COULD IT BE TRUE?

That a House panel voted today (7/30/08) to cite Karl Rove, formerly President Bush's top aide, for contempt of Congress as its Senate counterpart explored punishment for alleged misdeeds by other administration officials.

COULD IT BE TRUE?

That the committee’s decision is only a recommendation, and that Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., might not allow a final vote. Rove has denied any involvement with Justice decisions, and the White House has said Congress has no authority to compel testimony from current and former advisers.

Voting along party lines, the panel said that Rove broke the law by failing to appear at a July 10 hearing on allegations of White House influence over the Justice Department, including whether Rove encouraged prosecutions against Democrats.  

The vote occurred as members of the Senate Judiciary Committee held a hearing on allegations of administration wrongdoing ranging from discriminating against liberals at Justice to ignoring subpoenas and lying to Congress.

SO LITTLE TIME AND SO MANY PEOPLE TO INDICT!

Are they referring to the Congress of the United States; the same Congress that is specifically empowered by the Constitution of those same United States to oversee the activities of the Executive Branch, you know, the one that resides in a White House located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue?

Rove's attorney, Robert Luskin, called the contempt citation "gratuitously punitive" action that would serve no purpose because the question of executive privilege is already pending in federal court.

Indeed, the fate of that suit illustrates the conundrum of lame-duck oversight. Even if a judge rules that the Miers and Bolten case should proceed, it would be resolved long after Bush leaves office.

……meanwhile, back at the ranch

Pelosi stated, "I will be asking Chairman Conyers to consider legislation to ensure that the politicization of hiring of career employees at the Justice Department never happens again," .

Whatever their plans for substantive follow up, Democrats have been busy reviewing what they say are Bush administration misdeeds on serious matters — from Bush's flawed argument for war to the alleged mismanagement of various agencies.

And as Pelosi is prone to do, she threw a bone to members of her caucus who want Bush thrown out of office — even this late in his administration — because they say he misled the nation into the Iraq war.

COULD THAT BE TRUE?

Long after she declared that impeachment proceedings were "off the table," Pelosi nonetheless agreed to let the Judiciary Committee convene "abuse of power" hearings on Friday. The author of the impeachment resolution, Rep. Dennis Kucinich, D-Ohio, testified. But Pelosi made clear there would be no vote.

SO WHY THE DOG & PONY SHOW?

Well, there you go….another day, business as usual in our nation’s capital!