BUSH LEAGUE JUSTICE: Rep. Wexler: 'IT'S TIME FOR CONGRESS TO STAND UP AND GET ANSWERS'

[Hot Potato Mash]

Run time: 08:23 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lr3SXfyNiQA   Posted on YouTube: May 15, 2008 By YouTube Member: Views on YouTube: 0   Posted on DU: May 15, 2008 By DU Member: Hot Potato Mash Views on DU: 445

 
Dan Abrams revisited the political prosecution of former Alabama Governor Don Siegelman in light of Karl Rove's refusal to testify before the House Judiciary Committee in an excellent segment last night with Gov. Siegelman and Florida Representative Robert Wexler.

Towards the end of the piece Gov. Siegelman gave an excellent summary of where we stand:

“Karl Rove and this administration have thumbed their nose at Congress. They have clearly engaged in systematic and calculated abuses of power relating not just to the abuse at the Department of Justice but to other areas of importance to the American people. And Congress, rightfully so, should press Karl Rove to come and testify under oath and answer these questions.”

And Rep. Wexler agreed by calling on the House Judiciary Committee to issue a subpoena to Rove:

“We need to literally uphold the checks and balances that this administration has so abused.” And, “no American citizen has the right to ignore a Congressional subpoena. Not Karl Rove. Not anyone else.”

Beyond agreeing on the need to subpoena Karl Rove all three men also agreed that the Siegelman case is much bigger than the innocence of one man. Here's Rep. Wexler on the bigger picture:

“What we are witnessing is a pattern of abuse of power by the Bush administration. It happened when they fired several US Attorneys for political reasons and Mr. Bolton and Ms. Miers refused to testify before Congress. It now is happening with the issue of torture. We have asked, subpoenaed, the Vice President's Chief of Staff to come before Congress and answer whether or not the administration illegally ordered the use of torture. It's time for Congress to stand up and get answers”.

And speaking of the bigger picture, you will note that I get almost 4 seconds of air time beginning at the 2:05 mark!

[LakeSamish706]

1. I sincerely hope that Congress grows some nuts and subpoenas KKKarl... n/t

[L. Coyote]

2. WRONG Dan. They were federal prosecutors, not "Alabama prosecutors"

and the difference is hugh. The USAs take orders from the Bush Junta!!

[Juche]

3. meh

The dems have been through this with Bolton & Myers. They wouldn't appear, so they were subpoenaed. When that happened the hosue voted on contempt, which was when the 200 GOP 'representatives' walked out because the idea of enforcing the law was too much to bear. Attorney General Mukasey now refuses to enforce the subpoenas or contempt.

So nothing happened. With rove I'm sure it'll be the same thing. He didn't appear, so here are the subpoenas. When that fails the house votes along party lines for contempt. When that happens, the Attorney General refuses to enforce them.

To my knowledge, nothing has happened to Bolton or Myers since the contempt vote a few months ago.

[L. Coyote]

6. Congress fails to realize democracy ended on Junta Day, 2000.12.12

[Sam Ervin jret]

4. They will subpoena, he will ignore. The question is what will they do about that?

They have issued many subpoenas and they have been ignored each time. Why did they not follow through the other times? What should convince us that this time would be different and that they would put the force of their office behind the action and compel rove to come before them or be jailed? They never have before. They have to become part of the process and prove they have not become a vestigial organ in the imperial presidency of the Bush administration. If they do not they will find themselves an arcane, useless body there only as a memory of itself. A haunting memory of what once was. Nothing will be left of what was the backbone of our democracy.

[L. Coyote]

5. Welcome to DU. We have been enjoying your YouTube posts for ome time.

[Hot Potato Mash]

7. ty!