Dan Abrams and Catherine Crier Salivate Over 'Inherent Contempt' Arrest of Karl Rove

NewsBusters ^ | May 17, 2008 | P.J. Gladnick

[PJ-Comix]

Dan Abrams, apparently still smarting from the castigation he received in April from Karl Rove, just cannot let go. Despite the fact that the "high level" Republican operative, Jill Simpson, who accused Rove of orchestrating the prosecution of convicted Democrat former Alabama governor, Dan Siegelman, never actually met nor talked to Karl Rove and whose "high level" operative activities in her own words never rose above typical volunteer work, Abrams continues to wander into the swamp created by this much less than credible source. On Thursday, Abrams and Catherine Crier were salivating with glee on MSNBC's Verdict over the prospect that the House Judiciary Committee might issue something called an 'inherent contempt' arrest for Karl Rove (emphasis mine):

DAN ABRAMS, HOST:  We have got breaking news tonight: The chairman of the House Judiciary Committee has threatened to have Karl Rove arrested, at issue whether Rove will testify about the prosecution of Alabama‘s former Democratic governor, Don Siegelman.  What role if any did Rove play in bringing down the popular Democrat?

Thus far, Rove has refused to testify and the committee has given him another week or they say they‘ll subpoena him.

If he still refuses, Politico.com reporting that John Conyers, chairman of the Judiciary Committee said today, quote, We‘ll do what any self-respecting committee would do.  We‘d hold him in contempt.  Either that or go and have him arrested.  We‘re closing in on Rove,” Conyers said.

Joining us now is former judge, Catherine Crier.  Catherine, the congressman has been getting very serious about this.

Um, Dan, you might have mentioned what Politico.com also reported Conyers as saying:

Just off the House floor today, the Crypt overheard House Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers tell two other people: “We’re closing in on Rove. Someone’s got to kick his ass.”

Not exactly an example of blind justice in that quote which is why Abrams neglected to use it in his introduction. Let us now return to Abrams and Crier as they openly lust for Rove's arrest based on not much more than the testimony of a highly questionable source:

CATHERINE CRIER, FORMER JUDGE:  It‘s about time.

ABRAMS:  Tell me why.

CRIER:  I‘m serious because we‘ve got - well, there was the Harriet Miers, there have been several individuals if you go back throughout this Bush administration that haven‘t responded.  Now, they‘ve got Karl Rove in the Siegelman affair and he has refused repeated offers to compromise, to give him an opportunity to testify and it‘s finally to the point where you say—either this third branch has power or it has been completely a masquerade.

ABRAMS:  Because up to now what they‘ve been saying is—we‘ll like you to come in voluntarily and testifying.  So far, he‘s been saying—we‘ll answer questions in writing, we‘ll come in and talk but there can‘t be a transcript.

CRIER:  Can‘t be under oath.

ABRAMS:  Not under oath, et cetera.  And now it sounds like Congress is getting a little tired of it.  This is Congressman Wexler, also a member of this committee, on this program last night.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. ROBERT WEXLER, (D) FLORIDA:  And if he refuses to honor the subpoena, then the full House of Representatives must hold Mr. Rove in contempt of Congress and then we must ask the attorney general to enforce the contempt of Congress subpoena or citation.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ABRAMS:  Inherent contempt—what does that mean?

CRIER:  Well, here‘s the way this plays out.  If the full House issues the contempt citation, then it‘s supposed to go to the Department of Justice.  And they‘re supposed to take it to a grand jury, they‘re supposed to enforce this.  Well, they‘ve already—the Bush administration says—no, through executive authority we‘re saying privilege—they‘re not going to enforce it.

You might then try the federal courts.  The federal courts are liable to say it‘s a political question but the Constitution gives Congress the inherent power to issue contempt and then to prosecute on this.

ABRAMS:  On their own?

CRIER:  They can send the sergeant of arms out into the countryside, arrest, haul somebody in and in days gone by use to literally hold them in the basement of Congress, an impromptu jail and then they could have a trial.  That is still their power today.

ABRAMS:  Unlikely to happen here but it does sound like they‘re getting ready to move forward with something here.

CRIER:  Well, unlikely to happen in the sense that they might not jail them in the basement any longer.  But at this point in time, if you look at the DOJ, it has already basically said—we are not going to do what we‘re supposed to do.  They must take it to a grand jury.  So no (ph), executive privilege, we‘re not going to act.  The courts probably won‘t.

So, it will—if the full Congress asserts, if the full House votes, then they will have to try this case themselves which means issue the arrest warrant and try them.

ABRAMS:  Again, final question on this, executive privilege—with Karl Rove has said that he didn‘t talk to anyone in the White House about it.  So, what‘s the potential executive privilege?

CRIER:  Well, he‘s making the claim and that assertion I don‘t think will go anywhere.  It might be something a federal court will go with.  But right now, the Department of Justice has given no indication that they will—that they will go out and serve those subpoenas issued by Congress.

ABRAMS:  Are you surprised Conyers is using language like arrested?

CRIER:  At this point?  No.  I‘m a big rule of law.  This has nothing to do with politics for me.  It is respecting the rule of law, regardless of Democrat or Republican.  And at this point in time, if they don‘t show backbone then there are not three branches of government in this country.

ABRAMS:  And we should say again, the subpoena has not been issued yet.  So, we shall see what happens if and when the subpoena is issued and I‘ll continue to follow this case.

To fully appreciate the orgasmic glee with which Abrams and Crier ponder the "inherent contempt" arrest of Karl Rove by the House sergeant-at-arms as he is possibly hauled off to incarceration in the basement of Congress, you need to check out the video of this segment of the Verdict. As for Crier's absurd claim that  "I‘m a big rule of law.  This has nothing to do with politics for me.  It is respecting the rule of law, regardless of Democrat or Republican," perhaps she has deluded herself into thinking this but the leftwing blogosphere is quite open about their political motivations in their Karl Rove "inherent arrest" bloodlust. Here is a sampling of the sanity challenged Daily Kos postings about this segment of Dan Abrams' Verdict:

DON'T THREATEN THE BASTARD! Just arrest his skanky ass and frog march him into the Capitol.

Five cops kneeing on and handcuffing him after they tasered him a few times for good measure.

Could congress hire a bounty hunter? Charter some privateers?

It would not be unjust to see this filth brought up before a crowd of The People who would watch and jeer as he was Tarred and Feathered.

they all deserve Mussolini treatment the only question is when will they get it

Karl Rove belongs in prison together with the rest of the criminals in the Republican Party.

This is only a very small sampling of the posts on this topic in the Daily Kos rubber room. You can see a much larger collection of their rantings about Karl Rove's "inherent arrest" at the DUmmie FUnnies. And while reading their postings, please keep in mind that much of the MSM holds up the Daily Kos as an example of the voice of reason in the "progressive" blogosphere.

[mad_as_he$$]

I hold all of DC in "inherent contempt" and have so for years. Come get me Conyers.

Wiki:

Contempt of Congress is the act of obstructing the work of the United States Congress or one of its committees. While historically the bribery of a Senator or Representative was considered "contempt of Congress," in modern times a person must refuse to comply with a subpoena issued by a Congressional committee or subcommittee - usually seeking to compel either testimony or documents - in order to be considered in "contempt of Congress."

[gunnedah]

We‘ll do what any self-respecting committee would do! John Conyers Mr. Self Respect himself.Sounds like something from Laugh In .

[Dr. Scarpetta]

Abrams is obsessed with Rove, and Olbermann is obsessed with O’Reilly...MSNBC is out of control...

[G Larry]

If “contempt of congress” is a crime, I’m up for life!

[M-cubed]

CRIER: At this point? No. I‘m a big rule of law. This has nothing to do with politics for me. It is respecting the rule of law, regardless of Democrat or Republican. <<

LOL...Must be some good footage of them castigating Clinton after he lied under oath...(sarc)

[Jack Black]

The Dems are playing with fire. They want to criminalize being a Republican. As they did with Tom Delay. Harriet Miers was the Presidents attorney. They are looney tunes for thinking they are going to put her under oath.

Conyers is an evil, sick bastard. If he is successful in his quest there will be hell to pay. I’m not sure what exactly, but at some point people are going to say enough of this and do something about it.

It is the horrible bad faith of the Democratic party in matters like this that make me unable to ever consider voting for a Donk.

[davisfh]

"Dan Abrams and Catherine Crier Salivate Over 'Inherent Contempt' Arrest of Karl Rove"

Karl Rove is Abrams' and Crier's intellectual superior by a factor of at least ten on his very worst day. Abrams and Crier know this and that knowledge causes a severe rash to break out on their behinds on a regular basis.

[Little Bill]

PJ our dear friend Billy Pitts father was his Lawyer, Sieglman seems to have poor judgment.

[TNdandelion]

What a bunch of bedwetters!

[sobieski]

Why him, given that you probably don’t pray for all the people who fall to strokes daily. Why he so special?

[sportutegrl]

You'll no doubt be castigated for this comment and I'll join you as long as the castigation doesn't include castration.

Don't worry. The Mod Squad is too busy monitoring the 'official' Ted Kennedy thread to catch every comment on other threads.

[BenLurkin]

I don't get it. If Rove helped bring down a corrupt politician how is contempt of anything — other than corrupt politicians?

[cubreporter]

Since you don’t know me you wouldn’t know that I pray EVERYDAY for those who are sick or dying.

With that said...”why NOT him?”

[davisfh]

I spent most of the afternoon adding another section of pipe to my flag pole in order to get it up a little higher. Now I understand he’s improving.

[txhurl]

I think we need to be looking extra hard for anything quietly breaking on Obama in the middle of this Kennedyfest.

About Rove, they better be careful about throwing him into that briar patch. He’s private now, and can say whatEVER he wants.

I had to tear myself away from FR for hours, swimmer was clutching the pearls when I left, now he’s doing stand-up in the ER?!?

Did Drudge ever headline this today?

[Ditter]

I am completely in the dark, what is it that Rove didn't do that has made these libs hysterical?

[chesley]

Sounds like a star chamber proceeding to me.

[cubreporter]

I’m still praying for the Senator. As human beings we need to do that for each other. This is only the earth we live on and for a short while but we will all move on one day and I pray that everyone leaves this earth as peacefully as possible. We’ll all receive our punishment soon enough from the most important Judge.

[KrisKrinkle]

I am completely in the dark, what is it that Rove didn't do that has made these libs hysterical?

From the article:

“REP. ROBERT WEXLER, (D) FLORIDA: And if he refuses to honor the subpoena, then the full House of Representatives must hold Mr. Rove in contempt of Congress..."

What he hasn't done is agree to voluntarily talk with the House Judiciary Committee about the prosecution of Alabama‘s former Democratic governor. What they are jacked up about is his refusal to honor a subpoena except that he has not been subpoenaed so he can not have refused to honor it and he (so far as I know) has not said he would refuse to honor one if it was issued. They are hysterical over something they imagine he might do.

At least one of Rove’s problems is the deal Scooter Libby got. As you may recall, Scooter made an alleged mistake in his testimony and got prosecuted for perjury or obstruction or something like that. I would not blame Rove or anyone for taking the Fifth because even if you tell the truth under oath you can have incriminated yourself if enough others swear to something different.

[Ditter]

Yes I read that part but what do they want to talk to him about? what do they think he did?