Exclusive: House Committee wanted Rove to testify in private so they could ask more questions

[kpete]

Source: Raw Story

House Committee wanted Rove behind closed doors to allow longer questioning, aides say
Larisa Alexandrovna
Published: Wednesday March 25, 2009

The House Judiciary Committee chose to interview former White House Deputy Chief of Staff Karl Rove behind closed doors to give them more time to question him, not as a concession to Bush Administration representatives, Committee aides say.

“It was our choice,” one House Judiciary aide told Raw Story.

According to two Judiciary Committee aides, the committee opted for the private testimony so that they could depose Rove for an extended period of time. During a public hearing, each committee member would have only a few minutes to ask questions.

“We could question him for 12 hours if we choose to,” said one of the aides.

Both aides confirmed that Rove would not be sworn in before his testimony but explained that testimony before Congress is de facto sworn testimony and any false statements would in fact be perjury regardless.

Read more: http://rawstory.com/news/2008/House_Committee_wanted_Ro...

[liberal N proud]

1. What?

Why can't they as all the questions so we can hear the answers?

[Winterblues]

2. Why is it this sounds like just so much BS?

They could ask him just as many questions in Public as in Private, probably more. This was a cave in just to get him to testify at all and they also had to agree to his stipulation that only questions concerning Singleton or the eight Attorneys that were let go. No other questions would be addressed..Rove has run roughshod over them and they are trying to gloss over it..

[RDANGELO]

4. National security.

The only good reason I could think of would be if it involved classified information.

[mikelgb]

8. have hearings everyday until they get all the info...

you can question him for 12 hour in the sunshine too and be sworn in....


Swearing in dosn't really matter? then WHY EVER FUCKING DO IT? why do certain citizens appearing before congress get afforded special treatment?

[Pastiche423]

16. Who is Singleton?

[midnight]

22. Don Siegelman, the former Alabama governor was politically prosecuted.

Don Siegelman, the former Alabama governor who was convicted of bribery charges in 2006 and released on appeal this year, said he agreed with the Committee’s decision to question Rove behind closed doors.



The Siegelman case, I believe, offers us great insight into the broader issue of the
politicization of the criminal justice process, an issue that is front
and center in the American political dialogue today.http://donsiegelman.org/pages/topics/Players/judges_Ful...

[Pastiche423]

27. I know who Gov Don is

I simply had no idea who "Singleton" was.

[Winterblues]

A person from my very faulty memory

I got the name wrong ...sue me..

[Pastiche423]

26. I'd rather you take some anger management courses

[Winterblues]

31. I sometimes come off more sarcastic or angry sounding than I mean to be.

I was trying to be funny, not angry. Sorry if my tone was taken in that manner.

[Pastiche423]

32. Thank you

[lurky]

3. Will there be a transcript? A recording?

Will the people being "represented" have access to the information collected on their behalf?

And if it doesn't matter whether he is sworn in, then why do they bother swearing people in in the first place? Sorry, this all sounds like self-serving BS.

[librechik]

5. Trust us! We'll tell you if there's anything we think you should know.

Actually, since Sheldon Whitehouse is involved, I'm almost reassured. We could think of it as a Grand Jury type thing maybe.

meh.

[annabanana]

19. Whitehouse is a good man. If it turns out that this SHOULD be

on the 6 O'Clock news, I think he'll tell us.

[Festivito]

6. Secrecy scares me. If these guys lie to US we're already too screwed.

I'm keeping my eyes open on this one.

[ShortnFiery]

7. One Big Club and "you and me" are not a part of it.

[lumberjack_jeff]

35. George Carlin was right. n/t

[acmavm]

9. I see, it was THEIR choice. Wonder when they'll ever get around

to considering what WE want?

They're afraid that KKKarl will start telling how complicit they were in this whole dirty mess.

[Time for change]

10. I don't believe them

[florida08]

11. this makes sense

From article:

Asked if Rove’s testimony will be made public immediately, one Judiciary aide said it would not.

“We want to question other people and call Rove in again if necessary,” the aide said. “We don’t want any testimony to be influenced.”

The aide explained that they want to be sure that Rove and the others to be deposed do not “compare notes,” but that all testimony will be released to the public when the investigation is concluded.

[Demeter]

25. Then They Better Put Rove in Solitary

He's the guy with all the "influence".

[florida08]

30. you have

a very valid point there

[BlueJac]

12. This is more bull shit!

Why can't he get sworn in?

[ExPatLeftist]

13. I think it is because if he touched a Bible, it would burn his flesh. n/t

[Babel_17]

14. Narrow logic

There might be an argument for private testimony but they have to look at the big picture.

We've hopefully turned a corner here and the new rule of the day has to be "transparency".

We have to undo the now popular notion that these officials are entitled to special treatment.

We have to drive the lesson home that there will be accountability and it will be in the open.

We can get there eventually but not if we aren't willing to take the hit
for appearing stiff necked on the issue.

We're fully justified in being that way. We need to make congress see this.

Sure, we'll experience resistance from those we want to testify but as the house of cards that was BushCo continues to be exposed
we'll gain ever increasing public support.

We'll win and they won't be able to run out the clock. Not this time.
Not if we stay strong.

[Babel_17]

15. On second thought

If we're guaranteed all transcripts will be released and any lying will be prosecuted then I can live with it.

I'll be happier if everybody gets sworn in as congress has been too soft in going after the liars.

We know who we are dealing with here.

Doesn't the committee?

P.S. The release of transcripts needs to be prompt. I'd be much happier with the sessions being video recorded.

[mcjackson]

17. Maybe they're gonna...

...waterboard him.......

[bl968]

18. Where's the transcript then

If they did it solely because of the time limitations, then they will have no problems providing a complete transcript of their questions and his answers.

[Javaman]

20. in private so they can ask more questions?

how does that work? they can't ask more questions in public because???? The truth might get out?

no oath because de facto lying to congress is a crime? How will we the people know he lied?


Do worry folks, the bodies are buried, just move along, just more of the same bullshit.

[JDPriestly]

29. Do you watch the Congressional hearings?

The Congresspeople have only a very short time in which to ask questions, and the witnesses game the system by refusing to answer, answering evasively. The Bush administration witnesses got it pretty much down to an art form -- evasion, changing the subject, letting the Congressperson bloviate. Those hearings are very frustrating. No sooner does the Congressperson get started on a good line of questioning, but time is up.

With closed door hearings, Rove, the master propagandist gets no chance to play the victim and stir up the sympathy of his fans, disparage the hearings as a circus or let his friends know whether he is a turncoat and cooperating with Congress to blow the whistle.

This may be a very good development. It suggests to me that the Committee is not just calling Rove in for an opportunity to showcase themselves. Things are getting serious for Rove. He needs to realize that.

[Javaman]

34. uh huh. I now have to depend on government "transparency" to give me the truth.

right.

color me jaded.

If they release the transcripts (I'm so holding my breath), then I will be happy, until then, just more feigned indignation on the part of congress.

The wheat I grind gets a little less, the honey I harvest as a worker bee get a little thinner and our elected officials tells us what good for us. I talk a little slower, I walk a little more hunched over, and my eyes are that much more weary.

Life at the bottom of the economic ladder doesn't change much from day to day, but a little truth goes a long way.

[ejpoeta]

21. this is bullshit!! whose in charge!!! they are supposed to be, so they should decide how long

the testimony is. NOT THE guy being subpoenaed!!!

[earcandle]

23. where does this right to refuse to testify without being under oath live in our rules of law? Who

gets exceptions? Why?  

[Demeter]

24. Yeah, Sure

Two positives expressing a negative.

[ohtransplant]

28. Bull!

"Yeah, yeah, we could question him for 12 hours...or 13, or 14!!! That's the ticket. He He, It was our choice I say - our choice damn it! We're so confident, we refuse to swear him in. He begged us to - really he did..."



Why do I feel like I've heard this song before?



Gotta luv our hardass Dems. They take no prisoners - literally.

[tom_paine]

33. Gosh, they think we're stupid.

They may be right.

[lumberjack_jeff]

36. No torches? No pitchforks? It's working out okay for them. n/t