Rove refuses to testify before House

Dan Abrams reported on this the other night, and today it became official - Karl Rove was a no-show before Congress today to discuss the Don Siegelman case (I'll be writing a whole lot more about Siegelman in the coming days).

This is beyond outrageous, and I'd love to know how he can get away with ignoring a Congressional subpoena. Once again, this is a golden opportunity for Congressional Democrats to show the American people that they mean business. Something tells me they will fall down miserably, just like they have for the last 18 months.

Rove ought to be found in contempt of Congress, and his ass ought to be thrown in jail. However, I'm not holding my breath. Why? Well, who controls the federal prosecutors in the justice department? That would be President Bush, who has made a mockery of our justice system at the federal level, politicizing the selection and performance of federal prosecutors like no president before him, which goes to the heart of the Siegelman case.

Here's something to chew on - if it were you, me, or any other American citizen, could any of us get away with ignoring Congress? Yea, right - we would be sitting behind bars before you could say the word impeach, but as in so many other instances during this administration, the law just doesn't seem to apply to these people.

From HuffPo:

Rep. Linda Sanchez, chairman of a House subcommittee, ruled with backing from fellow Democrats on the panel that Rove was breaking the law by refusing to cooperate - perhaps the first step toward holding him in contempt of Congress.

Lawmakers subpoenaed Rove in May in an effort to force him to talk about whether he played a role in prosecutors' decisions to pursue cases against Democrats, such as former Alabama Gov. Don Siegelman, or in firing federal prosecutors considered disloyal to the Bush administration.

Rove had been scheduled to appear at the House Judiciary subcommittee hearing Thursday morning. A placard with his name sat in front of an empty chair at the witness table, with a handful of protesters behind it calling for Rove to be arrested.

A decision on whether to pursue contempt charges now goes to the full Judiciary Committee and ultimately to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

House Republicans called Thursday's proceedings a political stunt and said if Democrats truly wanted information they would take Rove up on an offer he made to discuss the matter informally.

What a load of BS - I love it that House Republicans can say with a straight face that House Democrats are performing "political stunts." How long ago was the Clinton impeachment again?

Rove's offer to meet with House Democrats behind closed doors, not under oath and with no transcript, is about as admirable as President Bush's response to Hurricane Katrina. If you don't have anything to hide, and if you plan on telling the truth, what's the problem with testifying under oath in front of the cameras? It's not groundbreaking to conclude that Rove has plenty to hide, and he's ducking behind the White House and President Bush, as usual. Rove reminds me of the smart ass wimp on the playground who had a big friend who everyone was afraid of. He hurls insults, slander, lies and ruins political careers, and when he's called on it, he runs and hides.

I hope Nancy Pelosi does the right and honorable thing. Click Here to contact her. I'll be sending her an e-mail over the weekend, and I'll share my letter with you when I do.