So, unless you live under a rock, the Republicans in the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, on strictly partisan lines, just voted to hold Eric Holder in contempt for the Bush era gunwalking tactics. In response, Pelosi said the following:
House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said Wednesday that the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee is playing politics with its vote to hold Attorney General Eric Holder in contempt of Congress, an action she said that even she didn’t seek as House Speaker when she thought someone was legitimately deserving of it.
“I could have arrested Karl Rove on any given day,” Pelosi said to laughter, during a sit-down with reporters. “I’m not kidding. There’s a prison here in the Capitol … If we had spotted him in the Capitol, we could have arrested him.”
Rove was senior advisor and deputy chief of staff to former President George W. Bush from 2001 to 2007.
Asked on what grounds she could have arrested Rove, Pelosi replied, “Oh, any number. But there were some specific ones for his being in contempt of Congress. But we didn’t.”
So why didn’t you? Because they sure as hell would have, were roles reversed.
Up next, Tim Geithner held in contempt by Republicans for the Bush tax cuts.
Trentrunner
This story led the NBC Nightly News as a “straight” story of executive vs. legislative branch conflict. RWNM win!
Rachel is dismantling it as we speak, showing its RW cesspool origins and its total lack of substance.
Can’t Rachel walk down the hall and put something in Brian Williams’ cubbyhole to fill him in?
Baud
Voters hate it when Democrats “play politics” and ignore it when the Republicans do. Figure out how to change that dynamic, and we’ll be getting somewhere.
BGinCHI
@Trentrunner:
“Can’t Rachel put something in Brian Williams’ cubbyhole to fill him in?”
No, she’s a lesbian.
Maude
@Baud:
Let’s switch the letters after their names.
C.J.
@Baud:
They think that because they’re told Democrats play dirty politics. When Republicans do it, it’s reported as good governance and due diligence by our liberal media.
PeakVT
I remember that not to long ago somebody in this country started an unnecessary war under false pretenses. It happened about 9 years ago, I think. Maybe that, instead of the giant nothingburger that is F&F, should be looked into.
BGinCHI
Maybe the DoJ investigates Issa. Skeletons in the closet?
Affirmative.
Hunter Gathers
He would have just assumed his true form, that of a animated pile of human excrement, and escape by flushing himself down the jail cell toilet.
David Koch
Isn’t this a good thing? I thought liberal bloggers hated Holder.
Baud
@Hunter Gathers: My favorite Deep Space Nine episode.
Brian
@PeakVT: No only looking forward is allowed.
The Republicans are looking forward to holding Holder in contempt, they could care less about FF.
Jim, Foolish Literalist
@Trentrunner:
The combination of crazy and stupid is depressing, especially when it comes to guns. I’ve always figured Wayne LaPierre just wasn’t right in the head, and I am not so forgiving as Rachel Maddow is about the woman who doesn’t know how Eric Holder is “anti-gun”, but she knows he is, or the guy who is left to breathe through his mouth and blink like a cow when he tells Maddow to “look at his voting record” and Maddow tells him that Eric Holder has actually never been a legislator. But to partially answer all the “why doesn’t Obama just…” crowd, what these idiots do know is the name of all their elected representatives, and where their own polling places are.
Baud
@Maude:
Unfortunately, not everyone is as stupid as the people who watch Fox News.
Yutsano
If NANCY SMASH!! was attempting to make the Republicans look like dickheads, she failed mightily.
Ben Cisco
@Trentrunner:
Probably wouldn’t have any better effect than dropping something in his cubbyhole, but it would make me feel better.
Hill Dweller
@Trentrunner:
Not the least bit surprising. Republicans have done a number of unprecedented things since Obama took office, but the media has said nothing.
Anton Sirius
Nancy made the right call. An “arrest” by the sergeant at arms or whatever and locking someone in some Congressional closet would be seen as a bad joke by the public.
Jim, Foolish Literalist
When I was in my car today, I heard ex-Cheney aide Pete Williams explaining to Martin Bashir that this was a “win” for Republicans.
Quaker in a Basement
So why didn’t you?
Pigs. Wrestling. Mud.
You know?
Rita R.
@Trentrunner:
The thought of a constitutional crisis makes the media see starbursts. They’re all in with the Republicans on this. Maybe if this legislative vs. executive fight gets to the Supreme Court, John Roberts will get to break out William Rehnquist’s Gilbert and Sullivan’s gold-striped robes and TV will get to air it all wall-to-wall! Good times…
David Koch
Meh.
Meanwhile, Michelle Obama today in Centennial, Colorado
http://obamadiary.files.wordpress.com/2012/06/p4.jpg?w=812&h=540
lacp
@Jim, Foolish Literalist: Well, there is one thing they do know about Holder. Guess what that is.
MikeBoyScout
Yeah, but Holder & Obama are somehow different from Rove & Bush. I can’t say fer shure how, but you know it when you see it.
The Dangerman
Pelosi’s statement is stupid; Holder wasn’t arrested and tossed in some Capitol prison. I generally find her statements rather witty, but this is just dumb.
dr. bloor
For the same reason there was no point in Issa doing it this time: it’s a colossal waste of time that is going nowhere and doesn’t even sniff the threshold of “constitutional crisis.” Happily, Pelosi preferred to spend her time getting good shit accomplished.
JoyfulA
@David Koch: Nice picture, thanks!
LT
My response was an angry Well why the fuck didn’t you? also. Very cute – but Jesus.
jl
If this blog is not paying for itself, I suggest, seriously, that Cole try to get himself a gig as a Democratic consultant.
Cole could probably dupe Manchin into hiring him, and Cole might boot camp the sniveling cowardly little punk into shape.
Actions speak louder than words, and few justified and publicly justifiable actions against the criminal activities of the Bush years would have been a good idea.
I remember watching in outrage as a Bush executive branch flunky was about the get called out for lying to Congress, and miserable old lard bag just got up and walked out of the hearing. I was so pissed at that. I thought about that cell they have in the Capitol building and wondered why they could not let that fat old crook think things over during a nice quiet evening.
SiubhanDuinne
@David Koch:
I have never said, but I am always so grateful to you (and anyone else around these parts who does the same) for posting these wonderful, uplifting, reassuring photos of our First Family. Thank you.
BGinCHI
@SiubhanDuinne: It’s true, David is the nicer of the two Koch brothers.
Cacti
@David Koch:
Why yes. If you just take a trip over to DUmb, you’ll find more than a few defenders of Congressman car thief’s fishing expedition.
The Moar You Know
This is the attitude that MUST change. The GOP plays for keeps.
We should as well.
Baud
@Cacti:
We are indeed playing different games.
Keith
The GOP simply cannot resist spending their (and our) time pursuing impeachments and anti-abortion measures. Doesn’t matter how bad the economy gets, that’s ultimately what they want.
Raven
Pretty interesting. I posted earlier that I was stuck in the car with Hannity for a while today and he was having a fucking stroke about how NBC just ignored the whole thing. Cornyn and Gomert were on talking about how this was worse than Watergate because no one died because of Watergate.
jl
@David Koch:
” Isn’t this a good thing? I thought liberal bloggers hated Holder. ”
I do dislike Holder, and I think his BS about an executive branch working group putting people on a death list meets ‘due process’ or ‘process’ or whatever he called it is a disgrace. On several grounds, I reject and revile, repudiate and refudiate Holder.
But I am not going to dislike and criticize Holder because of a politically motivated BS hit job promoted by an unscrupulous and shady GOP political thug in Congress, who also BTW has a very sketchy legal and financial history.
SiubhanDuinne
@BGinCHI:
This managed to get a large mouthful of adult beverage all over my iPad screen.
I hope you’re happy.
piratedan
damn, these guys will do ANYTHING to avoid having to come up with actual solutions to any of the problems that need to be addressed. Nothing about jobs, immigration, crumbling infrastructure, health care or the economy.
same old crap, cut taxes, screw the poor and bomb anyone else for not being white
The Dangerman
@SiubhanDuinne:
It’s a near universal; Guys are ALWAYS happy with large mouthfuls.
jl
Possible bright side is that the thug Issa just Hailed his Mary Pass. Let’s see how he holds up under the scrutiny this move brings.
Remember he is the one doing this under pressure. This stuff got not one thing to do with the gun tracking program started, BTW, in the Bush II era.
It’s got everything to with the fact that Issa, incompetent and thug, promised his paymasters Clinton era red alert siren flashing must give credit DEVELOPING level scandal. And so far he has not delivered squat.
Now there will be a lot of attention on what the corrupt wardheeler Issa is up to. Let’s see how he does.
JoeShabadoo
@Baud: I despise the term “playing politics.”
They are politicians, that is every fucking thing they do!
When someone says “Obama isn’t deporting people to get votes.” I say “Good, that is why we elect these damn people!”
mclaren
Goddamn good question, John.
This is the difference between Republicans and Democrats. The Republicans play to win.
If Democrats had arrested Karl Rove and thrown him in the capitol jail, that would’ve gotten the Repubs’ attention. All of a sudden you’d have noticed Republicans becoming amazingly reasonable. You’d see Republicans eager to compromise, and it’d happen so fast you’d hear a goddamn sonic boom.
Democrats just can’t do what it takes. Democrats wimp out when it comes time for the hammer to fall.
JoeShabadoo
@Baud: I despise the term “playing politics.”
They are politicians, that is every fucking thing they do!
When someone says “Obama isn’t deporting people to get votes.” I say “Good, that is why we elect these damn people, to make them do things for us so we vote for them!”
JoyfulA
@SiubhanDuinne: http://media.talkingpointsmemo.com/slideshow/obama-white-house-june-pictures/1-268515?ref=fpblg is Obama screening Men in Black 3 for military families in the White House.
I figure it must be 3D because they’re all wearing odd orange specs.
Baud
@JoeShabadoo:
I despise that it’s a term that only applies to one of our two major parties.
mclaren
@piratedan:
Wow, you really don’t get it. The Republicans are acting like Leninists. They want the problems to get worse. They want to crash the economy. They want crumbling infrastructure, no health care and a tanking economy.
Because then the Republicans can point to the Democrat in the White House and scream: “It’s all his fault!”
For Republicans, “the worse, the better.” Like Lenin in Czarist Russia in 1917.
Mnemosyne
I dunno, I guess I don’t see what’s so bad about pointing out that this is a transparently political election-year ploy on Issa’s part.
piratedan
@mclaren: no guarantee they would have behaved meekly (although I once also proposed that the Dems immediately engage in paybacks) but then again, if you actually look at what got done, there was lily ledbetter, ACA, the stimulus and loads of additional legislation despite the rampant R obstructionism. If Nancy Smash had diverted into payback mode, how much less would have been passed? How complicit would the media have been in playing up the old political angles about counting coup being more important than the issues.
Would I have loved to have seen the R’s prosecuted into the stone age, yes, but I think saving a few hundred thousand jobs via the stimulus is more important imho
Observer
John, we’re not playing different games.
There’s one team that’s working out every day, practising, practising, practising and then going out and making great plays when it counts.
And there’s this other team that’s not actually doing anything and instead is just watching the first team go about its business while bitterly complaining that the refs are being worked by the other side.
piratedan
@mclaren: your snark adjuster is somewhat faulty, please rinse it under running water after soaking it in a slightly acidic cleaning solution or perhaps just find an old bottle of TarnX.
David Koch
This wouldn’t be happening if Obama used the Bully Pulpit.
BGinCHI
@SiubhanDuinne: VICTORY!
ChrisNYC
Nancy Pelosi is truly a problem. If she knew how to do her job the Dems would have won hugely in 2006 and got the House, Senate and WH in 2008. There are any number of “real” Dems ready to take her place. Now if they could just figure out how to win elections, we’d be golden.
celticdragonchick
@mclaren:
No…they would have made a martyr of Rove and Bush & co would have gobe nuclear with something written by Yoo and Addington with a legal refference to “interferring with an official in a time of war” or some such. Two weeks later, a random Dem congressmen would be shot by a wingut with an assault rifle and a couple of local Dem precint offices would get firebombed.
This is how wingnuts roll when they are challenged. They reach for guns,,and that is why I think we are heading for a break of some sort.
Yutsano
@ChrisNYC: Mmm…snark. :)
lacp
Fuck arresting Karl Rove. Arrest Ralph Nader! Thanksralph!
Valdivia
@SiubhanDuinne:
I want to thank you for thanks @David Koch as he is always giving us good links.
Also, too. I see the big mouthful thing got everyone off track here ;)
Mnemosyne
@celticdragonchick:
I always have to smile at the sweet naivete of the people who think the Republicans would totally respect any Democratic attempts to play by the rules Republicans have set up.
And yet they’re the same ones who scream “Lucy and the football” whenever Obama even attempts a compromise.
The Tragically Flip
As I recall, Rove was implicated in the US attorney firing scandal and simply refused to even show up when subpoenaed, citng “executive privilege.”.
Congress refused to enforce its subpoenas, and DoJ resurrected some memo written by Roberts when he worked for reagan which claimed that doj was not obligated to prosecute contempt of congress, despite the law clearly saying such. It was a constitutional crisis and congress chickened out. subpoenas are optional now for the executive branch, until congress starts using that damn jail in the basement, or impeaching people for flouting them.
Southern Beale
Why didn’t you YES. This. My take exactly.
Why didn’t you fucking impeach Bush and Cheney while you were at it. Playing nicey, how’s that working for ya?
Odie Hugh Manatee
@piratedan:
Brasso works in a pinch!
Odie Hugh Manatee
A quote from a
‘diary’mindless rant that Rep. Michele “Batshit Crazy” Bachmann posted at Redstate:How can Obama keep throwing the Constitution out of the window? How many do we have anyway? Is the same one blowing back in the window, forcing Obama to throw it out once again?
That pesky Constitution, it just won’t stay out that window!
lacp
@Odie Hugh Manatee: Maybe she means that Dylan song from Nashville Skyline:
“Throw my bargain out the window
Throw bipartisans out there too
Throw my privilege on your floor
I’ll be using it some more
’cause tonight I’ll be staying here with Yoo.”
Shoot. Doggerel isn’t my forte.
The Snarxist Formerly Known As Kryptik
The mainstreaming of batshit idiocy continues unabated. And it’s probably going to have undue influence on the campaign, because the media finds it so goddamn credible because it’s coming from the right wing and therefore must be absolutely positively 100% worth covering because the GOP NEVER EVER lies or anything…
Just…god. How do these assholes continue to not only avoid being laughed out of the room, but somehow convince the entire country that Obama is some super mega ultra kenyanmarxist usurper ready to steal all your fucking rights and he needs to be run out NOW NOW NOW FUCKING NOW?!?!!?!
NR
@ChrisNYC: You know, there are some people who believe that upholding the rule of law is more important than winning elections. You’re obviously not one of them, but they do exist.
Cluttered Mind
@Odie Hugh Manatee: Obama’s copy of the Constitution behaves like Loki’s mask from the movie The Mask. No matter how many times he throws it out the window, it just comes flying on back in.
Mnemosyne
@NR:
So, going by your preferred scenario:
Pelosi and the Democrats impeach Bush and Cheney.
Right-wing media and right-wing enablers in the mainstream media lose their shit.
In the backlash, Obama loses 2008 to McCain, House and Senate both go Republican.
McCain gets to pick two Supreme Court justices, making it a 7-2 conservative split.
But at least the Democrats stood on their principles, amirite?
Chris
@Baud:
That’s generally true, but I agree with the people who say that would have been a stunt that would have gotten us nowhere compared with the stuff Pelosi actually has accomplished. And no, I don’t think it would’ve scared the Republicans one bit, merely sent their psycho-rage-factor into overdrive.
Neo
The committee voted contempt, but it was never voted on by the whole House, so Nancy is full of shit. The White House offered to make Rove available in private session, which they eventually took up in Feb 2009.
NR
@Mnemosyne: You know, there are some people who believe that upholding the rule of law is more important than winning elections. You’re obviously not one of them, but they do exist.
The Tragically Flip
@Neo: Yes, where he would not be under oath, no transcript, and no possibilitiy of a perjury rap if he was caught lying. They should have arrested him. Executive priv is something a witness cites in answer to particular questions, it doesnt excuse a witness from showing up when and where congresstells them.
Everyone gets that if you are subpoenaed by a court and don’t show, the judge will put you in jail for contempt. How did it get scary controversial for congress to do it?
Enhanced Voting Techniques
You guys don’t know a threat when you hear one.
“I could have arrested Karl Rove on any given day,” Pelosi said to laughter,
Origuy
@Odie Hugh Manatee:
Reagan threw it out the window three times.
TenguPhule
Would you like unicorn sprinkles on that pony too?
Republicans only respect an axe to their neck. And only as long as it is being held there by someone willing to use it.
Other then that its FYIGM.