou got it, Wayne. :-)
December 14th, 2008 at 12:17 pmThe only way we have to at long last get rid of Rove, is if he is arrested or dies.
His continual appearance in public life says two things. Number one, he does not think to keep a low profile. He must be very sure he will never be arrested. Number two, the Republicans are so very low, so far down and so fractured, that this man is one of the few things they think they have going for them. And they too do not believe that no matter how bad his reputation is, he is unlikely to go to jail.
The real question is what do they know that we don’t? Evidently when it comes to trash, the GOP does not care how far down they must dig.
December 14th, 2008 at 12:17 pmDemocrats have no one but themselves to blame for Karl Rove.
Specific Democrats: Reid and Pelosi and those who support their “Off-The-Table” policy of accountability regarding BushCO.
Karl Rove should be wearing prison stripes and parading around the pen for his fellow inmates enjoyment.
Not parading around as bullet proof and powerful screwing Democrats and the country.
Off-The-Table. How’s that working out for you? And when, WHEN, are Democrats going to say enough to Reid and Pelosi?
December 14th, 2008 at 12:24 pmKarl, the jurisprudential case study, cannot abide being prosecuted and convicted by a Justice Department that actually has “justice” as its guiding principle. Why, after all, what kind of fair trial can one get from someone who can’t be bought off?
For my part, I can’t wait to see Rove in the slam. I can’t imagine him being sentenced to even a “country club” minimum security gig where the other inmates wouldn’t try to add to his well deserved suffering.
December 14th, 2008 at 12:25 pm“Will no one rid [us} of this meddlesome [freak]?”
December 14th, 2008 at 12:29 pmBecause if Holder starts going after some of these people, they will have a sort of cover that goes “This is just political retribution for us opposing his appointment.”
December 14th, 2008 at 12:29 pmThanks, Zooey. :-)
December 14th, 2008 at 12:35 pmSweet irony, that Rove thinks he can influence the nomination of Holder. Republican senators must really be relishing the prospect of having to attack Holder’s history and qualifications, knowing the democratic response will be something like, “you guys said nothing derogatory when appointing a former president’s personal attorney as attorney general, a man who then sanctioned torture, and wiretapping of all americans. You were punished for this breaking of the trust with a return to the minority, in both houses. If you ever want to convince voters that senate republicans aren’t still a bunch of ideological rubberstamps who put party before country, this would be a good time, and a good place to start.”
December 14th, 2008 at 12:49 pmdamn… i wish i would quit forgetting that bill moyers is a good friday night… but i’ve always got the innernets…
check out Glenn Greenwald Talks To Bill Moyers About The Rule of Law
http://crooksandliars.com/susie-madrak/glenn-greenwald-talks-bill-moyers-abo
just the read on that thread page is awesome.
someday soon the facts are going to come spilling out, plain and simple as glenn has done, and the people will DEMAND justice be done…
many of those people will have to admit to being duped and must now get over it and just do what’s right…
December 14th, 2008 at 12:50 pmThere must be at least a thousand people better suited and more qualified for AG than Holder; so, it’s a bit strange that this guy would be Obama’s pick. Still, for the Republicans to question anyone’s behavior is beyond ridiculous, especially Republicans who applauded or looked the other way during the Gonzo Days.
December 14th, 2008 at 12:56 pmShouldn’t Karl Rove be in San Quentin?
December 14th, 2008 at 1:03 pmWhy is rove relevent exactley,? What office or position do’s he hold other than bush’s turd blossom? ….Blessings
December 14th, 2008 at 1:05 pmKrazny, You are correct — an up-or-down vote will do.
And as pointed out here today – Marc Rich was represented by none other than Scooter Libby!
Libby represented Rich at the time the pardon was considered and granted. Libby even defended Rich before Congress while Libby was serving as Vice President Dick Cheney’s chief of staff.
This should be national headlines when the repugs try to stymie the Holder appointment.
December 14th, 2008 at 1:05 pmIf a (now) private citizen is giving marching orders to the Republican Caucus regarding Cabinet appointments and this “legacy project” joke, then the “shadow government” is a fait accompli.
Rove is now in charge of the Republican party, and he doesn’t even hold an official position with them.
Talk about a power vacuum.
December 14th, 2008 at 1:12 pmRove will try to turn Holder’s confirmation hearing into a defamation hearing, but it won’t work. People aren’t going to fall for his vicious lies again.
December 14th, 2008 at 1:15 pmBilbo – t’s going to be interesting what kind of an affect this is going to have on Bush pardons. It will be a little embarrassing for the Republicans if Bush pardons someone as bad as Rich while the Republicans are trying to stop Holder’s confirmation because of Clinton’s pardon.
Bush has already done something far worse; commuted the sentence of a co-conspirator in the outing of an undercover CIA operative. Libby is a traitor. As are all those involved in outing Plame. Bilbo, I suspect Fitzgerald decided not to go over Rove YET because he saw Bush would only either pardon or commute him. Certainly that’s true for Cheney’s prosecution as well, which I would bet you is the big fish Fitz is after. Probably assumes Rove would turn state’s evidence to save his own butt, which I would say the odds of his doing so are very high indeed.
December 14th, 2008 at 1:27 pmMakes sense as Rove ran the DOJ office as Attorney General while telling Gonzales what the sign. Rove needs to get more money for his legal fees and helping delay the appointment of Eric Holder can help. Rove better be quick thinking this time because Obama might put Patrick J. Fitzgerald in the AG spot as interm or maybe one of the fired US Attorneys who all say their available for the job if needed.
December 14th, 2008 at 2:21 pmPelosi and Reid are going to be so sorry they didn’t catch Bush, Cheney, Rove, Rummy when they could’ve and should’ve.
It’s gonna bite them in the behind!
December 14th, 2008 at 2:54 pmohsuzanna Says:
“Will no one rid [us} of this meddlesome [freak]?” Change freak to prick. Heh.
Rove is rushing to get as much money as possible before he’s charged with Treason (tho in the end it’ll be Tax Evasion or Unlawful Littering). He’s gonna need Millions to pay his lawyers. In Advance.
December 14th, 2008 at 2:58 pmIt’s a pretty smart move – not so much leading the charge against Holder, but publicizing that you are leading the charge against Holder.
Think it through. Holder will be confirmed after a nasty public fight. And, if the Justice Department under Holder does what it should and opens a criminal investigation into the prior administration, it will inevitably lead to Rove. Rove will then be able to say he is being persecuted for his opposition to Holder’s nomination – and FOX, CNN and all the rest will report it as if it has some validity.
December 14th, 2008 at 5:29 pmI wouldn’t necessarily call it a smart move. I would call it a move by a criminal trying to set the stage for his criminal investigation and a way to buy maybe one more day of freedom from incarceration. KKKarl the turdblossom has not helped the GOP in the past two general elections, and he is not helping the thugs now. They put up Harriet and Alberto as AG for God’s sake. Holder was an underling to the AG eight years ago. This is typical republican non-sense and lies.
December 14th, 2008 at 6:29 pmI’d imagine that with all the secrecy (even extending to even now refusing to let Obama have the information ) that the office of AG has the potential to be particularly dangerous to the Bush Cabal.
Not to mention that the repubs will use this as evidence of Demos going on wild goose chases.
One easy win-win scenario: The international court files charges against the Bush Cabal. That way justice is done and the demos are off the hook.
December 14th, 2008 at 7:55 pmKarl Rove is deathly afraid that Eric Holder, as Attorney General, will reopen the Valerie Plame Wilson case, which will eventually lead to charges of treason against Karl Rove for his traitorous involvement in the outing of a covert CIA agent during a time of war…which might lead to Rove appearing before a firing squad instead of on Faux News.
December 14th, 2008 at 10:20 pmThe old racist GOP base smells blood in the air. There is no wound, there is no basis for their blood thirst other than their sharpened claws and nails itching to draw some blood.
December 14th, 2008 at 11:33 pmThere’s nothing there but the further display of desperateness and utter waste of hateful spewing by the GOP.
Their futile endeavors will be recognized as nothing more than the racist tendencies of a dying party, withering in their stench and spin. Bush will issue his pardons soon, watch as they coil in their tails and avert the eyes of questioning Americans; watch as they repeat talking points like droids defending Bush’s reach through pardons at averting legal ramifications for their actions the past 8 years. Watch as they attempt their revionist best to spin a patriotic justifications; indeed claiming no comparison to previous presidents pardons.
Watch them lie, distort, deny, and revise; and all the king’s horses and all the king’s men could not put…..
Never mind San Quentin make it Alcatraz.
December 14th, 2008 at 11:44 pmWouldn’t it be great to find Rove and Limbaugh in adjoining stalls where they could practice their “wide stances”.
Why is he free to do anything?
Democrats could turn the GOP tactics on their head and ask Holder if did any of the things his Bush administration predecessors did:
Did you formulate a torture policy that violated the Geneva Convention, American law, and even the Army’s own field manual on interrogations?
Did you authorize illegal wiretaps of American citizens?
Did you refuse to enforce congressional subpoenas or to investigate and prosecute crimes that elected officials publicly confessed to, like torture and wiretapping?
Did you authorize the round up of American citizens and legal residents based solely on their ethnicity and religion?
and so forth.
If the press was doing their job, the GOP would be in hiding for at least the next four years, hoping the public will forget their crimes.
Instead, they will be allowed to go on the offensive, and likely no major network or newspaper will point out the rank hypocrisy.
December 15th, 2008 at 12:20 amObama should nominate fitzgerald for AG. The man is relentless and I have no question he will seek out corruption no matter where it lies. I understand fully why Obama is reaching across the isle but he must ALWAYS remember that there are many people involved with the former adminsitration who have commited massive amounts of felonies who are not EVER going to play nice…right now, they are just delaying the inevitable as much as possible so they can try and shred/delete as much as possible..
December 15th, 2008 at 1:33 amWith Rove leading the attack it looks like Holder is a shoein.
December 16th, 2008 at 8:27 amEverytime Marc Rich’s name is mentioned in relation to Eric Holder just mention Scooter Libby’s name!
December 16th, 2008 at 4:19 pm