On Monday, House Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers (D-MI) issued a subpoena to Karl Rove, requiring him to testify regarding his role in the Bush Administration's politicization of the Department of Justice, including the US Attorney firings and the prosecution of former Alabama Governor Don Siegelman. The subpoena calls for Rove to appear at deposition on Monday, February 2, 2009. Rove has previously refused to appear in response to a Judiciary Committee subpoena, claiming that even former presidential advisers cannot be compelled to testify before Congress. That "absolute immunity" position was supported by then-President Bush, but it has been rejected by U.S. District Judge John Bates. President Obama has previously dismissed the claim as "completely misguided." "I have said many times that I will carry this investigation forward to its conclusion, whether in Congress or in court, and today's action is an important step along the way," said Rep. Conyers. Noting that the change in administration may impact the legal arguments available to Mr. Rove in this long-running dispute, Mr. Conyers added, "Change has come to Washington, and I hope Karl Rove is ready for it. After two years of stonewalling, it's time for him to talk." ... The AP write-up: The House Judiciary Committee chairman subpoenaed former White House adviser Karl Rove on Monday to testify about the Bush administration's firing of U.S. attorneys and prosecution of a former Democratic governor. The subpoena by Rep. John Conyers, D-Mich., continues a long-running legal battle with ex-President George W. Bush's former White House political director. Rove previously refused to appear before the panel, contending that former presidential advisers cannot be compelled to testify before Congress. The subpoena commanded Rove to appear for a deposition on Feb. 2 on the firings of U.S. attorneys for political reasons. Conyers also demanded testimony on whether politics played a role in the prosecution of former Alabama Gov. Don Siegelman, a Democrat. Bush upheld Rove's legal position, but Conyers said times have changed. Story continues below "That 'absolute immunity' position ... has been rejected by U.S. District Judge John Bates and President Obama has previously dismissed the claim as 'completely misguided,'" Conyers said in a statement. Rove's attorney, Robert Luskin, did not immediately respond to a phone message seeking comment. "I have said many times that I will carry this investigation forward to its conclusion, whether in Congress or in court, and today's action is an important step along the way," Conyers said. The change in administrations may affect the legal arguments available to Rove, Conyers said. "Change has come to Washington, and I hope Karl Rove is ready for it. After two years of stonewalling, it's time for him to talk," Conyers said.
Some congressmen are not very bright. Leave Karl Rove alone. Karl Rove is total scum (along with Condi, W, Rumsfeld,Cheney) but the time to stop them is long gone. Get over it and move on.
Most abused power of congress: subpoena power. Misused to put people on display, to make congress look important. Hardly used to find truth. No due process. No discovery. Gitmo terrorists have more rights. Always interferes with criminal indictments. No reason they need that power
Conyers is an irresponsible grandstander. He better hope Rove doesn't show up because Rove will make him look like the utter fool he is. US Attorneys serve at the president's discretion. Of course hiring and firing them is political. They are no different than cabinet members in that regard. The problem would arise if they could somehow show that a U.S. Attorney was fired to submarine a case, but they can't do that. At best, they can show that one was fired because he didn't seem to want to prosecute voting fraud, which of course is important to democrats since that is one of their main weapons. Obama nominates a tax cheat to run the IRS, someone with serial ethical issues over the last 30 years to be secretary of State and a bagman to be Attorney General, and the big issue is that Bush fired some U. S. Attorneys? I'm really glad to hear that Obama has ushered in a new age, because for a minute there it was sounding a lot like the same old stuff.
Forgive and forget? What about accountability? What about deterrence? And while we're at it, how about a bit of justice?
Poor Karl. Such a gentle soul, and so misunderstood... Welcome to the new era of government transparency, Murky.
Yeah, I agree 100% The Constitution isn't worth defending anymore . . . And I have no problem with the NSA listening "in" to hundreds of thousands of domestic phone calls/e-mails made to and from American citizens (inside the United States) for 4 years prior to FISA, without a warrant. I love living in East Germany, circa 1970. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UUSZHC1Gu7U Former NSA analyst, Russell Tice, Jan. 21, 2008