Headlines for July.14.08

* Kucinich introduced the impeachment bill as one article on Thursday. Pelosi suggested that the House Judiciary Committee may hold some hearings on the resolution, more then they have done before.

* The Red Cross stated that the conditions at Gitmo are in fact torture.

This is important because the Red cross is the international standard for prison conditions - they inspect all of the international prisons and their judgment on what is and is not acceptable is the international baseline. If they say that we are torturing, it doesn't matter what screwed up logic that we make here at home, in the eyes of the world what we are doing is a War Crime, and it brings the possibility of charges and a tribunal.

* Karl Rove continues to ignore a subpoena from the Congress citing executive privileges. This was already turned down once during the Nixon Administration. - Executive power does not trump the Congress' role of oversight. Because the courts are packed with loyal appointees the only road for redress in this matter - the courts - are effectively blocked.

* Iran tested missiles. The United States wants to build a radar base in Prague as part of U.S. missile defense system in eastern Europe. If The Czech Republic allows this then Russia has threatened force.

* Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac stocks have continued to slump, which is feeding speculation that the government will bail them out.

* Homeland security looking at a new measure for security: requiring everyone on planes to wear bracelets that will effectively taser you if activated.

* The Green Party convention was in Illinois.

* The Ron Paul Revolution march was this weekend in DC.

* Anti-gay Alabama Republican Attorney General was caught in bed by his wife with another man.

Oh, Karl Rove, you adorable little ragamuffin you!

http://thehill.com/leading-the-news/conyers-threatens-contempt-charges-for-rove-2008-07-03.html
This article by The Hill, Washington DC's political rag, is a nice change of pace. Hopefully Congress will have the balls to go forward with it.


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Conyers threatens contempt charges for Rove
By Jared Allen
Posted: 07/03/08 03:21 PM [ET]

The standoff between the House and the Bush administration over the congressional testimony of top White House aides continued on Thursday when House Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers Jr. (D-Mich.) threatened to hold Karl Rove in contempt if he follows through on his refusal to respond to a committee subpoena.

Conyers and Administrative Law subcommittee Chairwoman Linda Sanchez (D-Calif.) were responding to a July 1 letter they received from Rove’s attorney, Robert D. Luskin, in which Luskin said his client would be unable to appear before Sanchez’s subcommittee. The panel is investigating the politicization within the Justice Department and had subpoenaed Rove to testify before the subcommittee next Thursday.

In his letter, Luskin said Rove would not appear “on the grounds that Executive Privilege confers upon him immunity from process in response to a subpoena directed to this subject.”

In a letter released Thursday, Conyers and Sanchez rejected that claim, and warned that they could move to hold Rove in contempt of Congress if he fails to respond to the subpoena.

“We want to make clear that the subcommittee will convene as scheduled and expects Mr. Rove to appear, and that a refusal to appear in violation of the subpoena could subject Mr. Rove to contempt proceedings, including statutory contempt under federal law and proceedings under the inherent contempt authority of the House of Representatives," Conyers and Sanchez

If both sides follow through on their threats, Rove would become the third member of Bush’s innermost circle to be held in contempt of Congress for refusing to testify after being subpoenaed. The House in February voted to hold White House Chief of Staff Josh Bolten and former White House counsel Harriet Miers in contempt of Congress for refusing to testify before the same panel.

Conyers and Sanchez also again rejected Rove’s offer to appear for an off-the-record interview.

It's like these people have no concept that they are accountable to the law. Wait... with impeachment taken off the table, they aren't.