What did the President know and when did he know it? Karl Rove knows...Larisa Alexandrovna

[kpete]

Larisa Alexandrovna
Posted January 30, 2009 | 12:28 PM (EST)

Republican Senator Howard Baker once asked "What did the President know and when did he know it?" when it became clear that then-President Nixon was involved in the Watergate scandal.

Back then Republicans were about small government, fiscal responsibility, and the rule of law. Back then Democrats were about accountability, labor fairness, and limiting corporate influence in government. Much has changed since those days, when Congress acted as a check on the Executive Branch and a single break-in was enough to spark a serious Congressional inquiry into White House dirty tricks and abuses of power.

The Republicans in office now are by and large social reactionaries who have helped expand government powers, depleted the US Treasury, and disregarded the rule of law. Democrats have not done better. When Speaker Pelosi declared that the impeachment of President Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney was "off the table," she not only abdicated her Constitutional responsibilities, she ensured that we would be dealing with the consequences of her negligence for years to come.

.............

Ultimately, however, this can be more quickly resolved via the following:

Congress can disregard Bush's belief that he and his friends are above the law, and vote on Inherent Contempt. Rove can sit in jail while Fielding spins and dances.

Attorney General Eric Holder can open up criminal proceedings into both Rove and Fielding.

Otherwise, there is only one thing to conclude in all of this should Rove not be held to account for - at the very least - skipping out on his subpoena - that so long as your attorney writes you a note, you are exempt from being held to account. John Yoo did this kind of legal get-out-of-jail pass for the Bush administration when he authored justifications - illegal - for acts of torture. Fred Fielding is doing the same thing now. Since we are a democracy and none of us are above the law, either we all have to honor subpoenas or we don't. If Rove does not have to show up, then none of us have to.

more at:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/larisa-alexandrovna/what-did-the-president-kn_b_162583.html

[MiniMe]

1. They were ALL being wire tapped

So the question is what was on the wire taps that stopped them from doing anything?

[navarth]

3. yes.

If most of them are complicit, why would they implicate themselves?

Very troubling.

[Jambalaya]

4. Collusion

If they are all complicit,could this be considred "racketeering"?
Conspiring to evade the law ? RICO?

I read where RICO was used in prosecuting illegal immigration cases,oddly enough.

[Winterblues]

2. In the military there was something called RHIP

Apparently it holds true throughout society as well. Rank Has It's Privileges. The Privilege of Republican Rank is never being held accountable for crimes..