Rove counting heads (& twisting arms) on the Senate Judiciary Committee

[atommom]

The White House has been twisting arms to ensure that no Republican member votes against President Bush in the Senate Judiciary Committee’s investigation of the administration's unauthorized wiretapping.

Congressional sources said Deputy Chief of Staff Karl Rove has threatened to blacklist any Republican who votes against the president. The sources said the blacklist would mean a halt in any White House political or financial support of senators running for re-election in November.

The sources said the administration has been alarmed over the damage that could result from the Senate hearings, which began on Monday, Feb. 6. They said the defection of even a handful of Republican committee members could result in a determination that the president violated the 1978 Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. Such a determination could lead to impeachment proceedings.

Over the last few weeks, Mr. Rove has been calling in virtually every Republican on the Senate committee as well as the leadership in Congress. The sources said Mr. Rove's message has been that a vote against Mr. Bush would destroy GOP prospects in congressional elections.

http://www.insightmag.com/Media/MediaManager/Rove2.htm

[wtbymark]

1. this should be illegal - it's blackmail n/t

[peacetalksforall]

2. I was just going to write - is it bribery, blackmail, or hostage taking?

In any case - it will show the Republicans as not owning their own minds and souls. Probably all of them will go for the short term advantage - getting elected again instead of working for the people and their Constitution. Noever the long term patriotic right thing to do.

What could be worse in this life on earth than to be owned by Karl Rove?

[Stinky The Clown]

7. It is none of the above .... its politics.

[wavesofeuphoria]

3. Notice the concern ...

its not about what is right or wrong .. but about winning elections and staying in power. So where is corporate media on this again? Haven't enough people said "this is illegal" .. yet no serious talk and look at impeachment?

[atommom]

4. My question: Is this not impeding an investigation?

Which is, after all, still illegal.

[annabanana]

11. It sure sounds like it to me..

I am faxing the repubs on the committee, asking them if the United States should still have a Senate, or if it kind of, you know, pre 9/11? (a bit more elegantly, of course). If any of you would like to fax also, here are their numbers:
Specter [phone]
Hatch [phone]
Kyl [phone]
DeWine [phone]
Sessions [phone]
Graham [phone]
Cornyn [phone]
Brownback [phone]
Coburn [phone]

In case you'd like to ask the Dems to ask the repubs about these threats:
fax
Patrick Leahy [phone]
Edward M. Kennedy [phone]
Joe Biden [phone]
Herbert Kohl [phone]
Diane Feinstein [phone]
Russell D Feingold [phone]
Charles Schumer [phone]
Richard Durbin [phone]

[atommom]

14. Excellent! Thank you!

[atommom]

5. Shameless self-kick

[Blue_In_AK]

6. It makes you wonder who's REALLY doing the electing,

doesn't it, the people or the machine. Maybe I'm naive, but I would think that a lot of those senators have their own popularity in their states, over and above what any association with Rove, et al., may have conferred on them. Why does the administration think its threats would harm dissenting senators, many of whom have had the support of their constituents since long before Bushco came into power?

[atommom]

9. True. Even Brownback is voicing some objections to the spying, and he's

as conservative as they come. Maybe we can draw some conclusions soon ... will everyone just roll over and show their bellies, or will there be actual resistance (not just showboating)? At this stage, if someone expresses "concerns" but does not raise hell, I'm suspicious of their motives.

[Neil Lisst]

8. Shameless self promotion, but absolutely on topic ...

I said so on Monday in cartoon

[atommom]

10. That's the alternate reality in which he was actually sworn in! nt

:evilfrown:

[Neil Lisst]

13. Or, where he actually answered questions!!

Which he didn't.

Only because the Republicans have completely caved in on their responsibility to act as a check on executive power could the AG avoid answering the money questions.

[0007]

12. This is wrong and Rove knows it, let Rove answer to public opinion

if this isn't a form of blackmail. If this is politics then our whole system is in trouble.