Karl Rove Flees Country

Ender · Post by **Ender** » 2008-07-11 03:51pm

Karl Rove was scheduled to testify before the House Judiciary Committee yesterday. He didn't show. Not only that, the Committee was told that Rove had left the country on a "long scheduled" trip.

In this video clip, Rep. Linda Sanchez explains that Rove never told them about any trip.

Watch video. I'm trying to find other, better sources now. Never bothered to say he has a trip, neither he nor his attorney thought it was a good idea to mention it, instead of asking for a reschedule due to this "long planned trip" that no one saw coming, assert executive privilege, then high tail it.

Metatwaddle · Post by **Metatwaddle** » 2008-07-11 04:12pm

Karl Rove in self-imposed exile would just about make my life complete.

Akumz Razor · Post by **Akumz Razor** » 2008-07-11 04:16pm

I imagine he'll return after the inevitable blanket pardon. Should the pardon not occur, would it be possible to extradite Rove, or would he actually need to be charged with something first?

General Zod · Post by **General Zod** » 2008-07-11 04:19pm

Akumz Razor wrote:I imagine he'll return after the inevitable blanket pardon. Should the pardon not occur, would it be possible to extradite Rove, or would he actually need to be charged with something first?

Depends on whether or not he's in a country with an extradition treaty, though I'd imagine he'd have to be charged first for them to be remotely interested in complying.

Losonti Tokash · Post by **Losonti Tokash** » 2008-07-11 04:19pm

I'm sure he's too smart to flee to a country we have extradition treaties with anyway.

Patrick Degan · Post by **Patrick Degan** » 2008-07-11 04:59pm

Right. Time for the House Seargent-at-Arms to issue a fugitive warrant.

The Duchess of Zeon · Post by **The Duchess of Zeon** » 2008-07-11 05:30pm

Patrick Degan wrote:Right. Time for the House Seargent-at-Arms to issue a fugitive warrant.

He's probably already in Paraguay or Argentina, so what's the damn point?

Ender · Post by **Ender** » 2008-07-11 05:32pm

I can't find anything saying where he went, has anyone turned anything up?

Patrick Degan · Post by **Patrick Degan** » 2008-07-11 06:30pm

The Duchess of Zeon wrote:
Patrick Degan wrote:Right. Time for the House Seargent-at-Arms to issue a fugitive warrant.
He's probably already in Paraguay or Argentina, so what's the damn point?

Makes him a marked man, makes him immediately subject to arrest if he ever sets foot outside his haven, makes sure —worst case— that he can never return to the United States. Further poison's Chimpus Caesar's "legacy" as well as that of the GOP.

Post by **Alyrium Denryle** » 2008-07-11 06:34pm

The Duchess of Zeon wrote:
Patrick Degan wrote:Right. Time for the House Seargent-at-Arms to issue a fugitive warrant.
He's probably already in Paraguay or Argentina, so what's the damn point?

Does anyone know of Rove speaks german? If he does he will fit right in with the other exiles.

The Duchess of Zeon · Post by **The Duchess of Zeon** » 2008-07-11 08:50pm

Karl Rove is, I suppose, a German name, isn't it? Ahhh, there's nothing quite like Germans with suitcases stuffed full of cash arriving in Buenos Aires.

Stormbringer · Post by **Stormbringer** » 2008-07-11 09:11pm

I can't say as I'm surprised at all; I've been expecting stunts like this ever since he resigned. That was clearly a maneuver designed to allow him to pull just this sort of stunt. I said it at the time and now it looks like proof. The whole thing was designed simply to let both sides cover their sorry asses.

Of course I'm sure Bush will follow the lovely tradition of last minute pardons so Rove won't actually be a permanent exile. Which is a damn shame.

Durandal · Post by **Durandal** » 2008-07-11 09:30pm

Can you even be pardoned for contempt?

Glocksman · Post by **Glocksman** » 2008-07-11 09:34pm

Durandal wrote:Can you even be pardoned for contempt?

I really don't know, but it would make for an interesting separation of powers case, wouldn't it?

General Zod · Post by **General Zod** » 2008-07-11 09:43pm

Glocksman wrote:
Durandal wrote:Can you even be pardoned for contempt?
I really don't know, but it would make for an interesting separation of powers case, wouldn't it?

The only thing you can't be pardoned for is impeachment afaik. Unfortunately I doubt that would stop Dubya from trying.

Stormbringer · Post by **Stormbringer** » 2008-07-11 10:01pm

General Zod wrote:
Glocksman wrote:
Durandal wrote:Can you even be pardoned for contempt?
I really don't know, but it would make for an interesting separation of powers case, wouldn't it?
The only thing you can't be pardoned for is impeachment afaik. Unfortunately I doubt that would stop Dubya from trying.

First of all, there's no such crime as impeachment. Impeachment is the process.

Second, there was debate over whether Clinton could and would pardon himself. So far there is no precedent but nothing saying it can't be done. Scary, huh?

As far as pardoning Rove for Contempt of Congress, Bush could do so easily. I couldn't quote you the names but I'm reasonably certain it's been done a number of times.

Elfdart · Post by **Elfdart** » 2008-07-11 10:17pm

Glocksman wrote:
Durandal wrote:Can you even be pardoned for contempt?
I really don't know, but it would make for an interesting separation of powers case, wouldn't it?

Criminal contempt, yes. However, there's no pardon that can stop a judge or Congress from compelling a witness, suspect or juror to appear, in irons if necessary. If a person is disrupting the process, they can be restrained and locked up as long as it takes to complete the proceedings.

The first time I went to jury duty, one prospective juror (not selected to a jury yet) decided she had sat in the waiting room long enough and announced she was going home because she was bored and tired of waiting. The judge in the jury pool room told her and everyone else in the hall that she was going to get plenty of excitement spending the night in the county jail next door if she took one more step toward the door. The dumb bitch sat down.

Glocksman · Post by **Glocksman** » 2008-07-11 10:25pm

IIRC a President can only issue pardons for crimes occurring up to the moment of issue.
IOW, he cannot issue pardons for future crimes, so if Congress is serious all they'd have to do is re-subpoena him after Bush leaves office.

His refusal then would subject him to arrest.

Of course if chimpy tried to say that he could issue pardons for crimes that hadn't yet occurred, look for the mother of all SCOTUS cases to come up.

Guardsman Bass · Post by **Guardsman Bass** » 2008-07-11 11:00pm

Second, there was debate over whether Clinton could and would pardon himself. So far there is no precedent but nothing saying it can't be done. Scary, huh?

Had the full process gone through, wouldn't he have been removed from office before being sentenced? That would make it rather hard to pardon himself.

Glocksman · Post by **Glocksman** » 2008-07-11 11:11pm

Guardsman Bass wrote:
Second, there was debate over whether Clinton could and would pardon himself. So far there is no precedent but nothing saying it can't be done. Scary, huh?
Had the full process gone through, wouldn't he have been removed from office before being sentenced? That would make it rather hard to pardon himself.

Actually, Clinton couldn't have pardoned himself from being impeached.

US Constitution, Article 2, Section 2 wrote:The President shall be Commander in Chief of the Army and Navy of the United States, and of the Militia of the several States, when called into the actual Service of the United States; he may require the Opinion, in writing, of the principal Officer in each of the executive Departments, upon any subject relating to the Duties of their respective Offices, and he shall have Power to Grant Reprieves and Pardons for Offenses against the United States, except in Cases of Impeachment.

He possible could have issued a pardon for himself that'd preclude criminal charges from being filed after he was removed from office (and wouldn't that be a fight in the courts

), but he could not have used the pardon power to forestall his removal from office.

Post by **Darth Wong** » 2008-07-12 12:34am

This is hilarious. These people are actually acting like such stereotypical bad-guy corrupt politicians that if it were a movie, the critics would be howling at all the cliches.

Glocksman · Post by **Glocksman** » 2008-07-12 12:39am

Darth Wong wrote:This is hilarious. These people are actually acting like such stereotypical bad-guy corrupt politicians that if it were a movie, the critics would be howling at all the cliches.

Heh...
'next on FOX News, an update from freedom fighter Karl Rove in Exile'.

Post by **Darth Wong** » 2008-07-12 12:44am

Glocksman wrote:
Darth Wong wrote:This is hilarious. These people are actually acting like such stereotypical bad-guy corrupt politicians that if it were a movie, the critics would be howling at all the cliches.
Heh...
'next on FOX News, an update from freedom fighter Karl Rove in Exile'.

WOLVERINES!!!

*Karl Rove looks down at his bloated belly*

I mean ... POT-BELLIED PIGS!!!!

Post by **Steve** » 2008-07-12 12:52am

Fools! Don't you realize that he's not just left the country, but left the planet?! Soon he'll be returning to give Congress their testimony.... alongside a phalanx of Imperial Stormtroopers as he reveals himself as Darth Rove and announces the annexation of Earth into the Galactic Empire!

Glocksman · Post by **Glocksman** » 2008-07-12 12:56am

Steve wrote:Fools! Don't you realize that he's not just left the country, but left the planet?! Soon he'll be returning to give Congress their testimony.... alongside a phalanx of Imperial Stormtroopers as he reveals himself as Darth Rove and announces the annexation of Earth into the Galactic Empire!

Bullshit.
Palaptine and the other Sith are much more competent than Bush, Rove, and company.
You'd be lucky if the Emperor didn't dispatch Vader himself to redeem the insult.