WASHINGTON, Dec. 13, 2007
Contempt Citations For Rove, Bolten
Senate Panel Slams Bush Aides For Failing To Cooperate In Prosecutor Firings Probe
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White House Chief of Staff Joshua Bolten, left, and then-White House Deputy Chief of Staff Karl Rove, right, listen to President Bush speak during a White House news conference, Wednesday, Nov. 8, 2006. (AP Photo/Ron Edmonds)
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Who's Who Firings Firestorm Justice Department at center of controversy over firing of eight U.S. attorneys.
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Interactive End Of The Rove President Bush's longtime friend and political mastermind Karl Rove resigns.
The 12-7 vote sent the citation against the two to the full Senate, but it was not certain to advance further.
Rove, the architect of President Bush's two campaigns for the White House, and Bolten, the president's chief of staff, have refused to comply with subpoenas demanding testimony and documents in the congressional probe.
Rove, who recently left government, and Bolten claim the information Congress demands is off-limits under executive privilege. Lawmakers in both the House and Senate dispute that.
Presidents from both parties have invoked executive privilege, arguing that close aides will not give them their best advice if they know they might have to appear before Congress under oath.
The Senate Judiciary Committee vote means that contempt citations against Bush administration officials await floor action in both chambers of Congress.
It is not clear they will advance any further.
Even if the citations receive floor votes, the issue likely would land in federal courts in a drawn-out constitutional showdown over what White House information should be made available for congressional oversight.
Any court proceedings would almost certainly survive the Bush administration, which ends in January 2009.
The White House denounced the citations, reports CBS News correspondent Mark Knoller. Press Secretary Dana Perino said it shows Democrats are more interested in headlines than serious legislation since President Bush is claiming executive privilege over testimony by Rove and Bolten.
Perino said contempt citations are a futile and purely political act.
Lawmakers of both parties say Congress should not threaten to cite someone with contempt and not follow through.
"I vote for the contempt citations knowing that it's highly likely to be a meaningless act," Sen. Arlen Specter, the top Republican on the Judiciary Committee. "In this context we have no alternative."
Specter and Sen. Charles Grassley, a Republican, joined 10 Democrats to report the citation to the full Senate. All seven no votes came from Republicans.
The House's contempt citations name Bolten and former White House Counsel Harriet Miers, who also refused to testify. Leaders of that chamber had planned a floor vote since September and say it is still possible.
Congress is expected to adjourn next week until January.
© MMVII, CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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The secrets of tennis legend 
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See all 53 CommentsSoros gave $3 million to the Center for American Progress, committed $5 million to MoveOn, while he and his friend Peter Lewis each gave America Coming Together $10 million. (All were groups that worked to support Democrats in the 2004 election.) On September 28, 2004 he dedicated more money to the campaign and kicked off his own multi-state tour with a speech: Why We Must Not Re-elect President Bush[22] delivered at the National Press Club in Washington, DC.
Posted by simonsez40
Of course he would. He believes in a one-world order and the destruction of the United States. In order to do that he must get the press, the Congress and all his little social progressive MoveOn morons to help him destroy the country. Then he can institute his New World Order.
In an interview with The Washington Post on November 11, 2003,[21] Soros said that removing President George W. Bush from office was the "central focus of my life" and "a matter of life and death." He said he would sacrifice his entire fortune to defeat President Bush, "if someone guaranteed it", and many continue to state this as Soros''s position even after Soros clarified the humorous nature of the statement in a Q&A session at the end of his March 3, 2004 address to California''s Commonwealth Club.
Soros gave $3 million to the Center for American Progress, committed $5 million to MoveOn, while he and his friend Peter Lewis each gave America Coming Together $10 million. (All were groups that worked to support Democrats in the 2004 election.) On September 28, 2004 he dedicated more money to the campaign and kicked off his own multi-state tour with a speech: Why We Must Not Re-elect President Bush[22] delivered at the National Press Club in Washington, DC.
Posted by mudrose
They won''t get anything done because sleazy Bush is going to VETO and Threaten any bill that might actually be presented that mirrors what most Americans want........you do ONLY WATCH FOX NEWS HUH?
Ann Coulter fan no doubt...........I''ll stick with Lou Dobbs!
Posted by simonsez40
Nothing like Leaky Leahy, Harry Reid and Nancy Pewlosi. All George Soros''s puppets. That''s why the Congress can''t get anything done, they''re infected with Bush Derangement Syndrome. Oh, BTW did you know that Bush''s approval rating is now 37%, while Congress approval is still 11% and declining?
Posted by trillion1
Maybe then Chairman Mao Leahy can appoint some judges. There are 42 vacant judicial seats across the country. But that doesn''t concern Leaky Leahy. In the interest of justice this guy''s a putz.
FBI probes Iraq IG on misconduct claims
By LARA JAKES JORDAN and LOLITA C. BALDOR, Associated Press Writers1 hour, 37 minutes ago
The FBI is investigating the special inspector general for Iraq reconstruction, Justice Department officials said, following allegations of misconduct from former employees.
The investigation of Stuart Bowen involves possible electronic tampering, including alleged efforts by the inspector general to go through e-mails of employees in his office, said two officials close to the inquiry Thursday. It is being handled by the FBI''s Washington field office, according to law enforcement officials, who like the first officials spoke on condition of anonymity because of the ongoing investigation.
(cont)
According to one of the officials close to the investigation, the FBI is looking into several issues of possible fraud and abuse and has interviewed a number of former and current employees %u2014 some two or three times. A grand jury has been impaneled, and has issued subpoenas for documents.
The official said that in addition to the allegations involving Bowen accessing employee e-mails, the FBI is also looking into whether Bowen and his deputy, Ginger Cruz, may have inappropriately used taxpayer funds to pay their legal expenses associated with an administrative investigation that began in 2006.
In addition, the FBI probe may also review whether Bowen misled investigators about the cost of an expensive book project about the special inspector general''s activities in Iraq, which is being put together by his office.
Wow!!!I thought I was the only one who had noticed this resemblence. I have actually laid out pictures of those three azzholes and the resemblence is remarkable. Must be a defective gene pool out there somewhere.
Only a crew of scumbags like these could turn that into worldwide disdain for our nation.
What an absolute disgrace. When presented with the choice of taking the high road or the low road, they take the low road every time.
Please do not wish him a natural death, no matter how painful, until after he is brought to justice for treason.
If anyone expects Bushit and Cheney not to pull out every dirty trick in that bag of theirs to stop issues like this from being voted through is nuts.
It''s all a mute point - nothing will happen and the democrats are just republican wipping boys.
Actually, sad to say, but I think a lot of people really did expect that. And I think having to shed that naivete has all but demoralized our country, especially in light of how they''ve ruined everything this country stands for. Not to mention all the lives lost from all their lies.
I''ve always had nothing but contempt for the fat little piglet Rove and simpering apologist Bolton and I never needed a citation for it. Both of them are such complete and utter as*sholes that there really isn''t much left that anyone could do to their reputations as complete and total di*ckheads. However the thing is that they don''t care. Neither of them has any self-respect, pride or honor left. They know the entire world sees them as as*slickers and corrupt people of the lowest degree and they don''t care. Still I do wonder how their families hold their heads up in public? I mean think of Rove for instance. He''s actually married! That means there''s actually a real woman in the world who has such low self-esteem that she allows that pig to crawl on top of her, grunting and snorting, in the middle of the night to use her. Now that''s sick! Poor women. Or maybe she''s a "real doll" that he bought online?
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