Rove stiffs House panel. Contempt citation next?

This is one of those stories about something that didn't happen. In this case, the lack of someone showing up is the news.

He's been gone from the White House for a while, but surely you remember the chief political advisor whom President Bush called the architect of his 2004 reelection -- and also "Turd Blossom"?

To no one's surprise, that same Karl Rove failed to answer a subpoena to testify before a House Judiciary subcommittee hearing today.

That didn't stop the staff of the subcommittee from placing a placard with his name on it in front of an empty chair at the witness table, according to the Associated Press.

The panel wanted to hear from Rove in its investigation of whether politics played into prosecutorial and other decisions at the Justice Department.

He was subpoenaed in May to get him to talk about whether he exerted pressure on prosecutors' decisions regarding Democratic officeholders -- most notably former Alabama Gov. Don Siegelman -- or in firing prosecutors whose political loyalty to the Bush administration was being questioned.

Next up: A decision on whether he should be cited for contempt. That decision will be made by the full Judiciary Committee and, ultimately, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-San Francisco).

But according to the AP, demonstrators behind the empty witness table have already decided. A number of them called for his arrest.

For CNN's account, click here.

-- James Gerstenzang

Photo: Mark Wilson/Getty Images

Comments

[Dean]

It's called executive privilege and I didn't hear the Dems complain when Clinton used it dozens of times. The Constitution does require a separation of the branches of government (but not of church and state). Check it out its a good read.

[David Coles]

In order for our country to work we all have to agree to follow the rule of law. Members of the Bush administration have more or less constantly assert and act as if they are above the law. This is as much a danger to the country as any act of terrorism.

[Kyle]

First off seperation of powers is a joke. We have liberal judges making laws from the bench (Look at the CA gay marriage ruling). The legislature is restricting the powers of the executive branch (Fisa Court). The president has every right to fire those federal prosecuters for any or no reason at all. Also if you actually followed stories through you would know that Libby and Rove were both found innocent of exposing Valerie Plame(CIA Agent) because she wasn't even covert in the first pace. Libby only got found guilty of purgery for lying to the court not for outting an undercover CIA agent. It seems both sides of the table Libs and Conservatives are equally pissed at the government for totally different reasons. Both sides are just about equally as corrupt. What this country needs is a few libertarians or strict constitutionalists to get into office so the government will start letting it's people run their own lives and stop wasting we the taxpayers money on witch-hunts like this with Karl Rove.

[Edie Calhoun]

The military should be sent to arrest Mr. Rove as an enemy of the state. Then Rove should be whisked away to Cuba for a little "persuading".

How much water boarding could the little pasty faced dough boy take? When he is made compliant he can then be transported to the hearing. The only thing we would have to wonder about is whether Rove is telling the truth or just saying anything to make the torture stop.

Seriously, do we now have a whole class of people in the U.S. who are not bound by rule of law? If so, the Republic is well and truly dead.

[TwoSidesToaStory]

The Justice Dept has ruled that Rove is protected by Executive Privilege. So why the hysteria?

[Mel Sagesse]

I am a loyal Democrat. Do I have to change the party? I heard that the Congress is controlled by Democrats. I haven't seen anything that Congress achieved since they took control.

Why don't the idiots we elected to congress get on with some important business rather than wasting time with the crap that the majority of the people could care less about.

[Gimme A Break]

This is nothing more than a political stunt and a waste of congressional resources!!

Instead of wasting time, on inevitably pointless "hearings", they should work on proposals and solutions for Energy Independence, Economic Revitilization, etc.

It is no wonder the congressional approval rating down to single digits!

[Independent]

This blog reads like a mob. If this is not a witch hunt, what is? Be careful, when the tide turns, they will be hunted down in return.

[Dale]

{A little over two hundred years ago...we had a tea party over the governing body not working for the people and only for their own interest...is it time we had another tea party?}

Dream on pal. Personally I think another tea party is a long time overdue. Unfortunately unlike in 1776 (remember candles at night, and nothing particularly entertaining to do after dark?) today our citizens have "other things to think about" things like sitcoms, golfing and which cdrom or dvd will I play next?

There will never be anothe tea party because the people that need to make it happen are too busy with their daily routine.

[Colin]

Clinton, and most of the other preceding presidents, including Reagan, fired all the AG upon coming into office, because they were put in place by the preceding administration. Bush did the same upon entering his first term. This is not controversial.

What is controversial is that Bush fired *his own* AG that he himself had put in place, because they did not show sufficient fervor in partison harrassment of opposition party candidates for office.

That is the point. It is NOT a case of "ok for clinton, not ok for bush". It is a different thing happening. If you have been following this story at all and have not picked up on that basic point, please do so now. Thanks.

[Todd]

Wasn't Billy Clinton impeached and disbarred for his "honesty" issues...?
How can anyone who supported that man for 8 years now cry foul over issues of telling the truth. Pathetic.
PLEASE make me laugh and tell me that you actually believe your democrat cronies in congress to be valiant heroes just searching for the truth.
Democrats claiming someone did something wrong for political gain.... bwhahahahah rich.

[Roger McCook]

His crimes are numerous (and serious) enough ... Love the way 'Mitchell' spouts off stuff like that without any facts to back them up. I had a parrot like that once ... I think I named him Mitchell.

[jw]

Quoting some guy above

"Clinton = fired all but 1 = his job
Bush = fires some = liberals foaming at the mouth looking for blood."

Whenever a president enters office he gets to replace them all if he so chooses .... the point is that some of the ones Bush appointed refused to do his personal politically motivated bidding (like inappropriate illegitimate election investigations against liberals) so he fired them .... get you info straight before you wine you misguided ignorant fool .... people like you are the problem .... stop voting !!!!!

[James in Texas]

WOW! A left-wing liberal newspaper is reporting on a story that paints the liberal democrat congress in a good light. Nancy Pelosi and the other liberals are the ones are truly in contempt. They are in contempt of the Constitution and Bill of Rights daily, yet they are not prosecuted or even investigated. They are just mad from the Republicans and Ken Starr going after Bill Clinton. This is their payback. They flip-flop on all issues yet are not held to the same standard of responsibility that they insist that Bush and his administration be held to.

Check them fellow citizens. The Liberals and their agents the Democrats are moving this country toward a socialist system where they are the ones in control, not the citizenry. We the People...Not We the Democrats.

[jw]

"This blog reads like a mob. If this is not a witch hunt, what is? Be careful, when the tide turns, they will be hunted down in return."

For doing what ?

[Ken]

A hearing to determine if actions taken in Washington DC were politically motivated? What a bunch of retards.

[bobd42]

Just in case someone in congress does have the guts to do whats right, it will be Nancy Pelosi and Reid jumping in there to see to it that nothing is done to
Rove .Only thing i can figure is that , someone must really have some super blackmail material on them cause they won't do anything . Well , they do like to entertain all the stupid moves that Barbabra Boxer comes up with . I think that Boxer must be smoking the big ag growers lettuce or something .

[SP]

Are you kidding by saying "not important" or "waste of time". This is one of many serious crimes committed by this administration. Sure we've had some questionable actions by past administrations, but not anywhere near the scale and quantity that this present one has produced.

The attorney firings are just the tip of the iceberg... don't forget the outing of Valerie Plame, wire-tapping, prisoner torture, the Iraq debacle, response to Katrina, Enron, Walter Reed... just to name a few.

Rove undoubtedly has a big hand in many of these scandals as does Cheney however I agree with many who feel that if there were to be a conviction against Rove or any other figure close to Bush, there would be a pardon so as to shut them up. Wait until after they have left office and throw them in front of a court... the Hague would probably be the most appropriate...

[Evil Banker]

Karl Rove is no longer useful to us. We will let you have him in a few months.

[wilyhusker]

I love these comments about pardons from the left. You people should know, you're the experts. Bill Clinton = 391 pardons and 61 commutations.

The panel should be glad he didn't show up. He's an intelligent dude and would probably make them look like idiots, like he does Alan Combs a couple times a week.

I really don't know much about this situation specifically (nor do I plan to waste any more time on it than I already have), but it appears to be pointless grandstanding on the part of the House democrats. Its not like he committed perjury [coughclintoncough]. Glad to see they're spending time on this nonsense instead of invoking some really harsh U.N.-style diplomacy on Iran, dealing with the price of gas, or getting us out of Iraq.

[steppenRazor]

There you go, Americans! Just keep on carping about who was worse, the
Clintons or the Bushes! News Flash!!! They were both as crooked as a barrel full of rainbows! And not ONE of the crooks has done a days worth of time for it!
This government is about as useful at solving the problems of America as a tube
of dinosaur repellent!! But they're not worried about it because they know YOU aren't paying attention to how criminal and useless they are! You're busy arguing
about who was the MOST criminal or the MOST useless! Get a freaking clue, America! There is no 'two party' system! There's just the ones who make the laws and then ignore them and there's the rest of us who pay the piper! Did I hear someone say 'tea party?' WAY overdue for that one!

[Ric]

I think they should wait until the next administration and throw Rove, Bush and Cheney into jail (after a fair trial, of course--federal, criminal, or international war crime). Seriously, this would be the only way that the US could regain its credibility as a responsible world power after invading Iraq.

[william]

If he can fire appointed people from the prior administration, what makes it wrong to fire ones HE appointed? Seems there would be less controversy over firing his own, than others. People, get a grip!!!

[hoosier boy]

He thinks he is above the law. I would love to seem him arrested. Do you think fox news will cover this story??? What a disgrace. Eventually law breakers like him will have to be put in jail for the system to remain honest.
They need to make an example out of him and punish him to the max.