Pressure builds to send Karl Rove to jail

With the House Judiciary Committee planning a hearing Friday on the Bush administration's use of executive privilege, public pressure is building to urge the committee to jail Karl Rove, the Bush White House political maestro.

A coalition of organizations gathered 80,000 signatures on a petition calling on the committee to hold Rove in contempt for his refusal to obey its subpoena. Brave News Films, author of an earlier Internet effort to kick Joseph Lieberman out of the Democratic Party after his endorsement of Republican John McCain, released its petition, Send Karl Rove to Jail, in hopes of compelling Rove

to testify under oath about his involvement in the prosecution of former Alabama Gov. Don Siegelman.

As Countdown reported here Monday, Democrat Siegelman was investigated by a Republican U.S. attorney with ties to Rove. She later recused herself from his case, but allegations of partisan influence in the case persist. Siegelman's conviction on political corruption charges is on appeal.

For his part, Rove has refused to testify before Congress, citing executive privilege.

-- Johanna Neuman

Comments

[T. Scheisskopf]

I know that if I ever get in trouble with the law, that using Mr. Rove's legal strategy will stand me in great stead. After all, if he gets away with this, then legal precedent has been set and that means all of us can get away with it.

Who says that Dear Leader and His Band of Merry Thieves haven't been good for anything? The criminal class loves them!

[Patricia]

Karl distorts facts? How about Karl LIES? Karl is the mastermind behind what is EVIL. He put the life of a CIA agent in jeopardy - Outting Valerie Plame is a crime. Going after Gov Siegelman is illegal. Put Rove in jail cuz he won't testify before Congress. NO ONE TELLS CONGRESS THEY WON'T OBEY A SUMMONS TO TESTIFY UNDER OATH. He's breaking the law and hiding behind Georgie's skirt.

[Kevin Hassert]

Big Bush donor, Alex Spanos, used his contacts with the Bush (Rove) Justice Department of justice to launch political motivated prosecutions/investigations against local and state democrats from San Joaquin County. The only US Attorney not fired in California , loyal bushie McGreggor Scott led the charge.

[bob james]

I have a really keen observation...how is it that we see all the laws being broken by this administration and no one seems capable of doing anything about it? does this reflect poorly upon our congress and representatives or more upon us the ?public"? again why are these thieves and murderers not being held accountable..third world countries hold their mass murderers accountable why don't we?.everyone now knows that we entered war upon nothing but a pretext ..SOME DO SOMETHING before every innocent american is RAPED of his/her rights..remove the bastards impeach and war crimes too put their greedy assess to prison try gitmo..that'll be ironic

[bob james]

I might have been just a tad off the karl rove thing but the gist is the samr..why can he flagrantly defy congress to apprar ..is he bullet proof too?