Karl Rove bribing members of the Judiciary Committee

[CatWoman]

Randi is talking about this now:

Rove counting heads on the Senate Judiciary Committee

The White House has been twisting arms to ensure that no Republican member votes against President Bush in the Senate Judiciary Committee’s investigation of the administration's unauthorized wiretapping.



Congressional sources said Deputy Chief of Staff Karl Rove has threatened to blacklist any Republican who votes against the president. The sources said the blacklist would mean a halt in any White House political or financial support of senators running for re-election in November.



"It's hardball all the way," a senior GOP congressional aide said.



The sources said the administration has been alarmed over the damage that could result from the Senate hearings, which began on Monday, Feb. 6. They said the defection of even a handful of Republican committee members could result in a determination that the president violated the 1978 Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. Such a determination could lead to impeachment proceedings.



Over the last few weeks, Mr. Rove has been calling in virtually every Republican on the Senate committee as well as the leadership in Congress. The sources said Mr. Rove's message has been that a vote against Mr. Bush would destroy GOP prospects in congressional elections.


http://www.insightmag.com/Media/MediaManager/Rove2.htm

[GreenPartyVoter]

1. I know. Feingold wants us to call all the Senators. Should we bring this

up?

[CatWoman]

3. YES

HELL YEAH!!!!!

[EFerrari]

5. Yes! And get it into the media anyway you can --

even if it's only emailing all your buds.

They count on us being scared and quiet.

Let's disappoint their @sses.

:)

[TechBear_Seattle]

2. "You are either with us (on the Judiciary Cmtee in favor of illegal acts)

... or you are with the terrorists."

The arrogant bastards aren't even trying to hide their corruption any more.

[JuniperLea]

6. Exactly

Brazen bastards are telling the world to bend over.

[leftstreet]

4. Sounds more like THREATENING, than bribing.

Bushco's illegal 'tapping must have turned up some incredible dirt.

[JuniperLea]

7. Dirt on their opponents?

Ahh... what they would consider dirt, perhaps:)

[rsmith6621]

8. Isnt This A Form of Obstuction of Justice???????

[jackstraw45]

9. YES!!!!! WTF is going ON with this criminal CABAL!

Will ANYONE have the GUTS to stand up and say "ENOUGH" on the GOP side?

Jeez.

[TechBear_Seattle]

11. Who is going to investigate the accusations?

A Senate controlled by the people being blackmailed by the accused? The Supreme Court that has been stacked by the accused (with the help of a soon-to-be former Senator from Washington)?

[Vinca]

10. Where's Patrick Fitzgerald when you need him?? nt

[Kagemusha]

12. Umm no. This tale is growing more fantastic with each telling

Disclaimer #1: Insightmag.com is linked to the Washington Times (though it IS a more investigative journalism oriented outlet, but still)

Disclaimer #2: What is described here is not bribery.

It's blackmail.

There is a difference.

Edit: And not the legal definition thereof, just a threat to withhold positive contributions to these guys getting elected which is constitutionally protected political speech (both the threat and the money dealings). Bribery it is not. Kosher, it is also not.

[CatWoman]

13. I'm using the headline Randi did

I got this from her site.

[Kagemusha]

24. And I'm not at all excusing Randi for using that headline.

Not one tiny bit. It's an embellishment of the story that's been posted to DU over and over again over the last 36 to 48 hours.

[ThoughtCriminal]

14. LOL - Like they really want "White House Support" this year

I guess Rove is threatening to send Bush to campaign for them if they don't play ball

[Hubert Flottz]

15. K&R

FRONT PAGE STORY!

[opihimoimoi]

33. NO SHIT!!!!!!

[gizmo1979]

16. Who wants support from

a president with an approval rating in the 30's?!

[wryter2000]

17. Bribe???

Is offering to have a President with poll numbers in the 30s campaign for you a bribe?

[Double T]

18. Bribery, Obstruction of an Investigation, Threats,.............

sounds like the WH is in a desperate mode. Impeachment is in the air; it smells GREAT!!!!!

[IndyOp]

19. Direct Threat - Karl Controls the Elections -

The only question left is whether a few decent GOPers (?) will sacrifice their careers for the good of the nation.

[BlueEyedSon]

20. Pretty f'ed up choice for our congressional Republicans, huh?

[IndyOp]

21. It is *the* choice that everyone should be prepared to make -

at what point do I give up my ego to stand for principle?

If they weren't all millionaires I would substitute "economic security" and/or "place in my community" for "ego" -- :eyes:

[BlueEyedSon]

23. It's more than ego, its their career. They have to eat. They don't have

"day jobs".....

[Wilber_Stool]

22. Maybe the DLC can buy them back.

Sort of auction off their vote.

[proud patriot]

25. I need a police officer to arrest that man

he's a petty criminal

[JudyM]

26. Is the source reliable? And is this actually illegal or just 'politics? '

If yes and yes, the MSM needs to get their asses in gear.

[Loge23]

27. The pig man's digging his own grave

This filthy dirtball fascist will hang himself yet.
The pigman is the slimiest of all - even out-sliming cheney.

[wiley]

28. This is sourced

and not named. Either it's not true, or a crime is actually being committed by an as of yet unincarcerated criminal ringleader. If someone drops a dime, I'll believe it. Wouldn't that be nice? It would be like America had only one set of laws that applied to all Americans, amd from which CORRUPT REPUBLICANS were not exempt.

[Pachamama]

29. Tough choice - who should be in jail between the three:

Cheney, Bush or Rove? :shrug:

Tough choice....personally all three should be in prison....but I swear, Karl Rove would probably figure out how to run the corrupt system he's put in place from prison...

Gawd, I hate these criminals....

I still pray for Fitzmas....but I'm just afraid it won't come soon enough....

[keepthemhonest]

30. It's probably more like blackmail than bribing

With the NSA providing all the personal info about each senator who tries to vote against them.do you want your wife to find out about that affair you hade with the intern? hmmmm and I am sure we all have some skeletons in our closet we do not want others to find out about.The NSA know everything.

[SillyGoose]

31. This indicates guilt, I would think. If Rove has to use these tactics

to keep republican senators from voting against Junior, the evidence must be damning. If Rove, et-al really believed they were acting within the law, why the need to twist the arms of republican Judiciary Committee members??

I'd like to know if these tactics are even legal. Smacks of obstruction of justice to me.

[opihimoimoi]

32. History is replete with examples of Kings/Leaders getting bad advice

from their "Trusted Staff"

Rove is only one of those that got Bushies Ear...

What does he counsel? What does he do to serve himself under the guise of helping the President?