AUDIO- Conyers: "I'm getting tired of saving Obama's can in the White House."

By GottaLaff

Via Taegan, a podcast from Bill Press's show:

Ouch.

Conyers is not at all happy with the White House, and doesn't hold back. He straight up accuses President Obama of caving to the wingnuts and Rahm Emanuel of "settling for anything."

The Democratic party is diverse, all right.... but that doesn't always produce a good result. How about a united front for meaningful health care? Then we can go back to that herding cats thing.

Debate on Rep. Weiner's single-payer amendment will not happen.

By GottaLaff

I just got this e-mail (emphasis mine):

Dear Healthcare-NOW! Supporter:

On the eve of what could have been the first vote on single-payer legislation in our nation's history, we have just learned that because of last minute developments, the vote and debate on Congressman Weiner's single-payer amendment will not happen.

Speaker Pelosi received a statement from Rep. Kucinich and Rep. Conyers, the co-authors of HR 676, that they do not think that this is the right time for a vote on national single-payer legislation. They made this statement despite the extensive mobilization in support of this vote across the country. In addition, Speaker Pelosi felt that offering a single-payer amendment would open the floodgates to amendments proposed to limit abortion funds, restrict immigrant access to healthcare, and other regressive legislation.

Let us remember that the potential vote on Congressman Weiner's single-payer amendment resulted from holding fast to our principles of universal, comprehensive healthcare with no financial barriers. These efforts have brought truth and clarity to a national debate on healthcare reform that has been polluted by the corporate influence over Congress. While the private insurance industry has sent 3,000 lobbyists to Capitol Hill this year, spending 1.4 million dollars a day to shape reform that protects their profits, our calls, faxes, and demonstrations have created the momentum to bring legislation based on HR 676 to the floor of the House and Senate.

The vote for Congressman Weiner's single-payer amendment would have allowed advocates to have their representatives on record as single-payer supporters.

But this legislative battle is not yet over. Our focus can now turn to two remaining efforts for single-payer in this Congress. Sen. Bernie Sanders will introduce S 703 in coming weeks, and we understand that he is considering editing it to be more like HR 676. We will have the opportunity again to see the first ever vote on single-payer in this Congress. In addition, Rep. Kucinich's amendment to allow states to more easily implement a single-payer system may be reinserted into the bill during the conference committee between the House and Senate.

All of these efforts are crucial to building the movement for the only solution to our healthcare crisis - single-payer national healthcare.

If this Congress passes inadequate legislation, there will no doubt be emboldened state movements in the coming years. We welcome them. But let us not forget the movement to push our federal legislators to meet the demands of the people, not roll that responsibility onto the states. Healthcare-NOW! and the Leadership Conference for Guaranteed Health Care remains committed to a national, single-payer solution to the healthcare crisis. Comprehensive, quality healthcare is a right that should be extended to every U.S. resident.

At this important time, let us not forget how far we have come. Either now or later, a single-payer national healthcare system must come to the table. We will keep building the movement to make that happen.

For healthcare justice,
Healthcare-NOW!
Physicians for a National Health Program
Progressive Democrats of America
Public Citizen
Healthcare for All Texas
Western PA Coalition for Single Payer
Alliance for Democracy

P.S. We need your support. Please donate today.

Maybe now is not the time, but I can't help yearning for a single payer debate to make its way in.

John Conyers: Obama Is Sucking Up To The Wrong People

By GottaLaff

Via Nicole at Crooks and Liars, we hear "I've had enough!" words about suckage from a frustrated John Conyers:

President Barack Obama is “getting bad advice from… clowns” on Afghanistan and “sucking up to the wrong people” on health care, U.S. Rep. John Conyers told a Detroit radio audience this morning, according to show host Rev. Horace Sheffield. [...]

“He wasn’t angry. He was just deeply concerned that some of the issues being focused on don’t address the human reality,” said Sheffield, who hosts the program “On The Line” on WGPR-FM radio.

Conyers voiced what many of us have been screaming about here, and that is, Big Insurance and Big Pharma are benefiting from health care reform legislation more than we are... by a long shot.

While it is encouraging that there is more progress on this issue than we've seen in decades, it is also cringeworthy to see Medicare for all/single payer and a strong public option go by the wayside, at least for now.

As for Afghanistan, Americans have had it with war, especially inherited, going-nowhere-fast ones that have dragged on for 8 years.

H/t: Pigboy

Video- Hannity's Latest McCarthyism Smears And Distorts Obama's Muslim Advisor

Because the guy behind this is so legit. John Conyers does slap back though-

"It shouldn't need to be said in 2009, and after the historic election of our first African-American president, but let me remind all my colleagues that patriotic Americans of all races, religions, and beliefs have the right — and the responsibility — to participate in our political process, including by volunteering to work in Congressional offices," Conyers, a Michigan Democrat, said in a Thursday statement. "Numerous Muslim-American interns have served the House ably and they deserve our appreciation and respect, not attacks on their character or patriotism."

Unfortunately it does need to be said, especially with those wingnuts.

Press release: New facts on Karl Rove/Harriet Miers interviews

By GottaLaff

Via TPM, we have the press release from the House Judiciary Committee about the transcripts of interviews with Harriet Miers and Karl Rove. There are new facts about the politicization by the BushCo Department of Justice of the U.S. Attorney firings. Besides the interviews, there were 5,400 pages of White House and RNC e-mails:

House Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers, Jr. (D-Mich.) today released over 700 pages of on-the-record interview transcripts of Karl Rove and Harriet Miers on the U.S. attorney firings and the Bush administration's politicization of the Department of Justice. Conyers also released over 5,400 pages of Bush White House and Republican National Committee e-mails on these subjects.

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. "After all the delay and despite all the obfuscation, lies, and spin," Conyers said, "this basic truth can no longer be denied: Karl Rove and his cohorts at the Bush White House were the driving force behind several of these firings, which were done for improper reasons. Under the Bush regime, honest and well-performing U.S. attorneys were fired for petty patronage, political horsetrading and, in the most egregious case of political abuse of the U.S. attorney corps - that of U.S. Attorney Iglesias - because he refused to use his office to help Republicans win elections. When Mr. Iglesias said his firing was a 'political fragging,' he was right."

Key new facts revealed in the materials released today include:

* 2005 White House "Decision" to fire David Iglesias - It has previously been known that New Mexico Republicans pressed for Iglesias to be removed because they did not like his decisions on vote fraud cases. New White House documents show that Rove and his office were involved in this effort no later than May 2005 (months earlier than previously known) - for example, in May and June 2005, Rove aide Scott Jennings sent e-mails to Tim Griffin (also in Rove's office) asking "what else I can do to move this process forward" and stressing that "I would really like to move forward with getting rid of NM US ATTY." In June 2005, Harriet Miers e-mailed that a "decision" had been made to replace Iglesias. At this time, DOJ gave Iglesias top rankings, so this decision was clearly not just the result of the White House following the Department's lead as Rove and Miers have maintained.1

* Iglesias criticized by Rove aide for not "doing his job on" Democratic Congressional Candidate Patricia Madrid - An October 2006 e-mail chain begun by Representative Heather Wilson criticized David Iglesias for not bringing politically useful public corruption prosecutions in the run up to the 2006 elections. Scott Jennings forwarded Wilson's email to Karl Rove and complained that Iglesias had been "shy about doing his job on Madrid," Wilson's opponent in the 2006 Congressional race. Just weeks after this e-mail, Iglesias' name was placed on the final firing list.2

* An "agitated" Rove pressed Harriet Miers to do something about Iglesias just weeks before Iglesias was placed on the removal list - Karl Rove phoned Harriet Miers during a visit to New Mexico in September 2006 - according to Miers' testimony, Rove was "agitated" and told her that Iglesias was "a serious problem and he wanted something done about it."3

* Senator Domenici personally asked Bush's Chief of Staff Josh Bolten to have Iglesias replaced - In October 2006, Senator Domenici stepped up his campaign to have Iglesias replaced. According to White House phone logs and emails, as well as Rove's own testimony, Domenici spoke with President Bush's Chief of Staff Josh Bolten about Iglesias on October 5, 2006, and during October 2006, Domenici or his staff spoke with Karl Rove at least four times.4

* Todd Graves removed in Rove-approved deal with Republican Senator - Kansas City U.S. Attorney Todd Graves was removed as part of a White House-brokered deal with U.S. Senator Kit Bond. In exchange for the administration firing Graves, Senator Bond agreed to lift his hold on an Arkansas judge nominated to the Eighth Circuit federal appeals court. A White House e-mail stated that "Karl is fine" with the proposal.5

* Miers obtained favorable statement on Rick Renzi in violation of DOJ policy - When rumors of the FBI investigation of Rep. Rick Renzi surfaced in October, 2006, one of Rove's subordinates contacted Harriet Miers, who called Deputy Attorney General McNulty seeking a possible statement that would have "vindicated" Renzi. Even though this was contrary to standard DOJ policy, such a statement was issued several days later.6

"I have provided a copy of the materials released today to special U.S. Attorney Nora Dannehy to assist in her effort to determine whether federal criminal charges are appropriate and to pursue any such charges," said Conyers. "In the meantime, the committee has honored its pledge to get on-the-record statements from Karl Rove and Harriet Miers, as well as the relevant White House documents, and is pleased to make this unprecedented collection of Bush administration materials directly available to the American people by posting it online.

"I am especially grateful to the Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi, and the House Democratic leadership for their strong and unwavering support of this investigation, including the citations for contempt of Congress issued by the House in 2008. I also thank all members who voted in support of those citations and authorized the historic litigation that was instrumental in bringing us to this point. Today's release marks a powerful victory for the rule of law, and should be celebrated by all who cherish our constitutional system of separation of powers and open, transparent government."

An electronic copy of the materials released can be found on the Committee's Web site at linked here. The release is pursuant to an agreement reached in March 2009 between the committee and the former Bush administration, with the assistance of the Obama administration, to resolve the committee's lawsuit and the contempt citations issued by the Judiciary Committee and the full House of Representatives with respect to the refusal of the Bush administration to produce subpoenaed White House documents or permit the testimony of former White House officials Karl Rove and Harriet Miers on the U.S. attorney firings.

1 May 2,2005, e-mail from Scott Jennings to Tim Griffin (HJC 00173); June 9,2005, e-mail from Harriet Miers to Leslie Fahrenkopf (HJC 00177); June 28, 2005, email from Scott Jennings to Tim Griffin (HJC 00180).
2 October 15, 2006, e-mail chain including Heather Wilson, Steve Bell, Scott Jennings, Karl Rove and others (HJC 00340-41).
3 Miers Interview Transcript at 40-48.
4 Josh Bolten phone log (HJC 00489); October 10, 2006, e-mail from Scott Jennings to Karl Rove (HJC 00334); Karl Rove phone log (HJC 00490); Rove Interview Transcript 123-24.
5 December 21, 2005, email from Richard Klingler to Harriet Miers (HJC 00194-A).
6 October 24, 2006, e-mail from Harriet Miers to Scott Jennings (HJC 00344-45).

1May 2,2005, e-mail from Scott Jennings to Tim Griffin (HJC 00173); June 9,2005, e-mail from Harriet Miers to Leslie Fahrenkopf (HJC 00177); June 28, 2005, e-mail from Scott Jennings to Tim Griffin (HJC 00180).

2October 15, 2006, e-mail chain including Heather Wilson, Steve Bell, Scott Jennings, Karl Rove and others (HJC 00340-41).

3Miers Interview Transcript at 40-48.

4Josh Bolten phone log (HJC 00489); October 10, 2006, e-mail from Scott Jennings to Karl Rove (HJC 00334); Karl Rove phone log (HJC 00490); Rove Interview Transcript 123-24.

5December 21, 2005, e-mail from Richard Klingler to Harriet Miers (HJC 00194-A).

6October 24, 2006, e-mail from Harriet Miers to Scott Jennings (HJC 00344-45).

Let's hope this is the beginning of the end of Karl Rove and Co.

Republican Senator: Dems have the votes to pass health care reform "today."

By GottaLaff

Prez O is paying a visit to the Gang of Why Bother:

Roll Call reports the bipartisan Senate Finance Committee "gang of six" negotiators are scheduled to meet with President Obama at the White House tomorrow.

In related news, The Hill reports Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-TN) believes Democrats have the votes to pass health care reform "today."

Meantime, John Conyers is asking for our help. He's campaigning for single payer in his latest e-mail. Go John!

	Dear Laffy: Everywhere I go, people ask me the same question -- "So John, what do you think about this health care debate in Congress?" My answer is always the same, too -- Single-payer health care is the only cure for what ails us. Contribute to my campaign today and help me continue the fight for that cure. That's why I designed this t-shirt. It tells the world just what I am fighting for in this health care debate. As a small way of saying thank you for all that you do, I will send the t-shirt to the right to all contributors who give $50 or more to my re-election campaign. Donate to my campaign today and help me continue to fight for single-payer health care. Congress is working hard to craft a plan to overhaul our nation's failed health care system. But as the t-shirt proudly declares, you and I both know that the cure for what ails our nation is a single-payer plan that covers all Americans. Wear your support for single-payer right on your sleeve. Contribute $50 or more to my campaign and receive this great t-shirt as a thank you. We need to show all those who are fighting to keep private insurance afloat and keep their own pockets lined that we have the most important power on our side -- the American people, who are sick and tired of the current system. So wear your shirt with pride, and know that your contributions will help me continue the fight. Thank you, as always, for your constant support for a better democracy. Your Friend, John Conyers, Jr.
johnconyers.com

Rove deposed in U.S. attorney probe

By GottaLaff

Eight hours of Karl Rovian deposition, and what do we get? Nothing. It's a big fat secret:

Former White House Deputy Chief of Staff Karl Rove was deposed Tuesday by attorneys for the House Judiciary Committee, according to Rep. John Conyers (D-Mich.), the panel’s chairman.

Rove’s deposition began at 10 a.m. and ended around 6:30 p.m, with several breaks, Conyers said.

Conyers would not comment on what Rove told congressional investigators, what the next step in the long-running Judiciary Committee investigation would be or whether Rove would face additional questioning.

Oh, come on! Just a teensy weensy little hinty winty? For meeeeee? Pleeeeaaase?

“He was deposed today,” Conyers said in an interview. “That’s all I can tell you.”

Fine. See if I tell you about that dream I had the other night... Ooops. Forget I said that.

John Conyers' wife resigns after conviction

By GottaLaff

Not good news for the Mister either:

Monica Conyers, wife of Rep. John Conyers, the 23-term Michigan Democrat who chairs the House Judiciary Committee, announced her resignation from Detroit’s City Council this morning, three days after pleading guilty to charges of accepting cash in return for support of an enormous recycling contract. From the Detroit Free Press:

Conyers’ resignation comes after her Friday guilty plea in U.S. District Court to a felony charge of accepting a bribe in exchange for a yes vote on the $1.2 billion Synagro Technologies sewage sludge recycling contract and other unspecified actions while a member of one of the city’s pension boards. It also ends perhaps the most turbulent tenure for a council member in memory.

John Conyer's wife convicted of taking bribes

Not good at all. ADDED- She pled guilty and has been convicted. She faces up to 10 years in jail. Update here.

DETROIT (AP) — Prosecutors have charged Detroit City Council member Monica Conyers, the wife of a congressman, with accepting cash bribes in exchange for supporting a sludge contract with a Houston company.

Conyers is charged with one count of conspiracy to commit bribery for allegedly accepting two payments from a Synagro Technologies official in late 2007, including one in a McDonald's parking lot.

She's the most prominent person snagged in an investigation of corruption in a sludge-recycling deal with Synagro. Two people who worked for the company have pleaded guilty.

Conyers' husband is John Conyers, a Detroit Democrat who chairs the House Judiciary Committee in Congress

Double Quickie: Liberals happy + Conyers, Nadler Ask Holder to Name Counsel on Torture

By GottaLaff

I'm not sure how much more good news I can take today (both of these Quickies are from Roll Call, subscription only):

Progressives Pleased After Obama Meeting

House liberals got their day in the sun with President Barack Obama, who on Tuesday sat down with nearly the entire 77-member Congressional Progressive Caucus to hear their concerns on two key issues: health care reform and war funding.

Conyers, Nadler Ask Holder to Name Counsel on Torture

House Judiciary Chairman John Conyers (D-Mich.) along with other Democrats on his committee are asking Attorney General Eric Holder to name a special counsel to investigate and prosecute torture of detainees by the Bush administration.

Those were today's Quickies. Were they good for you?

VIDEO: Dear Chairman Conyers, Impeach Bybee. Love, John Podesta

By GottaLaff


(Watch the video all the way to the very last second. John Podesta was the head of Obama's transition team.)

Dear everyone:

Can we agree that torture is wrong, kills people, is ineffective, and illegal? Good. Now can we agree that when people break the law, they should be investigated and/or prosecuted? And that by ignoring the rule of law, a horrendous precedent is set?

And can we also agree that if the tables were turned, the Rushpublics would be looking back, not forward, as they did with President Clinton? And finally, can we agree that we shouldn't even have to ask these questions?

I trust that things will unfold the way they should. I am focusing primarily on the punditiots more than anyone... for now.

Dear Chairman Conyers,

I am writing to ask you to consider holding impeachment hearings against 9th Circuit Court of Appeals Judge Jay Bybee, should he decide not to voluntarily resign.

As you are well aware, Judge Bybee is the only architect of the Bush administration’s torture program to currently hold public office.

A legal memorandum signed by Judge Bybee when he was the head of the Office of Legal Counsel and recently released by the Obama administration approved the use of cruel, inhuman, and degrading techniques, including waterboarding, slamming a detainee into a wall, depriving a detainee of sleep for up to eleven days at a time, and trapping a prisoner in a "confinement box" with insects in order to induce terror. The techniques endorsed by Judge Bybee’s memoranda violated U.S. law and our commitments under the United Nations Convention Against Torture.

On March 13, 2003, Judge Bybee was confirmed by a 74-19 vote in the Senate. During his Senate hearings, Mr. Bybee stonewalled the Judiciary Committee when asked about his role in national security matters. He said at the time, “As an attorney at the Department of Justice, I am obliged to keep confidential the legal advice that I provide to others in the executive branch." A number of Senators have now acknowledged that, had they known then what they now know, Judge Bybee would not have been confirmed.

Jay Bybee currently sits on the U.S. Court of Appeals, one level removed from the U.S. Supreme Court. He has taken an oath to uphold the Constitution. Yet, having issued opinions that violate the Constitution and concealed relevant aspects of his legal views and professional conduct from the Senate, Bybee has neither the legal nor moral authority to sit in judgment of others.

My organization, the Center for American Progress Action Fund, has collected signatures from approximately 20,000 Americans (see attached) who have expressed their deep-felt and sincere desire to see that Judge Bybee is held to account for authorizing torture. It is unacceptable to allow him to continue to serve in his current role. Judge Bybee should resign, but if he fails to do so, I urge you to begin impeachment proceedings against him.

Sincerely,

John Podesta
President and CEO, Center for American Progress Action Fund

I agree.

Sincerely,

Laffy

Conyers to hold hearings on 'torture' memos

By GottaLaff

It's a start:

House Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers (D-Mich.) on Tuesday announced that he will soon hold hearings on the Bush administration’s legal memos justifying the use of numerous enhanced interrogation techniques. [...]

“Recently disclosed legal memoranda from the former Bush Administration raise grave legal, ethical, and constitutional questions,” Conyers said in a statement. “The use of tactics described in these memos runs counter not only to basic notions of decency, but places our own prisoners of war at risk and weakens our national security. And the fact that these memos were authored and approved by senior lawyers of the Department of Justice challenges the very notion that we adhere to the Rule of Law in this country.”

Conyers said he might hold hearings before the White House Office of Professional Responsibility completes its report from concerning the former Justice Department lawyers who wrote the memos.

“Critical questions remain concerning how these memos came into existence and were approved, which our committee is uniquely situated to consider,” Conyers said. [...]

Obama, though, said he preferred for an outside commission, rather than Congress, to lead any investigation.

“I do worry about this getting so politicized that we cannot function effectively and it hampers our ability to carry out critical national security operations,” the president continued, adding that “to the extent that there are independent participants who are above reproach and have credibility, that would probably be a more sensible approach to take.” [...]

Even while calling for his own Congressional hearings, Conyers called the president’s commission comments “exactly right.”

“The President’s comments today on possible approaches to a fuller accounting of these matters are exactly right – further comprehensive review of the Bush Administration anti-terror policies will be most valuable and successful if done in a truly apolitical and bipartisan manner,” the Judiciary Chairman said.

The more public scrutiny of BushCo's illegal activities the better. How effective these hearings will be is another matter, but it seems that every time there is an examination of the slime under the Bush administration rock, another revelation surfaces.

Rove, Miers to talk in U.S. attorneys probe

Conyers hasn't been all that stern with the multiple violations by Rove and Miers, so I'm a little wary of the statement "claims of privilege will be "significantly limited". We'll see.

WASHINGTON (CNN) — Former White House political adviser Karl Rove and counsel Harriet Miers have agreed to face questions from Congress about allegations of improper political influence in the Justice Department, the House Judiciary Committee announced Wednesday.

Both will give depositions to investigators from the committee, and claims of privilege will be "significantly limited," according to a statement from the committee. Rove and Miers had been resisting congressional subpoenas about the matter, but a federal judge in Washington ruled that the former Bush administration officials had no grounds to invoke executive privilege in the case.

The committee, led by Rep. John Conyers, D-Michigan, has been investigating claims that Rove and his White House allies fired U.S. attorneys for political reasons and prosecuted officials whom they saw as opponents.

Conyers called the agreement "a victory for the separation of powers and congressional oversight."

More background here.

I just spoke to John Conyers' office

By GottaLaff

This is not true:

Rove Trying to Cut Deal, Call Conyers
Governor Don Siegelman has learned that Karl Rove is in some sort of negotiation for immunity or exec priv before he testifies on Feb. 23. He is asking for people to flood Judiciary Chairman John Conyers with calls to make sure he "stays strong," no deal, no immunity.

I got right on the phone to John Conyers' office. It 3 or 4 tries to get through, but I did. I told the person who answered that I didn't want any deals cut, that Rove should not get immunity, that he has done a lot of bad things.

I was told there will be no immunity, that Judiciary isn't budging, and that what I'd heard or read was "rumor."

Ace reporter Laffy off to the next assignment.

Karl Rove may have to testify as Obama's lawyers get involved

By GottaLaff

I'm not sure which is more appropriate here, optimism or skepticism:

White House counsel Gregory Craig issued a statement late Friday encouraging former Deputy White House Chief of Staff Karl Rove to cut a deal with Congress, an indication the new administration has begun to put pressure on President George W. Bush's former chief adviser.

"The president is very sympathetic to those who want to find out what happened," Obama's White House counsel Gregory Craig said in a statement yesterday to The Washington Post's Carrie Johnson. "But he is also mindful as president of the United States not to do anything that would undermine or weaken the institution of the presidency. So, for that reason, he is urging both sides of this to settle."

[pouting] No. Don't wanna settle. Wanna throw Rove in prison.

Moreover, the Obama White House is now trying to work out an agreement with former Bush administration staff -- seemingly going over the head of the man some once dubbed "Bush's brain."

Craig's statement does, however, seem to suggest that Bush's former adviser will be granted some leeway as to the form of his deposition to Congress in lieu of President George W. Bush's claim that Rove is protected by executive privilege.

[holding breath until I turn blue] No. No leeway. Testify. Then, prison.

The winds appear to be changing. Obama lawyers and Bush representatives are now "engaged in discussions that could clear a path for congressional testimony by onetime Bush aide Karl Rove, three sources familiar with the talks" told Johnson for Saturday's Post.

The negotiations surfaced on the same day House Judiciary Chairman John Conyers (D-MI) issued his third subpoena compelling to Rove to testify in less than two years. Seeing that Conyers is not backing down, Rove's attorney has hinted at a more conciliatory position, and Bush advisers seem to have all but conceded that they must allow Rove to testify in some form.

"Democrats say President Obama's view of the matter may open the door for Rove's eventual appearance on Capitol Hill," Johnson said.

Why do I feel sqeamish?

But Conyers said he would not accept testimony about Siegelman without testimony about the US Attorneys.

"I do not believe it is acceptable for the Committee to allow witnesses to unilaterally determine what they can and cannot testify concerning," he wrote yesterday.

Just. Don't. Cave. Please, Prez O, that's all we ask.

Here are the rules: No immunity. Under oath. On the record. Then, prison.

Karl Rove Subpoenaed … Again

By GottaLaff

He probably won't show up, because he'll be too busy shooting birds and and sending Twitpics:

It’s official: the House Judiciary Committee has once again subpoenaed Karl Rove, former President George W. Bush’s longtime adviser and aide, to testify before the committee on the politicization of the Justice Department and his involvement in the prosecution of former Alabama Gov. Don Siegelman (D). [...]

Apparently, Rove has made it clear that despite the new administration, he still won’t be showing up to testify. In a letter to Rove’s attorney, Bob Luskin, Committee Chairman John Conyers (D-Mich.) said he won’t delay the hearing any further, just so Rove can continue to blow them off:

Thus, absent an actual commitment by Mr. Rove to comply with the subpoena, I am not in a position to agree to yet a further delay. In essence, given Mr. Rove’s public statements that he does not intend to comply with the subpoena, I am puzzled as to why Mr. Rove needs a mutually convenient date to fail to appear.

Stop playing footsy. Send the Congressional police, drag him in, cite him for contempt, provide him with a jail cell, throw away the key.

Rove says he won't comply with congressional subpoenas

By GottaLaff

Whiplash. Will he or won't he? Did he or didn't he? Shall he or shan't he? My original post, here, explains that he would comply with subpoenas. Now he says the opposite. I need a Dramamine; I'm queasy from all this seesawing:

Rove spoke Tuesday evening at Loyola Marymount University, a Jesuit institution in Los Angeles, as part of the school's "First Amendment Week." [...]

One questioner asked Rove whether he would comply with Congressional subpoenas. Rove was subpoenaed last month to testify to the House Judiciary Committee about his knowledge surrounding the firings of US Attorneys and the prosecution of former Alabama Gov. Don Siegelman.

Rove "said he would not, and cited Janet Reno, President Clinton's attorney general, as his authority in resisting Congressional infringements on executive privilege." [...]

"I can say that he would cooperate with the [Justice Department] investigation if asked," Luskin said. He made no such specific commitment to an investigation by the House Judiciary Committee, or the Senate Judiciary Committee, both of which have subpoenaed him to testify on the cases.

Luskin told Raw Story Thursday that while he hadn't seen the specific remarks, he was "confident that I've accurately expressed his position in this matter and it's consistent with what I have conveyed to [House Judiciary Chairman] Conyers and to the White House."

Rove also told the Los Angeles crowd that media coverage leading up to the election was "unbelievably tilted toward Obama," and "not healthy for the system."

"That coverage is putting a finger on the scale," Rove said, adding that most members of the national press corps live in Washington and New York and went to schools with a liberal bent.

That darned liberal media.

But at least we understand now that Rove intends to cooperate with the Justice Department, but not Congress. True to porcine form.

Conyers-Rove showdown postponed until Feb. 23

By GottaLaff

We have to wait until February 23rd:

The John Conyers-Karl Rove showdown has been delayed.

Conyers, the House Judiciary Committee chairman, agreed on Friday to postpone the deadline on the Rove subpoena for three weeks, giving the Obama administration time to decide how it wants to handle the issue of executive privilege and congressional subpoenas.

Karl Rove subpoenaed by Conyers

By GottaLaff

Don'tcha just love the blog title? Don'tcha hope a future one says, "Rove convicted and sent to prison for the rest of his miserable life"?

House Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers (D-Mich.) has subpoenaed Karl Rove, the former top political advisor to President George W. Bush, to question what Rove knows about “politicization” of the Justice Department.

Until now, Rove claimed he was covered by executive privilege and refused to appear. Will he claim it again? Is he even able to (as if it were legal the first time, right?)?

“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.

Rove has until Feb. 2 to respond to the subpoena.

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.”

If he talks, he lies, so it's almost moot. But, hey, it's certainly worth a shot.

Conyers wants information from Rove on the U.S. attorney firings, which eventually led to the resignation of former Attorney General Alberto Gonzales.

Conyers also wants to know whether Rove has any information on the prosecution of Don Siegelman. A former GOP activist in Alabama said Rove was behind the Siegelman case but Rove strongly denied the allegation.

I have posted several times about Don Siegelman's case (including Rove's ignoring subpoenas). Nothing would be more gratifying than to see justice done on Siegelman's behalf.

In fact, Thom Hartmann and Siegelman himself are convinced that this case is the one that would blow BushCo's criminal activity wide open.

Finally, after years of stonewalling, there's at least a chance of that happening.

CSPAN alert: Dennis Kucinich and Conyers hearings

By Gottalaff

Watch | About
Tomorrow	· Newspaper Articles · John Gizzi, Human Events, Political Editor · Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-OH) · Richard White, Public Transportation in Emergency Evacuation Cmte., Chairman

Why would Dennis Kucinich be on CSPAN? Here's why:

clipped from inside.c-spanarchives.org:8080

10:00 AM EDT 4:00 (est.) LIVE House Committee Constitutional Limits of Executive Power Judiciary John Conyers Jr., D-MI The beginning and end of this live program may be earlier or later than the scheduled times.