Sooo...after Bush pardons Rove, then what?

[Pryderi]

[lindisfarne]

1. Then he pardons Libby, and hopefully, Cheney (I say hopefully because

it will mean Cheney has finally been nailed for something and Cheney has resigned as VP. Then, we impeach *.

[kestrel91316]

3. Why would Cheney resign?? If he gets indicted, the next day Bush

will pardon him, and they will continue as Pres and VP.

MARK MY WORDS.

[lindisfarne]

7. Well, maybe Cheney would wait to resign until after impeachment

by the House and being tried and convicted by the Senate. He certainly is enough of a cocky Ba&0$$D to do that, even if it would put his party in more jeopardy than it already is.

In this case, I don't think * could pardon Cheney, but if anyone can provide relevant information about this, please do. (*, however, might BELIEVE he can pardon Cheney, and might even try, and who know what would happen? * has gotten away with violating law after law, simply because he BELIEVES he can.)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Impeachment
At the federal level, both the executive branch and the judiciary may be impeached, though different standards apply. For the executive branch, only those who have allegedly committed "treason, bribery, or other high crimes and misdemeanors" may be impeached. Although treason and bribery are obvious, the Constitution is silent on what constitutes a "high crime."
<snip>
The impeachment procedure is in two steps. The House of Representatives must first pass "articles of impeachment" by a simple majority. (All fifty state legislatures as well as the District of Columbia city council may also pass articles of impeachment against their own executives). The articles of impeachment constitute the formal allegations. Upon their passage, the defendant has been "impeached."

Next, the Senate tries the accused. In the case of the impeachment of a President, the Chief Justice of the United States presides over the proceedings. Otherwise, the Vice President, in his capacity of President of the Senate, or the President pro tempore of the Senate presides. This would include the impeachment of the Vice President him- or herself.

In order to convict the accused, a two-thirds majority of the senators present is required. In the case of current office-holders, conviction automatically removes the defendant from office. Following conviction, the Senate may vote to further punish the individual by barring him from holding future federal office (either elected or appointed). Despite a conviction by the Senate, the defendant remains liable to criminal prosecution. It is possible to impeach someone even after the accused has vacated his office in order to disqualify the person from future office or from certain emoluments of their prior office (such as a pension.) If a two-thirds majority of the senators present does not vote "Guilty" on one or more of the charges, the defendant is acquitted and no punishment is imposed.

[Egalitariat]

2. Then Rove shreds his detailed journals***

nm

[MadMaddie]

4. Can Congress prevent him from pardoning someone?

[AndyTiedye]

14. They Could Send Them to THE HAGUE!

pResidential Pardons Not Accepted.

[Atman]

5. A little bit of back-door action?

Oh, you mean POLITICALLY?

Sorry. Never mind.

[MadMaddie]

15. Bwah...haw..haw...

:rofl: :rofl:

[demgrrrll]

6. I read that if he pardons them immediately they will lose their

ability to take the fifth. If the Congress goes our way and there are hearings he would have to tell the truth and nothing but or face another perjury charge. They are probably going to drag this out as long as possible. Not that a sociopath like Rove cares one way or another. I think we (and I include myself) project that he feels something about all this. The only thing that they feel, in my never was humble opinion, is pissed that someone can cause them problems that they are not able to spin away from. Maybe some narcissistic rage. I do not believe even for a second that they feel any kind of remorse.

[Pryderi]

8. Nixon wasn't even indicted, and he got pardoned. Pre-emptive pardon for

Rove?

[WestSeattle2]

9. Gotta be honest here...

I've always wondered what the big deal was\is about Rove being indicted. They'll drag this out until * is on his way out the door, (http://www.backwardsbush.com), then * will pardon the whole lot of them, up to and including his VP. The pardons will be broad in scope, for whatever crimes they have committed, or, "may have committed". Heck, Kenny Boy will probably get his pardon also.

It's just business as usual in DC. Rove will never spend a day in prison, and he will not relinquish his political scheming for *. He might not work inside the WH, but his presence will be felt in the policy and electoral arenas until the last day.

We don't live in a democracy, the rules do not apply to all, and no matter how much we wish it were not so, it just is.

This is not what the founders envisioned, but that's what we've allowed to happen.

Apathy, greed, sub par educations, lack of critical thinking abilities, and outrageous focus on "self", were the death of America.

Very sad.

[Pryderi]

10. Maybe the lack of wars with integrity produced people without integrity?

Shooting wildly from the hip..

[WestSeattle2]

11. The entire world seems to be producing

legions of folks lacking integrity. America certainly isn't alone that's for darn sure. Why so many of these scum end up in corporate boardrooms and high government office, not to mention religious hierarchies, truly baffles however.

[AndyTiedye]

12. We Got Robbed!

[Blue_In_AK]

13. Can ** pardon him before he's convicted?

Maybe Karl's case (and Libby's and whoever else's) can be drawn out long enough that ** won't be president any more.

[Pryderi]

17. That's what the Ernie Fletcher, the governor of KY did when his staff

Monday, August 29, 2005
Fletcher Issues Blanket Pardons To All Involved (Except Himself) In Press Conference With Cheering Political Staff (Merit Employees Not Invited) Akin To Political Rally And Implies He Will Take The 5th Tomorrow Before The Grand Jury

Just minutes ago, Governor Ernie Fletcher, in one of the more audacious displays of political grandstanding, in a setting full of cheering and clapping political supporters, announced that he was thumbing his nose at the Kentucky criminal justice system, announced he was issuing "blanket" pardons (calling it amnesty, but Section 77 of the state constitution does not contain the term 'amnesty', only 'pardon') to anyone who "might have violated" state's Merit System laws. Yes, he left it that open and vague.

Sadly, Fletcher referred to the acts which have resulted in more than a dozen indictments as nothing more than "noodling" which is the term for catching fish without bait, which according to him calls for a punishment equal to what these crimes would result in if convicted. This was nearly identical to a newspaper interview Governor Fletcher conducted last week with the Maysville Ledger-Independent:

http://www.bluegrassreport.org/bluegrass_politics/2005/08/fletcher_issues.html

[McCamy Taylor]

16. Saturday Night Massacre. Cause once Rove is pardoned, Fitz can make

him testify against Libby, Cheney and the rest, under threat of new perjury charges if he does not cooperate fully, and there will be no opportunity for Rove to plead the Fifth.

So, if W. tried to pardon Rove only, he will end up having to shut down Fitz completely.

[Pryderi]

18. Indicting Rove is no big deal when he gets to be pardoned. Jason Leopold

or no Jason Leopold.