You probably won’t hear me say this much, but kudos to Sen. Chuck Grassley for voting to hold Karl Rove and Josh Bolten in contempt of Congress for failing to comply with subpoenas investigating the fired US Attorneys probe. It proves that every once in a while Grassley can be a respectable Republican.
Archive for the 'Karl Rove' Category
Currently, the Government Services Administration (specifically their administrator) is under investigation by Congress for alleged acts of pure partisanship in an agency of the federal government that is supposed to be entirely nonpartisan — basically violations of the Hatch Act. TPM Muckraker and Speaker Pelosi’s blog “The Gavel” have more on the investigations, but I thought it was worth showing this video of Rep. Bruce Braley grill the GSA Administrator, Lurita Doan, about a PowerPoint presentation given by Karl Rove’s deputy to members of the GSA on how they could help out Republicans.
As they say on the internets, pwnd.
State 29 seems a bit frustrated by the AP piece talking about Robert Novak’s column in the Chicago Sun-Times today where he revealed…kind of…who is source was for Valerie Plame’s identity in the whole PlameGate fiasco.
The revelation in Novak’s piece wasn’t that he learned of Valerie Plame from Who’s Who, contrary to what State wrote, but that CIA public information officer Bill Harlow was another one of his sources as well as the confirmation that Rove was another one of his sources. As Novak admits in the column, he had three sources. One was a primary source, who has still not signed a waiver to allow Novak to release his or her name. The two other sources are Karl Rove (whom we knew) and Bill Harlow (which is what was just revealed). Numerous times in the past Novak has published and said he got Plame’s name from Who’s Who. But it helps to have confirming sources like Rove and Harlow, as well as a primary source.
Anyway, the AP doesn’t think you’re stupid since the Who’s Who part at the end of the column wasn’t a revelation. They think you’re stupid since you think that’s the revelation in the piece, State.
Oh, and a lot of papers, including the Register can’t publish Novak’s column in full because its a syndicated column and you have to pick up the syndication for more than one column, which is a bit pricey. And besides, who in Des Moines would want to read Robert Novak when we already pick up the shit coming from Charles Krauthammer of the Washington Post?
Looks like Republicans are really fighting hard to keep the IA-01, but I doubt it will do them much good. From KCCI:
“An aide to 1st district congressional hopeful Mike Whalen said Vice President Dick Cheney will come to eastern Iowa to campaign for the Bettendorf entrepreneur.
Whalen’s campaign manager, Russ Perisho, said the vice president will be in Davenport, but no dates for the visit have been released yet. Whalen, a Republican, is running against Democrat Bruce Braley of Waterloo to replace U.S. Rep. Jim Nussle, a Republican from Manchester who is leaving the seat to run for governor.”
If you’ll remember, Whalen had Bush advisor Karl Rove in town for him earlier this week, probably figuring out new ways to avoid indictment or something Rovian like that. I guess he loves having the people in the current administration who have taken this country to hell in the last six years come campaign for him.
If I remember correctly, in the little bit that I followed from the GOP primary race in the Iowa-01, Whalen ran as the outsider or at least claimed to not be a part of the Washington Republican establishment. Scoop from Iowa’s First seems to remember the same thing:
“The next Whalen campaign event is to feature VP Cheney.
Again, I find it interesting that the candidate in the GOP primary that ran as the “outsider” to the Washington establishment chooses to bring in people that couldn’t possibly belong any more to the Washington establishment.”
If you live in the Iowa-01, just remember that its the same old Washington Republican leadership that will come from Mike Whalen. Do yourself a favor and vote for Bruce Braley.
UPDATE: Sorry this link is getting to you guys late, here’s the way the AP covered the event.
As I reported a little over a week ago, Karl Rove is in Iowa today campaigning for Mike Whalen in the IA-01 and Jeff Lamberti here in the IA-03. KCCI has a bit of a story here, but nothing too fancy. I’m hoping that the Register will have a story up on the events eventually, but I’m making no guarantees.
Anyway, as of about right now, if you’re in Des Moines you’ve still got about 20 minutes to make it to this:
Polk Co. Dems: “Congratulations For Not Being Indicted Karl Rove!”
County Democrats to Present Embattled Deputy Chief of Staff with Giant Greeting CardDES MOINES – On Monday, June 26 at 5:30 p.m., Polk County Democrats Chairman Tom Henderson will present a gigantic greeting card to White House Deputy Chief of Staff Karl Rove with the following message:
Dear Karl Rove,
Congratulations on not being indicted.
Sincerely,
Concerned Iowa FamiliesThe greeting card is 8-feet-tall and 8-feet-wide. Members of the Polk County Democrats will also distribute balloons to celebrate the occasion.
Rove recently dodged an indictment for involvement in the Valerie Plame scandal, in which a CIA agent’s identity was leaked to the press. The White House leak breached many ethical barriers and possibly defied federal law. A federal investigation is on-going.
WHO: Tom Henderson, Polk County Democrats
WHAT: “Congratulations For Not Being Indicted Karl Rove” Greeting Card Giveaway
WHERE: On the sidewalk near 4000 Turnberry Drive, West Des Moines
WHEN: Monday, June 26, 5:30 p.m.
FAVORITE QUOTE: “Oh, if you’re not indicted, you’re exonerated? Is that how that works?” Senator Trent Lott (R-MS), June 14, 2006, Congressional Quarterly Today, Page 1
Unfortunately, I won’t be able to make it but if there are any pictures taken of the event, I’ll try and get them up here on the site. And today’s campaign events just go to show you that Lamberti and Whalen are part of the same Washington Republican status quo that Karl Rove represents and are more loyal pawns to Bush’s flawed policies.
The Des Moines Register has a story today with information you should have read here first: Karl Rove is coming to Iowa to campaign for Republican congressional candidates.
I first reported this 8 days ago (at least that he’d be in town for Lamberti), but I guess the Register at least got the scoop on the Whalen event.
At least we know that my blog at least reports some actual news every once in a while.
If anyone doubted that the IA-03 isn’t one of the biggest congressional races of 2006, then I’ve got the cure to your doubts. Just look at the fundraising help that Leonard Boswell’s challenger Jeff Lamberti has gotten (or will get) just this month:
- Tuesday night: Fundraiser for lots of 2006 candidates, including Lamberti, hosted by Rudy Giuliani’s PAC — which raised about $2 million
- Tonight: Fundraiser for Lamberti hosted by Sen. Bill “I dissect cats” Frist (R-TN) — Roll Call provides details:
Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-Tenn.) is scheduled to appear at a fundraiser on Wednesday for state Sen. Jeff Lamberti (R), who is seeking to oust Rep. Leonard Boswell (D) this fall in the Des Moines-area 3rd district.
The event, asking for $1,000 from political action committees and $250 from individuals, is set to occur at Shelly’s Back Room.
An easy way for Lamberti to make a few more bucks.
- June 26th: Fundraiser in Polk County with Karl Rove as keynote speaker
Why would anyone want to vote for Jeff Lamberti? It’s just more of the same Republican shit. He won’t come into Congress and change things. He’s part of the Republican establishment, meaning he loves his Republican values of cronyism, corruption, deficit, and debt. Thanks to Chet Culver for coining that line. The Republican leadership, including the leaker Karl Rove and Bill Frist (the guy with blind trust issues), is full of corruption and these guys emulate it in some of the best ways possible.
In the most recent filings, Boswell had a $300k CoH advantage over Lamberti which probably explains the mad dash for cash right now. Going into the summer recess and campaigning against an incumbent with a cash disadvantage is terribly hard to do. This is going to be a tough race over the next couple of months, but I’ve got Leonard Boswell’s back. As the Democrat best poised to reprsent this district right now, we Democrats have got to unite behind him, urge him to vote the way we want him to, and protect his seat from the control of Karl Rove Republicans, like Jeff Lamberti.
So, if you can, give Congressman Boswell a couple of netroots bucks. Sen. Boxer helped him, now you can too here at ActBlue.
Talk about destroying a reputation.
“Washington Post Assistant Managing Editor Bob Woodward testified under oath Monday in the CIA leak case that a senior administration official told him about CIA operative Valerie Plame and her position at the agency nearly a month before her identity was disclosed.
In a more than two-hour deposition, Woodward told Special Counsel Patrick J. Fitzgerald that the official casually told him in mid-June 2003 that Plame worked as a CIA analyst on weapons of mass destruction, and that he did not believe the information to be classified or sensitive, according to a statement Woodward released yesterday.”
Oops. The text of Woodward’s formal statement is here.
I don’t suppose he forgot about it or something? Nah, he just kept trying to downplay the significance of the investigation over and over and over and over again.
Atrios gives a good reason as to why his claim that the source told him in off the record, almost gossip-like style doesn’t really seem to match up with the fact that their was some kind of confidentiality agreement.
Josh Marshall also has a good review here, but I think he might grant just a bit too much leeway to Woodward.
What does this mean for the continued investigation of Patrick Fitzgerald? A lot. It shows just how much information there still is to gather and how deep the investigation goes. The West Wing is about to get a lot more hectic trying to combat stories, rumors, and a pissed off press corps who can’t get answers. Oh, and prepare for Bush to get even more ponies as his poll numbers will continue to drop.
In the past few days the White House has been trying to set a new frame of mind for Karl Rove–essentially one where he’s come back to work at full strength and is operating normally. The problem is that really isn’t the case because he’s still under investigation and could be for a very long time to come. As Murray Waas in the National Journal writes:
“Special Prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald delayed a decision on whether to seek criminal charges against Karl Rove in large part because he wants to determine whether Lewis (Scooter) Libby, the former chief of staff to Vice President Cheney, can provide information on Rove’s role in the CIA leak case, according to attorneys involved in the investigation.
Even if Fitzgerald concludes in the near future that he does not have sufficient evidence to charge Rove, the special prosecutor would not rule out bringing charges at a later date and would not finish his inquiry on Rove until he hears whatever information Libby might provide — either incriminating or exculpatory — on Rove’s role, the sources said.
[. . .]Fitzgerald did not seek an indictment of Rove, opting to present any potential new evidence on the White House deputy chief of staff to a new grand jury. In recent days, Fitzgerald has reinterviewed several witnesses with knowledge of Rove’s role in the Plame leak and talked with attorneys of other potential witnesses.
The ongoing investigation means that Rove’s legal status is likely to remain up in the air until the final disposition of Libby’s case. That could be two years from now, or even longer. Rove’s predicament contradicts recent news accounts indicating that Fitzgerald will conclude his probe of Rove in the near future.”
Again, all this information leaves things hanging the air. It appears that Rove could be a stigma on Bush for a while to come, especially if Democrats can effectively keep harping on the fact that Rove is still a target and that for the potential crime committed by Rove there isn’t any kind of statute of limitations.
When it comes time for the 2006 midterms, its going to be a tough sell to the American people to elect people of the same party as President Bush and his corrupt and criminal pals.
From a CBS News Report:
“Rove’s lawyer said he was told by the prosecutor’s office that investigators had “made no decision about whether or not to bring charges” and would continue their probe into Rove’s conduct.
Fitzgerald’s spokesman, Randall Samborn, said the investigation will continue but with a new grand jury. The term of the current grand jury cannot be extended beyond today.
The lack of an indictment against Rove is a mixed outcome for the administration. It keeps in place the president’s top adviser, the architect of his political machine whose fingerprints can be found on virtually every policy that emerges from the White House.
But leaving Rove in legal jeopardy keeps Mr. Bush and his team working on problems like the Iraq war, a Supreme Court vacancy and slumping poll ratings beneath a dark cloud of uncertainty.”
So, what does all of this mean?
We honestly don’t know. It is looking like the next investigation won’t last more than a couple of weeks or a couple of months.
Raw Story is reporting that Fitzgerald is still going after Rove, probably with tougher charges. Take that with a grain of salt.
According to Fitzgerald, the investigation is still ongoing. The grand jury’s term has expired by statute, however, they can still be called back to consider charges in the same investigation.
To any lawyers out there: Can you confirm this? Is it a typical tactic?
And does that mean Rove still can be seriously indicted under this same grand jury?
From the indictment of Scooter Libby (PDF):
“On or about July 10 or July 11, 2003, LIBBY spoke to a senior official in the White House (“Official A”) who advised LIBBY of a conversation Official A had earlier that week with columnist Robert Novak in which Wilson’s wife was discussed as a CIA employee involved in Wilson’s trip. LIBBY was advised by Official A that Novak would be writing a story about Wilson’s wife.”
David Schuster was just on MSNBC speculating that Official A is Karl Rove, since his name is mentioned nowhere in the actual indictment. The only problem is that this would be contrary to Novak’s claim that his source was “no partisan gunslinger.” Unless that was meant to be an inside joke for Novakula. And I’d say his whacky-ass Republican mind might actually do that.
And then there is this:
“On or about May 29, 2003, in the White House, LIBBY asked an Under Secretary of State (“Under Secretary”) for information concerning the unnamed ambassador’s travel to Niger to investigate claims about Iraqi efforts to acquire uranium yellowcake. The Under Secretary thereafter directed the State Department’s Bureau of Intelligence and Research to prepare a report concerning the ambassador and his trip. The Under Secretary provided LIBBY with interim oral reports in late May and early June 2003, and advised LIBBY that Wilson was the former ambassador who took the trip.”
The speculation, of course, on this official is John Bolton. I can’t confirm or deny anything about that.
Time for the Fitzgerald press conference.
UPDATE: CNN has a confirmed copy of a letter written to four House Democrats (including John Conyers) from Patrick Fitzgerald stating that he will NOT be releasing a public report.
“Fitzgerald tells members of Congress he believes “there is no legal authority to issue a public report in the Special Counsel matter”, also confirms that the Plame grand jury is not a ’special grand jury’.”
That doesn’t seem like good news if we ever wanted a full story behind the investigation. Information will come out spinning a tale from the indictments, but we don’t get the full scope of the information collected by Patrick Fitzgerald.
Then, there is this information from Hotline On Call:
“From a Washington Post chat with Jim VandeHei: “Here is what I can report on Rove front: Rove provided the special prosecutor something in recent days that gave in the words of one person close to him “pause” about charging Rove. The Rove team anticipates the special prosecutor will make a decision within weeks, not months.”
A source close to Rove confirms that, in discussions with Fitzgerald, Rove’s attorney provided new information that “gave him pause.”"
Has Rove gotten off the hook?
Jeralynn Merrit has been predicting that he had cut a deal for a while now, here is some of her most recent speculation.
I’m watching CNN right now. I’m glad I woke up just in time to watch this. Evidently, the release of some documents is coming quite soon. Here is the Fitzgerald website to keep up to date on things.
An official announcement will be coming at 1 PM (CDT) today from Fitzgerald.
The latest details, as reported by the press, are that Scooter Libby will be indicted and Rove is still in legal jeopardy. Like Atrios said, however, we should take all of this media guessing with a grain of salt.
The Washington Post is reporting the latest:
“The prosecutor in the CIA leak investigation presented a summary of his case to a federal grand jury yesterday and is expected to announce a final decision on charges in the two-year-long probe tomorrow, according to people familiar with the case.
Even as Special Counsel Patrick J. Fitzgerald wrapped up his case, the legal team of White House Deputy Chief of Staff Karl Rove has been engaged in a furious effort to convince the prosecutor that Rove did not commit perjury during the course of the investigation, according to people close to the aide. The sources, who indicated that the effort intensified in recent weeks, said Rove still did not know last night whether he would be indicted.”
I can only imagine what things are like inside the Bush White House right now. I’m sure Rove’s finding it hard to sleep…especially if he’s going to have to explain to his son why daddy’s going to be indicted and arrested by the federal government. Paul Begala has a post over at TPM Cafe that catches the assumed feeling pretty closely. I’m sure the Clinton White House was nothing like the Bush II White House, but there most definitely are still comparisons to be made.
According to Raw Story, the summary Fitzgerald offered Wednesday already included some requests for indictments:
“Special Prosecutor Patrick J. Fitzgerald has asked the grand jury investigating the outing of CIA operative Valerie Plame Wilson to indict Vice President Dick Cheney’s chief of staff I. Lewis “Scooter” Libby and Bush’s Deputy Chief of Staff Karl Rove on charges of perjury and obstruction of justice, lawyers close to the investigation tell RAW STORY.
Fitzgerald has also asked the jury to indict Libby on a second charge: knowingly outing a covert operative, the lawyers said. They said the prosecutor believes that Libby violated a 1982 law that made it illegal to unmask an undercover CIA agent.”
The grand jury’s term is set to expire on Friday. There is some speculation that Fitzgerald has sought to empanel a new grand jury or even extend this curent grand jury. The likelihood of either of these events happening is unclear, especially to a DC-outsider like myself. If so, then I’m guessing that Fitzmas comes more than once a year.
My reasons for thinking that Fitzmas comes often is this from Steve Clemons:
“Well, news has just reached TWN that Patrick Fitzgerald is expanding not only into a new website — but also into more office space.
Fitzgerald’s office is at 1400 New York Avenue, NW, 9th Floor in Washington.
What I have learned is that the Office of the Special Counsel has signed a lease this week for expanded office space across the street at 1401 New York Avenue, NW.
Another coincidence? More office space needed to shut down the operation?
I think not. Fitzgerald’s operation is expanding.”
I agree with Steve that the operation is expanding. But I’m not going to place full weight (maybe half of mine, which is still a lot) on the possibility that it’s expanding for another grand jury or for an extension. I think it is absolutely entirely possible that his office is going to need more space to prosecute five different people (at least) stemming from the indictments he brings.
And finally, if you’re looking for comedy late tonight, check out wingnuts smoking crack.
