Henry Waxman Confims Karl Rove Had "Politicization Teams"
Via Think Progress:
On Sunday, the Washington Post reported on Karl Rove’s politicization of the federal government. The article highlighted that Rove had organized “asset deployment teams” that allowed the White House “to coordinate the travel of Cabinet secretaries and senior agency officials” to secure GOP victories:
In practical terms, that meant Cabinet officials concentrated their official government travel on the media markets Rove’s team chose, rolling out grant decisions made by agencies with red-carpet fanfare in GOP congressional districts, and carefully crafted announcements highlighting the release of federal money in battleground states.
This morning, House Oversight and Government Reform Chairman Henry Waxman (D-CA) wrote to the heads of 18 federal agencies who attended the briefings, confirming the existence of the teams:
As part of our investigation, the Committee has received documents that confirm the existence of this “asset deployment team.” According to the documents, the White House invited 18 federal agencies, including yours, to asset deployment meetings in 2003. Read more...
They didn't want a unitary executive, they wanted a unitary government, with no distinction between party and government.
myiq2xu @ 1:
Oops, I forgot to say Frist!
So what does Waxman intend to do about this? Will there be any accountability, or not? Or are Democrats going to allow precedent to be set for the next administration to ride roughshod over the constitution and thumb their nose at Congress?
Shocking! Stop the presses!
So you're saying that Rove didn't really leave to "spend more time with his family"???
And why is this a surprise? Nothing will come of it because the traditional media along with a corrupt ruling elite dictates to the masses what is reality and what is of consequence. The blogs are merely an opportunity to vent with little if any effect on the course of events. The blogs have become a safe outlet of discontent.
Nothing will get done by congress about this kind of behavior ... that is until a democrat is in the white house.
The Waxman!
Gotoguy @ 6:
oh, that's pretty funny. just wait, friend.
Isnt' this against the law? Essentially it's using my tax money to fund their partisan activities? Does the Hatch Act play into any of this? Are the Democrats going to do anything about this or is impeachment still off the table?
Au Contraire Mon Frere @ 10:
They've committed worse crimes than this - including treason. Why the sudden outrage?
comrade rove was a good little kommisar.
Were Federal funds used for party advancement?
Chalk up another field of criminal actions for the Turd.
Not only did taxpayers pay their wages, there trip expenses, pay for the delays in these officials handling the people business in a timely manner, but also paid for the warn receptions and rolling out the red carpets as well as paying to roll them up.
Ok fine... Rove blah blah blah teams to politicize government in such a way as to ensure GOP victories....... So what does this mean other than Rove confirmed to have been up to no good dirty political tricks... Aaannnnddd...Soooo??? You're doing what about it???? Welllll?????
Are you going to see something real come of this particular charge Waxman? Or are you just flapping your gums Leahy style...??? I really want to know mister because I think Karl Rove ought to be behind bars, but all I see is a bunch of back and forth bullshit bloviating by people who should fucking know better..... If you actually want to help this country, throw that sonofabitch in jail.......................JD
What's the world coming to? Are you saying kkkRove politicized everything his fat fucking fingers touched?
Say it ain't so.
I agree with JD @ 15.
I'd be VERY interested to know what Rove's take on the political importance of NOLA (re: Katrina response).
Behind bars? Being a liberal like I am. And with the Army in desperate need of recruits enough to lower the standards. I would be content to see Rove be provided a choice of prison or military serve. I'm just not sure if the military lowered standard enoough for Rove. I know they allow gang members and such but would the Army have to lower standards more or make an ezception for Rove.
But then, he would get someone killed for not doing what he would be supposed to be doing. Unreliable is not the place to have someone watching your back !
this is criminal and should be acted on. but, let's wait until bush is out of office,
so he can not fuck up this trial and pardon one more of his criminal staff.
if hatch were a whore, rather than an act, her cooz would be hanging down around her ankles after the reaming she got from this administration.
I've been think recently why Rove suddenly left the Whitehouse. One angle I see similarities to is this, maybe Rove has moved on from the Whitehouse for the same reason Rudolph Hess fled Germany. He didn't want to be involved in the forthcoming genocidal wars his long term friend and buddy was about to start ;)
dadmans @20,
Then impeach Gonzales and/or Cheney. So what if GW pardons them. Their criminal record is public and they will have to go on neo-con welfare at their think tanks like Wolfie and Santorum have. Wal Mart can always lay off some more people to pay for their think tank welfare if they have to...
Gekke @ 22:
i'm betting on the man-whore: http://www.talonnews.com/news/2007/august/0813_rove_resigns.shtml
"I never killed no one.... not that some folks don't need killin'."
I dunno Robt... I like the idea of Rove wandering around the Baghdad airport road... Preferably unarmed and with a big ol 'I'm a U.S. political operative' sign nailed to his fat ass... I do like that vision... But I am not so comfortable with the idea of Rove in uniform and on the line... I just wouldn't want to expose our troops to that kind of danger... They got enough to worry about without having to wonder what that fucker will screw up that will get someone killed.... Now THAT IS something that wouldn't be 'prudent'... To borrow a quote from another asshole... The one that sired this abortion of an asshole president we're saddled with... JD
Let's see, Rove initiated this back in 2003 and used such tactic thru the Nov. 06 Elections,
so if my math is kind of accurate, this has been a practice for at least three years..and
only NOW has the Washington Post uncovered/reported and based upon a newspaper
account, Henry Waxman is sending out letter to the head of the 18 Gov. Agencies involved.
Well golly gee, I sure am happy that we nipped this in the bud.
@26 Jack Damage,
You gave me this idea. Not of Rove with a sign walking aroud.
But that of Rove walking (or driving) around with your invisioned sign, while he trys to report on roadside bombs. I would chip in $ for a economy Hundai for him. Do my part to support this Adm, the war effort and recieve some entertainment at the same time.
I just have this weird feeling that as the Democratic Congress continues to investigate all that this WH has been getting away with for the last 7 years, things like this will seem miniscule in comparison.
I do not believe that there are any exemptions once these bastards leave office, so my biggest hope is that they all land in jail for all of their crimes.
pilto @ 24:
thanks, that made me laugh :) now if only i could work-out what that man-sized safe is for in Cheney's office.. hmmmm:)
After Rove, Then I Lewis (scooter) Libby-Inmate #28301-016, Maybe Gonzo next, And would love to see that great hunter himself 5 deferment Cheney try for his sixth deferment.
And Rummy, Tony Snow are available. What's Denny Hastert have that is pressing after he leaves Congress. Like George Allen. Now there is potential for the Armys next super hero in the thick of it. Could we increase the enlistment bonus. They have to survive to get it...
Is Waxman going to call for another investigation and Congressional hearing? I think I
heard that Rove resigned recently. And, I sort of recall that Harriett Miers likewise
resigned. Then she refused to testify under Prez's "exeuctive privilege". Therefore,
inasmuch as Rove is gone, and even if Waxman held hearing and politely ask/requested
Rove to come forward and give testimony, or even subpeoned Rove, we all know that
Rove would, like Miers, be granted "executive privilege" by bush-lite, so for anyone to
anticipate that this "inquiry" is going anywhere is in a dream world.
Au Contraire Mon Frere @ 10:
Impeachment? Think about it...
Yes, the Democrats in the House could probably muster the votes to impeach. Impeachment requires a simple majority of the House to pass.
But impeachment is not conviction. It's the same thing as an indictment by a grand jury. The trial phase comes in the Senate.
Conviction of an impeached Federal official requires 2/3 of the Senate- that's 67 votes. Take a look at the Senate: 49 Democrats, 49 Republicans and 2 independents who caucus with the Democrats(at this point it's only 48 Democrats because Tim Johnson is incapacitated). So let's assume that all 48 Democrats available now would vote fer conviction. Add 1 of the independents(Bernie Sanders) to the Democrats' vote. That's 49 votes to convict. 18 votes to go.
Tell me, please, the 18 Senators(remember, this pool contains Joe Lieberman and 49 Republicans) who will vote fer conviction. Barely any of them will vote fer cloture on Democratic backed legislation. Cloture only takes 60 votes, and it hasn't been achieved on Democratic Iraq War legislation. Tell me, please, which of those 50 remainin' Senators will vote to pull the plug on Stupor Mundi's Presidency.
I'm not sayin' impeachment lacks virtue. In fact, this Presidency, unlike any before in our history screams fer termination! But the Republicans won't allow it to end before it's set expiration date.
The poison pill in an impeachment at this time is the politics: the politics of money(it will cost a lot), the politics of face(I can hear the MSM now, blamin' Dems fer wastin' time by tiltin' at windmills), the politics of failure(because there are independent voters who will vote Republican when, inevitably, no conviction is returned). Impeachment will essentially squander most of the gains made in '06, and it will certainly put a brake on the momentum headin' into the '08 elections. And fer what? Fer the good feelin' we'd get by sayin', officially, "George W. Bush, j'accuse!"
I'm tellin' ya now, the only way Bushco is impeached and convicted is if a camera catches Bush and Cheney tag-teamin' to slowly strangle a toddler. Not sayin' it won't happen...
Andy K @ 33:
Doggiebobo-
Honestly, I think the best course of action is doin' what we're doin': keep holdin' hearins, keep presentin' the evidence, keep lettin' those Republicans say,"I don't recall." Make it stick to the GOP like the scent of a skunk. Voters will smell them comin' for a long while and from great distances. The GOP is makin' itself a laughin' stock.
Gekke @ 22:
Huh? Hess didn't fled Germany, he was caught when his stupid ass flew into the UK in the middle of WWII thinking that he could convince the British King to kiss Hitler's ass. Hess was the "special" -as in special ed- one of the Nazi bunch.
Andy K @ 35:
I do not disagree, but will the MSM continue to lambast the Dem's for holding non-productive
hearings(accomplishing nada) and report that the Congress and Senate is, instead of "doing
the people's work"(considering important legislation); just playing political gamesmanship?
Andy K @ 33:
Nah, Boosh and Cheney would spin it as "We was performing one of them exorcisms" and the 25%ers will sing and praise "Allelujah! for the Christian Warrior president who is not affraid of getting his hands dirty for God!"
Doggiebobo @ 37:
As much as the MSM chides these Democratic hearins, they still- excludin', of course, Faux News- report on the substance of the hearins. And people pay attention to the substance of political scandals. If they didn't pay attention why would Faux pull that "Mark Foley(D)" kinda bullshit?
And when ya look at those polls showin' all the negatives that Congress is pullin', when ya look deep down at the specific questions and answers, people say that the thing that pisses 'em off most is Republican obstructionism! Give the general population- excludin', of course, Faux News' viewers- some credit.
MeMyselfAndI @ 36:
its ok i guess thats what you've been taught to believe :)
And so, what happens now that the obvious has been confirmed?
Andy K @ 39:
I truly hope you are correct. I KNOW for a fact that those of us here on C&L and other
Blogs do know what is going on and get involved and do what we can to expose the
Repig's, but my fear is(just based upon some conversations with some of my friends)
they watch "Big Brother 8", "Lost", and other crap on TV and have little knowledge,
insight or interest in who is telling the truth. The American public is rather apathetic
and lazy, but maybe they will wake up come Nov. 08 and surprise me.
I know this comment is really apropos of nothing in particular, but the photo of Rove that accompanies this thread reminds me so much of the Doughboy that destroyed downtown NY in 'Ghostbusters'...
Fuck up an economy and the "volunteers" will be enlisting in droves....
Give them enough rope. No one would be bitching if the Republicans knew how to run the government. What they can't openly deregulate they undermine through incompetence. They privatize by spinning off government functions to their corrupt cronies. In politics they are interested only in eliminating the competition. I can't say that I find even a single redeeming social value.
Karl Rove has twelve....no sixteen chins. How very effete.
rove's genius was the administration of cronyism. pure and simple: pure cronyism!!!
rove is gone, but if you pay attention to history, and are noticing how progressively more noxious the strategems, and their schemers, become (think of what has happened in the history between H.R. Haldeman, Lee Atwater, and Karl Rove), you will see that we are not at an end with this sort of thing.
only impeaching bush will put any sort of dent in this reagan-bush, national security state juggernaut. without impeachment, history will only continue repeating itself. the democratic seems fatally unable to grasp this fact.
rove and his "asset deployment teams" are Tammany Hall / Daley City Hall crony tactics, refined to a sort of quantum physics. american political life is being corporatized at a quite astonishing pace -- and unless Americans wake up and take some direct action, our ship of state is cooked.
-dp
Bush is the most ignorant Dumbass ever to serve in the Oval Office. Cheney knew how dumb Bush was and moved early on to make himself the real policy maker. The rest is history.
I've scrapped shit off the bottom of my shoes that was smarter than Bush.............
I've scraped shit off the bottom of MY shoes that had more ethics than the whole damned Bush administration.
A swift kick in the nuts would wipe that smile off Rove's face.
rove = boss hogg
boosh = sheriff roscoe p coltrane
all i can say is that we had better in the white house.
then we can use these same tactics to secure our socialist dreams.HAHAHAHAHAHAHAH
whoops... i let the cat out of the bag.
StirFry @ 52:
hard hitting analysis.
Move over Shuster...
Yes, the sad thing is that i had to google Roscoe's last name.
Waxman's investigations rock
Rove , a blossom working for a turd.
Karl Rove is going to turn this nation into Pat Robertson's Christendom.
Bush has already become catholic and the dragon from Rome is going to rule the world.
Papacy and Pat Robertsons will destroy this earth with the help of Bush and gang.
Inquiring minds want to know whether these Hatch Act team hit the Pentagon, as well.
That pic is disgusting. It's like he's saying "The whole country is screwed. Thanks to me. ME! Mwahahahahaha!"
Look, people, this kind of thing - violations of the Hatch Act - have been going on for over a decade. What's happening is only an increase in degree and frequency, that's all. It wasn't quashed when it first started, and because of that, those in power now thought there was nothing wrong in doing it even more. Hell, there's even a Fed agency that has written into its' charter that it essentially must both lie to the American people and violate the Hatch Act by interfering in the democratic process in order to carry out its' mission! This is what's been going on behind your back; how do you like the idea of a Fed agency in effect nullifying your vote?
This rancid coffee's been brewing for over a decade, and only now some people are smelling its' aroma? No wonder this country is in the mess it's in...
Pechorin @ 46:
Rove walks with his chins?
We need to stop treating karl rove as a genius. He lost both house and senate in 06 despite his criminal and sometimes illlegal methods in trying to get REPUPLIKKKANS elected. He is what he is and thats an archaic TURD BLOSSOM.
Wow, that evil prick glows in the dark!
Yawn...as soon as Karl gives them a good hard look , our tough talking, "Fainting Goat Dems" will simply pass out and do nothing - again.
Occam's razor would support the theory that the dems are in on this criminal republican revolution, slowly boiling all of us until it's too late and we're all soft enough to eat for dinner.
Wake me up when our wonderful criminal republican fascists start their "new and improved" war on terra with Iran.
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