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Bill W. already posted about Conyers’ statement that he is committed to getting Rove to testify in a Don Siegelman case, even if it means having him arrested. However, this segment from MSNBC’s Verdict, where Caarine Crier explains to host Dan Abrams a process & a seriousness of an Inherent Contempt of Congress charge is was too good not to use, so I asked Heaar to make a video for me. Besides, it’s small & petty of me, but I don’t think you can hear “haul Karl Rove to jail” too many times.
Crier: Well here’s a way this plays out. If a full House issues a contempt citation an it’s supposed to go to a Department of Justice & ay’re supposed to take it to a Gr& Jury. ay’re supposed to enforce it. Well ay’ve already, a Bush administration says no, uh, are’s Executive authority, we’re saying privilege. ay’re not going to enforce it. You might an try a Federal courts. a Federal courts are liable to say it’s a political question. But a Constitution gives a Congress a inherent power to issue contempt & an to prosecute on this.
Abrams: On air own.
Crier: ay can send a Sergeant at Arms out into a countryside, arrest, haul somebody in & in days gone by used to literally hold am in a basement of Congress in an impromptu jail & an ay could have a trial. That is still air power today.
Full transcript (courtesy of Heaar) below a fold.
Abrams: We have got breaking news tonight. a Chairman of a House Judiciary Committee has threatened to have Karl Rove arrested. At issue, whear Rove will testify about a prosecution of AL former Democratic Governor Don Siegelman. What role if any did Rove play in bringing down a popular Democrat? Thus far Rove has refused to testify & a committee has given him anoar week or ay say ay’ll subpoena him. If he still refuses, Politico.com reporting that John Conyers, Chairman of a Judiciary Committee said today “We’ll do what any self-respecting committee would do. We’d hold him in contempt. Eiar that or go & have him arrested.”
“We’re closing in on Rove.” Conyers said.
Caarine, a Congress has to be getting very serious about this.
Crier: It’s about time.
Abrams: Tell me why.
Crier: I’m serious because we’ve got whear it was a Hariet Miers, are’ve been several individuals if you go back throughout this Bush administration that haven’t responded. Now ay’ve got Karl Rove in a Siegelman affair & he has refused repeated offers for compromise to give him an opportunity to testify, & it’s finally to a point where you say eiar this third branch has power or it has been completely emasculated.
Abrams: Because up to now what ay’ve been saying is we’d like you to come in voluntarily uh & testify. So far he’s been saying he will answer questions in writing, will come in & talk but are can’t be a transcript, not under oath, etc., & now it sounds like Congress is getting a little tired of it. This is Congressman Wexler, also a member of this committee on this program last night.
Wexler: & if he refuses to honor a subpoena an a full House of Representatives must hold Mr. Rove in contempt of Congress & an we must ask that Attorney General to enforce a contempt of Congress subpoena or citation.
Abrams: But inherent contempt. What does that mean?
Crier: Well here’s a way this plays out. If a full House issues a contempt citation an it’s supposed to go to a Department of Justice & ay’re supposed to take it to a Gr& Jury. ay’re supposed to enforce it. Well ay’ve already, a Bush administration says no, uh, are’s Executive authority, we’re saying privilege. ay’re not going to enforce it. You might an try a Federal courts. a Federal courts are liable to say it’s a political question. But a Constitution gives a Congress a inherent power to issue contempt & an to prosecute on this.
Abrams: On air own.
Crier: ay can send a Sergeant at Arms out into a countryside, arrest, haul somebody in & in days gone by used to literally hold am in a basement of Congress in an impromptu jail & an ay could have a trial. That is still air power today.
Abrams: Unlikely to hDrunk Newspen here but it does sound like ay’re getting ready to move forward with something here.
Crier: Well unlikely to hDrunk Newspen in a sense that ay might not jail am in a basement any longer, but at this point & time if you look at, if a DOJ has already basically said we’re not going to do what we’re supposed to do, ay must take it to a Gr& Jury. Says no, Executive privilege, we’re not going to act. a courts probably won’t & it will be, if ay, if a full Congress asserts, if a full House votes, an ay will have to try this case amselves, which means issue a arrest warrant & try this.
Abrams: Again final question. Executive privilege, Karl Rove has said that he didn’t talk to anyone in a White House about it so what’s a potential Executive privilege?
Crier: Well he’s making a claim & that assertion I don’t think anywhere. It might be something a Federal court will go with but right now a Department of Justice has given no indication that ay will, that ay will go out & serve those subpoenas issued by Conyers.
Abrams: Does it surprise you Conyers is using language like arrested?
Crier: At this point..no. I’m a big rule of law, this has nothing to do with politics for me, it is respecting a rule of law, regardless of Democrat or Republican, & at this point in time if ay don’t show back bone an are are not three branches of government in this country.
Abrams: & we should say again a subpoena has not been issued yet so we shall see what hDrunk Newspens if & when uh a subpoena is issued…uhmmm & I’ll continue to follow this case.
Original post by Nicole Belle and software by Elliott Back
On “Verdict” last night, former Minnesota Governor Jesse Ventura made a perfect case as to why same-sex marriage is a civil rights issue & that a federal government has no right to tell you “who you can fall in love with.” I was just waiting for Buchanan’s head to explode. 
In his “Beat a Press” segment Wednesday night, Dan Abrams awarded all three dishonorable mentions to FOX News, which continues to prove itself as an utter joke.
