Karl Rove spoke to congressional investigators last week and reportedly admitted that he did play a role in the hiring and firing of federal prosecutors, including at least one of the nine U.S. Attorneys at the heart of the scandal.
Rove insisted that his role was minor but also stated that he believes that Bush knew of the intention to fire the U.S. Attorneys before they were terminated.
Emails previously showed that Rove was involved in the scandal, here.
The confirmed involvement of Rove — a political adviser — is further evidence of how Bush and his administration tore down the firewalls at the Justice Department to politicize the department and guarantee loyalty to Bush. The Administration then forced years of litigation and confrontations over getting this information.
Rove reportedly describes himself as “conduit” for political objections to these U.S. Attorneys from Republican members.
For the story, click here.
For the story, click
Whenever I look at Rove anymore all I can think of is the fried egg ads a while back and the statement “This is your brain on …” and I can go no further.
http://blogdredd.blogspot.com/2009/07/this-is-your-brain-on-propaganda.html
E-Mails Show Larger White House Role in Prosecutor Firings:
“By Carrie Johnson
Washington Post Staff Writer
Friday, July 31, 2009
Political adviser Karl Rove and other high-ranking figures in the Bush White House played a greater role than previously understood in the firing of federal prosecutors almost three years ago, according to e-mails obtained by The Washington Post, in a scandal that led to mass Justice Department resignations and an ongoing criminal probe”
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/07/30/AR2009073002023.html?hpid=topnews
So now what?And what is going to happen?
Even under the memory impaired Karl’s terms, his testimony, (what he can remember of it), is laughable. “Oh I was just a conduit of information.” Even if I believed that, which I don’t, the idea that when the president’s BFF and knuckle buster makes his displeasure known, this should not considered intimidation or a warning to act on the displeasure he expressed is ridculous.
There is much more to learn here and it’s clear Karl is not telling the truth. When his testimony is lined up with the e-mails that will be quite clear.
“Oh I was just a conduit of information.” was also Condi’s defense at Stanford. Who is going to take responsibility for what happened? No one, until we make them.
AFFN,
That is an instructive parallel.
Rove or Atwater take your choice. Humm, but equally bad.
AY,
At least Atwater seemed to express regret on his deathbed. There’s not a chance of that with Karl.
Kinda of interesting that Rove is attempting to sell his house and move to Texas. Kay Bailey Hutchison is reportedly leaving the Senate to run for Governor of Texas against Rick Perry. And now it was reported that “Hutchison Campaign Site Contains Hidden Phrase, ‘Rick Perry Gay.” (TPM Memo)
Seems this has played out before against Ann Richards, also smeared as gay.
I will almost assure you that as a Person that goes by the name of Richard “Rick” Perry, I am not gay. I do not like Dick, I will not be talked into Dick and I will reject Dick if you try and give me one.
We do have our gay communities and we take care of them as well as we can. You see that what happened in Ft Worth was not supposed to happen. I mean, it was not supposed to be reported. Karl assured me that it would be silenced.
Ann Richards was Gay? Who started that rumor?
Who cares?
Liberals lack the spine & intestinal fortitude to prosecute anyone; especially if ANYONE accuses them of criminalizing politics, even if the situation is the exact opposite.
Gyges,
There comes a time, even among good friends, when it is best to avoid further discussion on certain topics to avoid stating something you regret. The adage, ‘There are some things you say that you just can’t take back; so, be careful of what you say’ applies to Mike Spindell and me, for now. Mike is well aware that I like him, but his posts of late are just going to be something that I will skip for awhile.
The ad hominem reference was Mike’s use against some of the regulars and their opinions, with which Buddha does not engage, with one exception.
My previous post was intended for another thread and I reposted it there.
Rove Admits Involvement in Firing of Federal Prosecutors and Bush’s Likely Involvment”
That’s plenty good enough for me. Someone quick, go get a rope!
I know it’s totally juvenile but the resemblance is uncanny!
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_3BzXN4eoPjE/SUrklPwtu0I/AAAAAAAABzM/CRfcSrPYrqU/s400/PorkyPig.jpg
Mespo,
That’s good, though I think on Craig Ferguson’s show he was portrayed as resembling Elmer Fudd. Hard choice to make.
Sigh.
Off topic other than both subject are filed under “Your tax dollars at work!”
http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/2009/08/01/2009-08-01_official_emails_show_air_force_one_flyover_manhattan_was_stupid_but_they_did_it_.html
Change you can believe in. Maybe I should have put this in the circus thread.
House Judiciary Committee Releases Rove and Miers Interview Transcripts and Over 5,400 Pages of Bush White House Documents — released by House Judiciary Committee.
Committee: “The released materials reveal that White House officials were deeply involved in the U.S. attorney firings and the administration made a concerted effort to hide that fact from the American people.”.
http://judiciary.house.gov/news/090811.html
Electronic copy of interviews:
http://judiciary.house.gov/issues/issues_WHInterviews.html
Josh’s take at TPM:
[quote] Karl Rove claimed recently that he and his staff acted merely as a conduit for passing on concerns about David Iglesias. But it’s now clear that Rove’s office pushed from 2005 for Iglesias to be canned, and was intimately involved in the decision.
For instance, the documents show:
• In May 2005, Rove’s top aide, Scott Jennings, wrote in an email: “I would really like to move forward with getting rid of” Iglesias.
• The following month, Harriet Miers wrote in an email that the White House had made a “decision” to fire Iglesias.
• A “very agitated” Rove told Miers in a 2006 phone call that Iglesias was a “serious problem and he wanted something done about it,” according to Miers’s testimony.
The line about merely being a conduit doesn’t seem to be holding up.[unquote]
http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/2009/08/docs_show_rove_pushed_for_iglesias_firing.php?ref=fpa
NY Times: “WASHINGTON — Thousands of pages of once-secret congressional testimony and e-mail messages released on Tuesday showed that Karl Rove and other senior aides in the Bush White House played an earlier and more active role than previously known in the 2006 firings of a number of federal prosecutors.”
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/12/us/politics/12firings.html?_r=1&hp
http://mediamattersaction.org/blog/200908110006
“Emails Show Bush White House Staffers Joked About Following Orders Like Nazis”
Includes email.
Josh has another email chain.
Dana Perino writes “get me the oxygen can!!”
http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/documents/2009/08/dana-perino-on-us-attorney-firings-i-cant-breathe.php?page=1
The Wategate break in occurred on June 17, 1972. Nixon resigned on August 9, 1974, more than two years later. The political process of dealing with malfeasance in Washington is a slow one and one usually fed by a steady drip of information, slowly building a case. While I realize that patience is a virtue seldom cultivated by the politically principled, perspective is necessary if one is to see the full picture. This situation is made more difficult by the guilty now being out of office and the fact that there were more principled Republicans (and Democrats)back then. That is made up for in the need of office holders to maintain their prerogatives. There will be investigations, prosecutions and penalties including prison handed out, though it may well take those same two years as in Watergate. If I am wrong, as usual I will admit it without reservations, I hope that those more skeptical might do the same if I am right.