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TechnoratiWhat Is Karl Rove Hiding?
When asked whether he's resigning because of congressional scrutiny, Rove didn't exactly deny it.
The most intriguing line from Karl Rove's interview with Paul Gigot of the Wall Street Journal, announcing his surprise resignation, is the description of his biggest failure in the 2006 mid-term election, in which Democrats won control of both houses of congress. "His biggest error," Gigot wrote, "was in not working soon enough to replace Republicans tainted by scandal."
The assertion comes, of course, from a man who is now effectively having himself replaced, just before the 2008 presidential campaign shifts into full gear. Should we think of Rove's resignation as his attempt to avoid making the same mistake twice?
The intriguing possibility that Rove is resigning because of some impending scandal is not one he denies in the Journal interview. Rather than saying "no" in response to a question whether he is resigning because of congressional scrutiny, he admits only that that is a predictable speculation.
"I know they'll say that," he responds to Gigot, "But I'm not going to stay or leave based on whether it pleases the mob." Of course, Gigot did not ask him about whether Rove was stepping down to please the mob. He asked if he was trying to evade congressional scrutiny.
And there's reason to believe that such scrutiny may, in fact, be closing in on Rove. In late July, the House Judiciary Committee published an interim report [pdf] on the committee's investigation into the firing of at least nine US attorneys.
The report provides a good deal of evidence to suggest that several top justice department officials lied to cover up calls from Senator Pete Domenici and other New Mexico Republicans, made just before and after the 2006 election, seeking to have New Mexico's US attorney, David Iglesias, fired.
Rove was subpoenaed to testify about these matters before the Senate judiciary committee on August 1. But he refused to even show up, citing a letter from White House counsel Fred Fielding invoking executive privilege. Committee chairman Patrick Leahy noted at the time that "Karl Rove, who is now refusing to comply with Senate subpoenas, spoke publicly in speeches about these firings when the scandal first broke, but is suddenly unable to talk it about when he is under oath?"
Leahy went on to echo the language of the house of representatives judiciary committee report, suggesting that Rove was part of the cover-up of the reasons for the firings of US attorneys. "Mr. Rove has given reasons for the firings that have now been shown to be inaccurate after-the-fact fabrications. Yet, he now refuses to tell this committee the truth about his role in targeting well-respected US attorneys for firing and in seeking to cover up his role and that of his staff in the scandal."
On the same day Rove was scheduled to testify, the justice department released still more emails [pdf] relating to the firings, adding to the evidence that there was a concerted cover-up of the reasons for Iglesias' firing.
Clearly, the Democrats on Congress's judiciary committees suspect Rove may have something to hide. And they continue to accumulate evidence supporting that claim.
The possibility that Rove resigned because of this scandal is all the more interesting given a little-noticed report implicating George Bush himself in the Iglesias firing - with Rove acting as the broker between Senator Domenici and Bush. This administration has successfully used a senior aide as a firewall in the past. Is something similar going on here?
It might also be that Rove's resignation has more to do with the upcoming Presidential elections. Perhaps he plans - as many have speculated - to work for one of the Republican candidates for president. But, as Leahy stated in response to Rove's resignation, "There is a cloud over this White House, and a gathering storm. A similar cloud envelops Mr. Rove, even as he leaves the White House."
Given how quickly this storm is gathering, it's not clear any other Republicans would want that cloud anywhere near their presidential campaign.
Marcy Wheeler writes under the pseudonym "emptywheel" at the blogs The Next Hurrah and Firedoglake. She is the author of the Anatomy of Deceit and liveblogged the Scooter Libby trial. She is based in Michigan.
© 2007 The Guardian
39 Comments so far
Show AllKarl Rove's departure will now allow him to conduct his destructive abominations behind the scenes, but with less scrutiny & vulnerability. The extent of his unconscionable deeds are unprecedented. They include election fraud, character assassination (even against triple amputee Vietnam vets), and the list goes on. His dreadful antics have enabled the most inept and deceptive administration to wrought more destruction to this nation, and the world, than any previous American administration.
Americans have been grossly negligent for tolerating these dreadful outrages. If we fail to force our legislators into pursuing charges against this ruthles character, and nis boss now, we will have rewarded him and this administration for their destructive perversions--this can only lead to more of the same.
Well,
I speculate that Rove may be more vulnerable to the World Court and perhaps that body of law will sneak up and nail him as soon as he is out of the "official" capacity.
Just think, if that were to happen, it could actually begin the unraveling of the regime!
Granted these clowns declared themselves exempt from the World Court but who was really bowing to that claim outside of we the people? Perhaps the Europeans, especially those from the former communist countries, know how to keep their mouths shut until the right moment. They've had a lot of practice in the past century, not to mention other centuries.
You know, we should have known what they were up to when they made THAT declaration, so they could feel good about their crusade-like march on the planet.
But Rove getting snagged by the WC... what a nice thought. I can dream, still.
"There is a cloud over this White House, and a gathering storm. A similar cloud envelops Mr. Rove, even as he leaves the White House."
I hope the cloud is tapping his phones and computers!
Maybe Rove is going to work on getting Ahnold to run?!
~~ second effort...
Rove is a Nazi, as are the Bushes...
-------------------------------------------------
http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2007/05/07/18412552.php
Death Chamber Arnold, Bush & Roves' Nazi roots
Published on Monday, October 6, 2003 by The Free Press
Siege Heil: The Bush-Rove-Schwarzenegger Nazi Nexus and the Destabilization of California
by Bob Fitrakis and Harvey Wasserman
George W. Bush's grandfather helped finance the Nazi Party. Karl Rove's grandfather allegedly helped run the Nazi Party, and helped build the Birkenau Death Camp. Arnold Schwarzenegger's Austrian father volunteered for the infamous Nazi SA and became a ranking officer.
Together, they have destabilized California and are on the brink of bringing it a new Reich. With the Schwarzenegger candidacy they have laid siege to America's largest state, lining it up for the 2004 election.
The Bush family ties to the Nazi party are well known. In their 1994 Secret War Against the Jews, Mark Aarons and John Loftus use official US documents to establish that George Herbert Walker, George W. Bush's maternal great-grandfather, was one of Hitler's most important early backers. He funneled money to the rising young fascist through the Union Banking Corporation.
............................
Karl Rove has parallel ties. The shadowy Rove serves as "Bush's Brain" in the current White House. He is the political mastermind behind the California coup, and is now in the headlines for outing Valerie Plame, the CIA wife of Ambassador Joseph Wilson. A consummate strategist, Rove may have outed Plame in retaliation for Wilson's failure to back up the Bush claim that Saddam Hussein was buying nuclear weapons materials in Africa. According to some published reports, as many as seventy CIA operatives have been put at risk by Rove's retaliatory strike.
According to Wilson, and to Retired U.S. Navy Lt. Commander Al Martin (http://www.almartinraw.com), Rove's grandfather was Karl Heinz Roverer, the Gauleiter of Oldenburg. Roverer was Reich-Statthalter---Nazi State Party Chairman---for his region. He was also a partner and senior engineer in the Roverer Sud-Deutche Ingenieurburo A. G. engineering firm, which built the Birkenau death camp, at which tens of thousands of Jews, Gypsies, dissidents and other were slaughtered en masse.
Rove, who has been based in Utah and associated with the Mormon Church, is widely viewed as the chief engineer of the current Bush administration. He and Tom DeLay are attempting to force the Texas legislature to redistrict its Congressional delegations, adding seven sure seats to the Republican column. By controlling the state houses in New York, Florida, Texas and California, the GOP would have a lock on the four largest states in the union, and thus the ability to manipulate vote counts and strip voter registration rolls in the run-up to the 2004 election.
.......................
According to Bob Woodward's Bush at War, Bush attended a New York Yankees game soon after the September 11 World Trade Center disaster. He wore a fireman's jacket. As he threw out the first pitch, the crowd roared. Thousands of fans stuck out their arms with thumbs up. Karl Rove, sitting in the box of Yankee owner George Steinbrenner, likened the roar of the crowd to "a Nazi rally."
He would know.
read the full article at the link above~~
Personally,I'd rather see Rove out in the public eye, rather than hiding out in some undisclosed area where Bush can still receive all of the advice he needs from Rove.
. Better to have these devious characters out where we can at least have some hint of their machinations, than their carrying on even more secretly behind our backs. To be sure, Rove is up to something, if its just avoiding interrogation and testifying.
Rove's leaving marks the official end of the Bush Reich, Rove being the Heinrich Himmler and Joseph Goebbels of this band of pirates and killers. Obviously, Bush can do no more for Rove; so Rove now jumps ship in search of the next incipient Fuhrer. Should you be looking for him, the pudgy nerd can now be found at the Horst Wessel Beer Hall in Tracy, California, answering to the name Zeke Hyle.
That's a good point WcM, unless another Bushie type is elected with our corrupt election process.
Just like Ford did with Nixon, if the heat get too close for Rove, Bush will "pardon" him. Libby was just a practice run.
Rove the Propaganda minister aka Goebbels, is ripe for prison for his many crimes against the citizens of this country. In addition, wouldn't it be something if the truth about Jeff Gannon, the phony Talon news reporter/gay prostitute who had two years of access into the inner White House sanctum led directly to Turd Blossom? Frank 1569 is definitely on to something.
Why does he leave? It is a truly puzzling question. His reason as wanting to spend time with family is almost as believable as saying that he wants to fulfill his dream of growing an organic vegetable garden. But there must be a strong reason. It seems to me a bit strange that everybody just focuses on Rove trying to escape scrutiny of the congress. Can he escape it just by quitting the job?
No doubt that Rove knows everything that can be known about the past and current plans of the power top. Isn't is possible that he is leaving because what is now in the plans truly scares him. He is the master of dirty tricks and manipulation on grand scale but may not be a person who can see himself as a part of much more brutal struggle for power that may be coming. The times of winning power through cheating are no more, so is his role to play.
Can this be a possible explanation of his departure?
millions on the lawn...
Hahaha so Turd blossom retires from being Bushits reach around poor Georgie will have to get another one to like intercourse with as poor Turd is off to be with his Fart Blossom Family, I really do believe he's/its pregnant because this whole Bushit thing has been fucking America for so long
Karl is hiding what he's been hiding since age 6
his rovaries.
Rove retiring to Texas, not. More likely israel, with no fear of extradition.
It is an evil ploy of some kind. I doubt that Rove will allow himself to get as ill treated as Scooter. As the man with his hand up Bu$h the inferiors puppet butt I think he is going to continue doing everything as before but unofficially in an attempt to hide his fingerprints.
Bu$h the inferior will pardon him or Rove will mess up everybody big time to protect himself. If it gets real serious that is certain.
During the Abu Gharib and Gitmo scandals, the allegations of Who-Knew-What-and-When-Did-They-Know-It led "right to the top". Rummy resigned and so did the allegations.
During the Valerie Plame and US Attorney scandals, the allegations of Who-Knew-What-and-When-Did-They-Know-It led "right to the top". Rove has resigned and so will the allegations. All of the 'special investigations' will get tabled as the MSM will re-focus the attention on the latest celebrity scandal.
I'd like to know who really has the goods on Rove. I think Frank1569 hit it - it's with his cadre of gay lovers.
Isn't there some computer hacker geek with a progressive nature out there who could hack into the RNC server and recover all of those missing e-mails? Good lord, hackers have gotten into the military computers before. Come on all you geeks - hack into the RNC! Hell, you don't even have to believe that you're doing the right thing - do it for the challenge! And then bask in the accolades from the world community when the fruits of your labour bring Rove and the Cheney/Bush mob to justice.
The entire world thanks you in advance.
What Is Karl Rove Hiding?
From the looks of him in that suit, I'd say he's hiding at least 100lbs of Prime Grade A Texas Fat Ass
From the article:
"I know they'll say that," he responds to Gigot, "But I'm not going to stay or leave based on whether it pleases the mob." Of course, Gigot did not ask him about whether Rove was stepping down to please the mob. He asked if he was trying to evade congressional scrutiny.
It seems not only Gigot missed Rove's reference to COngress as "the mob". Certainly Congress has acted as such being the benefactor of everyone of Rove's pet projects designed to remove the Constitution as our basis of governing.
annabelle - are you entertained yet?
Do you think Sen Biden (D- Del) comments recently in the press threatening criminal charges for this administrations many criminals has any teeth? I personally think that unless a Democrat with courage is elected in '08 that is willing to bring criminal charges to these war criminals is elected - then nothing at all will be done to anyone of the criminals.
Waiting for a Democrat with courage is akin to waiting for a dry rain.
Rove's appearance at neocon events will command at least as much as Ann Coulter gets ($50,000 per event). This will represent a significant increase in his income.
Even if Rove were arrested, indicted and convicted of his many crimes he would never go to jail. A simple pardon and everything is hunky dory. He knows it and we know it. Save a lot of tax paper dollars and simply eliminate the kangaroo court. Example: Gonzalos smiling and laughing his way through questioning. It is all a game to entertain the public.
There's also the "Sealed v. Sealed" indictment supposedly drawn up against him by Fitzgerald's team, the missing 5 million emails, and, sooner or later, a tell-all expose by his secret cadre of gay lovers.
It's just as likely he's been tasked to try and salvage what's left of the nightmare. Expect to smell Rove's stealth stench rising from whatever lying millionaire Democracy-hater the GOPathologicals end up nominating.
I do not know what the statue of limitations on his crimes are, but if double jeopardy does not come into play a new Democratic AG could indict him in a NY minute.
Bush learned a lesson from the I. Scooter Libby trial, there's no way in hell Rove will ever face a criminal trial, he'll be pardoned before he's ever indicted. As to Congress, Bush will claim Executive privilege till hell freezes over or Supreme Court rules in his favor. Bush didn't appoint Aleto and Roberts to rule against him.
He probably WAS b y Hitler's side, as I believe he is young enough to have been reincarnated here.
All kidding aside, the guy is running for his lair because he will be caught in the headlights if he doesn't.
My grandmother always said "A fox always smells his own hole first"--which is capable of a number of levels of application....
Rove, would have been grate by Hitler's side as complement in the Nazi party.
His current job as adviser doesn't pay enough to pay for his impending legal defense. He will hit the lecture circuit, maybe with some crappy book of lies he rushed to print. Unfortunately these bastards don't ever seem to really go away!
I hope Leahy keeps the pressure on!
Rove's "retirement" is a cynical ploy to remove a target. He will continue to operate behind the scenes and charges can and should still be brought against him for his role in the crimes of this administration.
Another one overboard--ship sinking.
Not to worry, the DLC flagship, "Billary", is still in the fleet, ready to leave port.
If we can prove that he was part of revealing Valerie Plame's identity and urging the firings of the assitant attorney generals then we can bring criminal prosecution, even if he is out of the White House. Of course we would need a new AG after we get rid of Gonzo. He would never do anything that is ethical or right.
At least partially Rove is leaving so that Bush can pardon him if he is found guilty in any of the several investigations that he is a target of. It would be a stretch even for Bush to pardon him while he was still a member of the White House team, although I have no doubt Bush would do it anyway and consequences be damned.
Lobo Gris
Kem Patrick says:
"Then it may be, Rove is one of the several surprises in the hookers black book, that Larry Flynt is going to disclose in the near future. If so, we'll soon know."
Man I do not even want to know how "Turd Blossoms" sexual preferences run. Yuk!
Seriously though something is up. It will be interesting, perhaps horrifying to see what shakes out over the coming weeks and months.
Remember it will be at least a couple of years before any legal steps initiated against Rove now would play themselves out. Bush will be out of office by then and won't be able to grant a pardon to anyone.
rove, like the rest of them, will walk. no accountability for the privileged. two tier justice.
At least partially Rove is leaving so that Bush can pardon him if he is found guilty as a result of any of the several investigations that he is the subject of. It would be a stretch even for Bush (although I believe he would still do it and the consequences be damned) to pardon him while he was still a member of the white House team.
Lobo Gris
""I know they'll say that," he responds to Gigot, "But I'm not going to stay or leave based on whether it pleases the mob."
What could more concretely express the Repuke's view of the citizenry, of popular sovereignty? WE are a mob. THEY are the people Arsehole Hamilton, happily shot by Aaron Burr before he could do more mischief than he'd done, wanted to see in power forever in the country.
The brain has left the building. Probably off to some Karoke bar. It don't mean a thing if it aint got the swing do wop do wop!!
BOBUS:__ Very good observations and questions. I would not be surprised if he and his truly long time friend Bush, had some recent and serious disagreements, with Cheney very possibly creating the rift.
It may be Rove wants no part of some nasty plans. From the body language at his farewell press conference, it seemed as if Rove really didn't want to leave, but at the same time, could not wait to get his ass out of there. Bush too was visibly upset, sad and taken aback by the sudden departure, he was actually sad. Bush is a lousy actor,___ among other things. Bush was not prepared for Rove's resignation.
Then it may be, Rove is one of the several surprises in the hookers black book, that Larry Flynt is going to disclose in the near future. If so, we'll soon know.
I'm beginning to think investigations to impeachment should wait until after the next Presidential election so there won't be any blanket pardons given. Then go after them, which in-turn would KEEP them (the individuals) from coming back into any kind of power.