Pat Leahy tells the Justice Department to fork over Rover's emails:
Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) issued a subpoena Wednesday for all e-mails from White House adviser Karl Rove that relate to the firings of eight U.S. attorneys.
“Attached please find a subpoena compelling the Department by May 15 to produce any and all emails and attachments to emails to, from, or copied to Karl Rove related to the Committee’s investigation into the preservation of prosecutorial independence and the Department of Justice’s politicization of the hiring and firing and decision-making of United States Attorneys, from any (1) White House account, (2) Republican National Committee account, or (3) other account, in the possession, custody or control of the Department of Justice,” Leahy said in a letter to Attorney General Alberto Gonzales.
The senator had requested the information from Gonzales when the attorney general testified before the committee and in a follow-up letter. However, Leahy said that Gonzales did not respond
Leahy has grown testy at the stonewalls being thrown up by Abu and BushCo. It's interesting that he subpoenaed emails not only to and from but copied to Rove. Seems like they might suspect someone was keeping him posted?
Related posts:
- Washington Post: Rove More Involved in US Attorney Firings Than He Claims
- Karl Rove: That’s Why They Call It a Limited Hang-Out
- Fredo Redo: AGAG Doesn’t Recall What He Said Monday
- Fredo Talks! Gonzales Advocates for an Independent AG
- Jim Cooper and Karl Rove Talking Health Care in Nashville This Saturday
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Yay Leahy! Go FORK YOURSELF!
I can’t wait to see what they find or will we never know?
The Fat Lady is clearing her throat and practicing her scales off stage for she will be singing soon.
It’s all over.
I really wish they’d force the issue and subpoena Rove himself. The claim of Executive Priviledge is horseshit.
Tom @ 4
I think this is setting the plate.
– The ‘queen bee’ here is ROVE, the ROSEY.
I’m not so sure.
Sometimes I feel as though we will never get to the truth with the Bushies. Even with all the Dems subpoena power and ability to have hearings, etc., what if the Bushies just do not comply? That seems to be their current approach. Between stonewalling and claiming executive priv. and all, will we not get to the truth until after Bush is out of office? It’s like they are giving us all the finger, saying to hell with the rule of law, and going about their (monkey) business as usual.
They grow some serious people up in them Green Mountains don’t they? I wish the other mountain areas of this country had as much respect for the Constitution.
I suppose the words “HEREBY COMMANDED” are standard boilerplate for a subpoena, but it’s music to my ears.
Tom @
4
Especially since Rover’s job is POLITICAL and not policy.
Viewing Alert:
Edwards coming up on CNN Situation Room.
OT..and no surprises but:
The 7 Democrats who voted for Bush’s and Cheney’s war without end were:
* John Barrow (GA)
* Dan Boren (OK)
*Lincoln Davis (TN)
* Jim Marshall (GA)
*Jim Matheson (UT)
* Michael McNulty (NY)
* Gene Taylor (MS)
http://downwithtyranny.blogspo…..ht-to.html
“Limited hangout” perhaps?
Gonzo will be impeached in 60 days. Place your bets for the over/under.
dakine01 @ 10
Yes.
we’ve been epu’d in the CHS
in NYC thread, but i have
images and text up of it
all at the blog-spot. . .
it’s gonna be busy busy busy tomorrow!
very interesting that sen. leahy
is tying it ALL the way back to the
rover’s plame e-mails (subpoenaed
by fitz!) — and. . . BAM! — that’ll
spice this stew up, quite nicely, sez me. . .
Go Leahy! Have my doubts as to weather or not those emails will ever see the light of day. I hope like hell someone has something somewhere.
gnip gnop @ 7
Buck up, little camper. Look who the subpoena was sent to: Attorney General Alberto Gonzales. Leahy is more than a little miffed at Abu right now. He’s going to have to resign in disgrace or risk being impeached for Contempt of Congress. And he has precious few Republican supporters left.
Mary (the Contrary) has an interesting diary posted at DKos, regarding the warrantless spying on Americans and the possible reason(s) for Ashcroft’s hospital bed defiance of the White House (Gonzales & Card), in advance of Comey’s testimony tomorrow:
http://www.dailykos.com/storyo…..5117/77338
Sounds logical to me, Mary. With the evidence you present, I agree with your take on the matter. The legal ethics tripwire suddenly came into focus and inspired people at the DOJ to do what they did in 2004 for a reason, and you may have put your finger on it. [And three cheers for DOJ Attorney James Baker. I wonder if he is still on board (hint, hint, Senator Leahy…).]
I’d like to hear what Keren Hughes has to say under oath too.
and these emails could lead to more SCANDALS to INVESTIGATE, and then those could lead in turn to more INVESTIGATIONS, but then, whoops! time’s up, election season 2008, and Impeachment for all the criminal wrongdoing will be “off the table” for the Washington Dems, while aggressive war, the ’supreme war crime’ will be “on the table”.
and we’ll all be compelled once again to support the ‘least worst’.
Sorry, I’m working against anyone who advocates Crimes against Peace, in particular a towering hypocrite like Obama.
Who said yesterday that the US Attorneys investigation was happening too slowly? Bah humbug.
This is the good stuff.
JUSTICE!!!
gnip gnop @ 7
I’m inclined to agree. Their incompetence in running the country is in stark contrast to the efficiency of their political machine.
spurious @ 23
Because they have no concept of Governing as a positive for the collective good. If they can’t steal it or abuse it, what good is it?
There is another request:
Senators Request Secret Order from DoJ
http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/docs/fire-hire/
TPM:
Seante Letter:Link
I’m with spurious and gnip gnop. I bet no one from the Bush admin will give any substantive testimony, no one will resign, no subpoenas will be honored. Everything will be challenged up to the Supreme Court as the admin runs out the clock, and the Supremes will rule in favor of the executive branch (as long as it’s a Republican executive branch).
It remains to be seen whether this will hurt any Republicans in ‘08, and whether the Bush admin cares if it does.
SWEEET!
There be gold in them thar supeenees!
BWAAAAAHHAAAAHHAAAAAa!
Go down Rove and take them all with you.
No one could have anticipated 11/7
AP – Nearly 4,000 American soldiers pour into Baghdad this week, the fourth of five brigades being sent to strengthen an 11-week-old crackdown aimed at quelling sectarian violence, the U.S. military said Wednesday.
Rice: Mideast has ‘everything at stake’ in Iraq
How many more babies must die? How many more mothers and fathers must cry? All this to satisfy the Bush administration’s unquenchable thirst for blood.
My guess is that Gonzo will be held for
“Contempt of Congress”…. The e-mails
will prove deceit… and they know it
Go get ‘em, Pat!
John Edwards live on CNN Situation Room -
While we’re all waiting as impatiently for Comey’s testimony as Ken Mehlman looking forward to a port call by the Sixth Fleet,
let me foolishly repeat a prediction I made a few days ago.
An attack on Comey will be published in tomorrow’s press, probably in the Washington Post and probably by one or more of the usual suspects: Boris DiGenova, Natasha Toensing,David Rivkin and Lee Casey, ….
The primitive aggregation of neurons known as Fred Hiatt’s brain works in very predictable ways.
I have my doubts that any of the White House emails (Meiers or Rove) will ever see the light of day, considering the email from Goodling to trash damn near everything in February. That and Rove’s email was on a server owned by the RNC. You know that more than enough time has gone by that they could have been wiped really clean.
I Hereby Commend Jane for a great post on such a snicklicious occasion.
I’d love to bee there to see them get it.
It just keeps getting better:
AP: Internal DoJ Probe Targets Goodling
By Paul Kiel – May 2, 2007, 4:21 PM
How deep, how wide did the politicization at the Justice Department go?
From the AP:
The Justice Department is investigating whether its former White House liaison used political affiliation in deciding who to hire as entry-level prosecutors in U.S. attorneys’ offices around the country, The Associated Press has learned.
Doing so is a violation of federal law.
(There is more)
http://www.tpmmuckraker.com/archives/003137.php
pow wow @
19
This trikes me as a very serious smoking gun for puir wee AGAG: how sad!
“political machine”
Yeah the political machine has earned 33% JAR for their president. Somethin wrong there.
RNC to Leahy, “Why you gotta be so mean? We had a good scam going?”
Ralph Kramden @ 27
You’re forgetting one fact — Congress does not have to let this “go to the Supremes.” If they need to arrest someone, either the House or the Senate can send their Sargeant-at-Arms and his staff to do so.
I suspect that failure to co-operate with the investigations would be sufficient grounds for Congress to impeach. Hell, I’ll settle for the Hague collecting the Bushies to prosecute for the commission of war crimes.
Edwards is great on CNN.
spurious @
23
Now now, I’m with Frank@18 on this one. The good guys have only had 5 months to work on undoing 6 years of corruption.
If you look at it that way, I think you would have to agree much progress is being made.
They also have their hands full actually running a country (vs. just a political party as the Repugs did).
Oklahoma kiddo @ 30
The Bush family offspring are not at risk so your questions are not ever on their minds.
Edwards on Wolfie…Send it BACK! End the war!
christine @ 36
What email from Goodling? What did I miss?
Steve @ 38
This would explain her invoking the fifth amendment
Leahy looks like god (if there is one). I think Helen Thomas looks like god too!
christine @ 35
Yah but! Putting the hard drives in a crusher and fire is verey seriously illegal, and the commercial company just might have some non-Fundie/Rove supporters who do not want to go to jail!
Shorter Edwards: Bush is full of shit. Rudy is a fear-monger!
Wolfie: What about that haircut?
Kathleen @ 48
What’s really necessary is a Sam Ervin.
Wasn’t Clusterfuck sposed ta meet with congress today to decide how ta compromise about Iraq? Did that happen? (just got back home).
Helen @ 46
I’ll try to find a link. But the brief is that late last week or early this week it was found in a ‘document dump’ from the DOJ that Goodling sent out an email to purge documents. I saw a screen shot of the email….
I see Kerry referring to Rubber Stamp Republicans today.
Did that term originate here at FDL?
My $0.02: Abu Gonzalez will be non-responsive, provoking a Contempt of Congress indictment. The Bush Crime Family will attempt to appeal to the Supreme Court with their misguided “Unitary Executive” formulation. Constitutional crisis ahead.
Lou Costello @ 50
Isn’t this called rope-a-dope? I’m not in front of the TeeVee right now, but did Wolf actually ask him about his hair…jeez!
I think Helen Thomas and Jane Hamsher are cut from the same cloth. The truth and justice cloth, with the words “right to know” printed on the fabric.
maunga @ 49
One can only hope so!!!
Would love ta see Wolfie and Sr. Political correspandant Candie Crowley sharing a bed at a rest home.
Shorter Edwards: Do the American people feel safer today…
Wolfie: But Rudy McRomney says…
Helen @ 46 asks:
I believe it was Christy who covered this last week or the weekend. Goodling wrote an e-mail with an attachment that directed the recipients to delete all previous copies fo the information as the one she was sending was the most recent. E-mail was sent in early February AFTER the beginnings of the investigations but prior to the orders to save all info related. It was a stupid move as we discussed throughout the thread.
Lou Costello @ 50
Edwards handled the entire interview with considerable aplomb despite little man Wolfe’s pathetic failed gotcha robotics out of the Rove playbook.
Helen @ 46
Monica Goodling Instructs DOJ Officials to Delete Documents
JF @ 47
It could also be a pre-emptive strike to show that an investigation has already begun. IANAL but Goodling’s immunity I believe only relates to her testimony. She is not protected from evidence that is independently developed so this could be laying down a marker saying that such evidence is being developed and that is being developed before her testifying.
Rudy McRomney! Hahaha, love it.
dakine01 @ 62
I believe it was Christy who covered this last week or the weekend. Goodling wrote an e-mail with an attachment that directed the recipients to delete all previous copies fo the information as the one she was sending was the most recent. E-mail was sent in early February AFTER the beginnings of the investigations but prior to the orders to save all info related. It was a stupid move as we discussed throughout the thread.
I was away for the weekend and missed all the threads. OK, so if this is the case why oh why would they give her immunity? I’d be too pissed to let her skate.
Kathleen @ 48
Helen Thomas is a giant. Among women and men.
Oklahoma kiddo @
30
A far more talented writer than I expressed my sentiments about these asshats who see our troops as pawns for their ambition:
—Lord Byron, Childe Harold’s Pilgrimage, Canto I, LIII
It’s poetry appreciation day over at If I Ran the Zoo, and this is the one I offered, along with a selection from Shelley’s Queen Mab to describe Bush.
The Dems can issue subpoenas like crazy, but if the Bushies say Fuck you and do not honor them, which I think is likely, then it will end up in court for a long long time…..do you really think they’ll be held in contempt of congress? I doubt it. Regarding maunga@49’s comment that destroying evidence is illegal, that’s SOP for this administration and THEY decide what is legal (at least that’s what they think).
I hope I’m wrong, but then I naively thought Rover would be indicted for Plamegate and since have gotten a lot more skeptical and bitter
I’m starting to like Edwards.
Dinnae forget that Wolfie worked for the Jerusalem Post, wrote a book about Spy-for-Israel Pollard, and then worked for a publishing house ‘affiliated’ with A**AC. Boum! Boum! It is round and round and round about us!
rwcole @ 59
Dammit I just ate!
Ahh, Monica, such a good Christian. I hope the Committee asks her what Jesus would have done?
/s
christine @ 53
I’ll try to find a link. But the brief is that late last week or early this week it was found in a ‘document dump’ from the DOJ that Goodling sent out an email to purge documents. I saw a screen shot of the email….
here is that e-mail – full image. . .
cathy @ 65
I wish I thought of it!
christine @ 58
This is why I say the e-mails will get them;
If they produce ‘em, they’re cooked, (aka “rock”)
If they don’t produce ‘em because of damage to hard drives they’re cooked. (aka “a hard place”)
Oklahoma kiddo @ 70
Me too. Did you watch or contribute to the commercial?
So was Mcnulty in the loop or kept “out of the loop”?
Oklahoma kiddo @ 70
Between the ad today and his interview on Wolfie…it’s nice to see a Dem with balls and a spine.
Our new chant should be: SEND IT BACK!
Helen @ 66
I was away for the weekend and missed all the threads. OK, so if this is the case why oh why would they give her immunity? I’d be too pissed to let her skate.
because she will tell us — under oath
that she was doing rove’s, or cheney’s — bidding.
maunga @ 49
But, I also wouldn’t put it past a very loyal Rep that has the knowledge of how to *clean* a hard drive properly to do so quietly one evening. It can be done, it’s tricky, but it can be done without leaving a trail of cracker crumbs behind.
Kathleen @ 78
OUT…or so it says.
Hugh @ 65
It could also be a pre-emptive strike to show that an investigation has already begun. IANAL but Goodling’s immunity I believe only relates to her testimony. She is not protected from evidence that is independently developed so this could be laying down a marker saying that such evidence is being developed and that is being developed before her testifying.
After she signaled that she would invoke the 5th, it was discussed here and elsewhere that it was possible for an innocent person to do so. This shows that she has done something that she would need protection from should she testify about it.
I’m sure she was hoping to testify before any of this came out. Now that it has come out independently of her testimony, she cannot hide behind her immunity deal with respect to
this act.
Kathleen @ 78
From Emptywheel’s post at the Next H….. when she points out McNulty never ‘got back’ to Lam, Yes, i wonder if he was not religious enough either for the WH or Fundies, so got dropped from the loop?
Sorry mods. My 84 got linkified. I can’t edit for some reason.
New Thread
Eureka Springs @ 77
Happy to say I got the email and donated a modest amount even though I’m a Gore holdout to the very end of the year. Growing up in the south I am always very proud of Gore and Edwards and hope and pray one or both of these fine men will soon be the top ticket for the Executive Branch.
OT. I think I have the distinction of being EPU’ed by Jane Hamsher.
Must say it is an honor. Was only sending Christy good vibes in NY. Now sending Jane good vibes for her health.
Probably discussed here already, but there’s another little item that got slipped into the Patriot Act, regarding residency requirements for USAttorneys. Sure seems like Abu needs lotsa help running Main Justice.
gnip gnop @ 69
Oh, please. You seem to think that they can stonewall until January 2009, and then they’ll be home-free. Contempt of Congress is a big deal. It’s one of the things that brought Nixon down. I don’t think Gonzo is going to go to jail, but I do think he’s going to be looking for job soon. Despite what Dean Broder may say, the public has turned against Bush and his war. The Republican party is in trouble in 2008, and they all know it. They know that they’ve got about a year’s worth of stalling left that they can get away with, but after that, they’re going to have to either toss Bush overboard or risk another bloodbath in 2008. And I doubt that there’s ANY loyalty in Congress to either Rove or Gonzo. One (or both) of them is going to get the Tenet-treatment soon.
Granddad Delbert @
6
As in?
Rosey you’re all right
You wear my ring
When you hold me tight
Rosey that’s my thing
When I turn off the light
I’ve got to hand it to me
Looks like it’s you and me again tonight
Rosey
You mean that Rosey?
Eureka Springs @ 77
I had not seen it. But thanks to you for putting it up there. Superb.
Brisingamen @
41
You’re talking my language.
Frank Probst @ 90
It all depends how much the public cares to pay attention. I can easily see this dragging on until Bush leaves office and I think only then the dirt will come pouring out. I am not so convinced as you, but I hope you are right and I am wrong.
christine @ 81
PLEASE we all know that leaves evidence of a cover up. Not gonna fly. That’s what forensic investigators will look for.
I’m interested in hoiw Congress can enforce contempt of Congress by using the Sargeant of Arms? Does the S-O-A have deputies that can physically go over and arrest someone? Or does the jurisdiction run to only the Halls of Congress? Do they automatically get arrest and extradition by cooperating police Departments? Do they lock people in the Congressional Cloak Room until they cooperate?
gnip gnop @ 94
Amen.
Tenet attacked on the right(wrong) and the left) Interesting article by Justin Raimando
http://www.antiwar.com/justin/?articleid=10902
christine @ 81
don’t forget Blackberry’s convenient shutdown a little bit ago.
Since the Plame emails are on the subpoena that means that Fitz could be called to compare files. Especially since his buddy Comey is going to testify. Plenary power in the nick of time.
lolo @ 101
Bring back Fitzy….
I want Rover’s Grand Jury Testimony framed
christine @ 81
What about the recipient or sender of the e-mail? Those aren’t scrubbed.
portia.vz @ 91
–Well, its good to have a reply to make. I mean if Rove — who strikes me as the queen of this Republic hive — is taken down and out — they all will dissappear. Not familiar with any other Rosey– just picked it… /
Copied to or Blind CC because with an email it does not matter if you are the To, CC, or BCC – it arrives in your inbox.
cinnamonape @ 96
There is a jail with 2 cells I am told.
redX @
104
I should not be surprised to find that the RNC e-mail system was configured to send Mr. Rove subject line summaries of all mail passing through it for certain individuals. It would seem to be in Rove’s character to take advantage of such a data-mining operation.
Too bad this line of questioning is not being explored.
I have to say that the Senate Judiciary Committee is having a hard time getting the details straight in its letters to the administration, unlike Waxman’s more carefully-drafted requests from his House oversight committee. To wit, from the opening sentence of today’s Senate subpoena cover letter:
“Last Thursday” was April 26th, the day after the letter that is cited in the sentence as a follow-up event. But the Gonzales hearing being referenced was in fact held on Thursday, April 19th (two Thursdays ago). Why didn’t the Senate staff simply specify the hearing date of 4/19, instead of using the imprecise and inaccurate formulation of “last Thursday” in the very first sentence of this very important communication to the Attorney General?? I’ve noticed this same carelessness in other recent Senate requests to the administration. I don’t think that sort of confusion helps the recipient(s) to take the communication as seriously as it deserves to be taken.
I’m a little surprised that the subpoena does not also request emails copied to or sent to Rove’s aides, members of the political Affairs Dept of the White House, or — frankly — anyone in the White House. I’m not sure Rove kept the path to him so easily traceable.
gnip gnop @
69
The bottom line on this, the absolute first thing to remember is this: We still don’t know the truth of Bush pere’s role in Iran-Contra because he chose to pardon his co-conspirator Weinberger shortly before the latter’s trial began.
So anyone who is holding her breath about learning all the Rasputinish machinations of this criminal administration is going to turn blue and die first.
Personally, I’m gonna be hooked up to tubes and kept alive until all the information that was presented to the Warren Commission is released.
The corruption in the DOJ is unprecedented.
The Attorney General ignoring a subpoena?
This man obviously has no respect for the department he serves or the American citizens.
Go after him Senator Leahy, like a pit bull!