Aren't all American citizens subject to...

[razors edge]

the scrupulous attention to due process that let Karl Rove off the hook?
http://interventionmag.com/cms/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=1305

At last George Bush can breathe a little more freely, at least for a while. Karl Rove, who has served as the president’s brain in the absence of an organic version, will not be going to prison. The prosecutor, who is reputed to move with preternatural caution, has decided that he will not go after Rove for any criminal participation in the administration’s "outing" of CIA operative Valerie Plame.

Technically, the prosecutor has decided not to seek Rove’s indictment in the case. As most defense lawyers will tell you, an indictment is easy to wring from a grand jury, since only the prosecution is allowed to present evidence. The decision not to seek an indictment against Rove could theoretically mean that he was squeaky clean—although that isn’t very likely given the circumstances, the prosecutorial interest, and the mounting track record of conniving dishonesty in the Bush/Cheney White House. Of course we all presumed Rove to be innocent, just as we do in the case of anyone charged with child molestation, and the atmosphere of innocence lingers similarly once the accusation is withdrawn.

The news might actually mean that Rove could be more valuable as a witness than as a defendant. It could also indicate that the evidence, while incriminating, would not convince a jury beyond the standard of reasonable doubt: O. J. Simpson’s trial showed us the unlimited potential for juror stupidity, and a prosecutor needs an airtight case against such a high-profile defendant. In light of earlier revelations, though, Rove’s escape does not smack of the complete exoneration his boss and beneficiary hopes to make of it.

The one thing Rove, Bush, & Co. can be thankful for is that "Turd Blossom," as the president has reportedly nicknamed Rove, enjoyed all the protection the U.S. Constitution accords an American citizen suspected or accused of a crime. The same is true of other administration officials and congressmen who run afoul of the law, as they seem to do with increasing frequency. Their exalted positions and powerful friends preclude any infringement of the due-process rights they so casually deny to others.