Here Comes the Big One

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Posted Apr 24th 2007 3:32PM by Cenk Uygur
Filed under: Politics, Elections, George Bush, Young Turks, Republicans, GOP, Al Gore, U.S. Attorneys

The Office of Special Counsel has started an investigation into Karl Rove and political operations inside the White House. Good night and good luck. Once you open us this can of worms, there's no looking back.

As you can see in this Los Angeles Times article about the investigation, there's no question that the White House used federal agencies as their own personal political piggy bank. The question is what crossed the line from regular course of business to illegal or unethical activities. The LA Times explains the focus of the inquiry:

"The new investigation, which will examine the firing of at least one U.S. attorney, missing White House e-mails, and White House efforts to keep presidential appointees attuned to Republican political priorities, could create a substantial new problem for the Bush White House."

I can hear it now from conservatives: The White House is political! Of course, they are going to partake in politics, that's part of their job, etc. etc.

Just calm down. Let's first find out what's legal and what's not. Can a person working in the White House cross the line into doing something that breaks the law by combining politics with federal government work? Of course. That's part of the reason why the Office of Special Counsel exists in the first place. They are charged with investigating whether administration officials were "engaging in prohibited political activities."

Didn't Republicans get all over Gore for making the wrong type of phone call from the White House? If that's wrong, I can certainly see how sitting every cabinet agency down and telling them to direct funds to help Republicans in upcoming elections is wrong. Way wrong.

There are certainly rules prohibiting political activity on federal grounds. But the investigation is just starting, so they might find out that no laws were broken. I doubt it. If there isn't a law against using federal money to make sure one party wins elections, there certainly ought to be.

But I have an open mind. Let's see what the investigation uncovers. Remember we already know that interfering with a Justice Department investigation in order to make sure members of your own party aren't prosecuted or encouraging prosecutions of the other party is illegal. This Office of Special Counsel probe will also specifically be looking into this issue as it relates to the former U.S. attorney for New Mexico, David C. Iglesias.

Here's another example of possibly illegal activity by the White House, from the LA Times story:

"Rove and his top aides met each year with presidential appointees throughout the government, using PowerPoint presentations to review polling data and describe high-priority congressional and other campaigns around the country.

Some officials have said they understood that they were expected to seek opportunities to help Republicans in these races, through federal grants, policy decisions or in other ways."

That is at the very least grossly unethical. Do we really want the White House running policy based on purely political considerations rather than what's best for the country? Absolutely not.

I would be outraged if a Democrat got into office and did the same thing. I don't give a damn about the Democratic Party. I only want them to win elections if they are doing the right things. And if they use the Oval Office as a way to keep winning elections rather than doing the people's business, then I would be pissed.

Every administration combines some politics with policy. No one should be naive enough to think that doesn't happen on a regular basis. But on the other hand, there is a line. You can't simply run the whole federal government as a giant political apparatus whose sole goal is to re-elect members of your own party. The actual goal of the government is supposed to be doing the business of the people.

Directing federal agencies to use their resources -- more accurately, our resources, this is our tax money after all -- to help Republicans (or Democrats) win elections seems to cross that line. Let's see what the investigation finds and what those findings lead to.

I don't think this is good news for Karl Rove or the rest of the White House. My sense is that this is the one that sinks them. You don't have to bother arguing with me because we're going to see soon enough. If it's above board, it's above board. If they crossed the line -- and my guess based on the information we already know is that they went way over the line and did it all the time -- they are going to be in a lot of trouble. If you're sure that they did nothing wrong, then you have nothing to worry about.

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Reader Comments ( Page 1 of 6)

| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | Most Recent | Next 15 Comments

1. I wish I knew if it was possible to impeach the President and VP at the same time. The rot, corruption and moral bankruptcy of the White House has been a concern for quite some time. They have not, in my opinion, had to account before for gross violations of ethics because the Republican Congress was benefitting too. I can't say I feel sorry for them for the fact that their own tactics have appeared to now stop their dangerously close to completion mission to create the "Fascist United States of America."

Phil at 7:11PM on Apr 24th 2007

2. I know Scott Jennings and I do hope all is well.

Visit://OsiSpeaks.com or http://OsiSpeaks.org

KYJurisDoctor at 6:21PM on Apr 24th 2007

3. Oh please, save you "outrage", and calma te.

Rove is no doubt as good at his job as Carville ("the Ragin Cajun") was. Carville was also quite slippery and scheming but hey, that was his job and he was good at it. Not everybody's job - especially in politics - is all sweetness and light.

Keep in mind girls, you will have your chance when another Democrat takes the white house. Then I will be amazed that instead of hand wringing and worry about how devious and evil the president's top politico is, the media and the Democrats will marvel at how wise and strategic he is.

�LOL!

Ken Berg at 7:17PM on Apr 24th 2007

4. You're all wrong. What's going to happen here is that the OSC will find no wrong-doing. This is another Rove machination. I must say, it's brilliant too.

Sadaqat at 12:25AM on Apr 25th 2007

5. Where are the assassins when you need them. Someone should do this country a favor.

Tony at 8:29AM on Apr 25th 2007

6. Karl Rove is through, E-mails will be his undoing,
as Bush cannot also save Gonzales and veto the new Supplemental War Needs bill. Rove will resign soon.

Gerald Schwartz
Aventura FL

Gerald Schwartz at 8:38AM on Apr 25th 2007

7. The problem with those who voted for this administration is that they refuse to admit they made a mistake... twice. Everyone makes mistakes or gets fooled and should learn from it and go on. "Fool me once and you cant get fooled again" Poor George, poor America.

dogface404 at 9:00AM on Apr 25th 2007

8. It amazes me that people, even his enemies, think that Karl Rove is "brilliant." How can anyone, with any brains at all, be working for George Bush, whose Presidency has been a disaster, a downright evil disaster, mass murder and all, from the beginning. If Rove is truly the "brains" behind Bush, then he's truly stupid.

J Cohen at 9:07AM on Apr 25th 2007

9. THIS IS THE SCUMBAG BEHIND BU$H. ROVE IS NOTHING BUT A HIGH PRICED CON MAN. HE LIKE CHENEY NEVER MADE AN HONEST DOLLAR IN THEIR LIVES...THEY TAKE FROM ANYONE THEY CAN JUST TO PROVE HOW ROTTEN GREEDY AND SEEDY THEY ARE. THE WHOLE BLOODY ADMINISTRATION IS CROOKED. ALL THE REPUBLICAN WITH ANY ETHICS, MORALS OR INTEGRITY LEFT DURING THE FIRST ADMINISTRATION AND ARE KEEPING THEIR DISTANCE FROM THIS TAINTED GROUP SO AS TO NOT BE INFECTED WITH THEIR DISEASE.

ANN at 9:23AM on Apr 25th 2007

10. What will we call it this time MORON GATE? CHIMP GATE? MOBIL_EXXON GATE? GANNONGATE? EVIL GATE? 9/11 GATE wrte to me at arial165@aol.com with your ideas.

DR TIM at 9:48AM on Apr 25th 2007

11. Bush presidentsy a failure? Record job creation, record home ownership, The stock market about to go over 13000 for the first time in history, Ouster of the Taliban, Won the war with Iraq, Trying to win the war against terrorism with a cry baby democratic party determined to lose at whatever cost. And democrats talk about morality? Last time a checked Bush was not being blown in the white house by an intern, or smoking pot without inhaking, Or making illegal realestate deals(Hillary Whitewater)

And on the war with terrorist. The complaint is "soldiers die in war" More people are killed intraffic accidents by running into deer. 10 times more are killed each year in alcohol related traffic deaths. Half as many are killed each (Police) in the line of duty. Failure in Iraq with terrorist is not the truth. I do not want to see another 911 at home. I say we stay on the hunt for the bad guys over there. I do not like the idea of bombs in the streets of bagdad but better there than here. I'm sure i will get an insulting reply. I will assume it comes from an uninformed source. Keep smilin!~> Bigg West

bigg west at 10:09AM on Apr 25th 2007

12. We will get more "I don't recall" and missing eMails.

John Shade at 9:42AM on Apr 25th 2007

13. Karl Rove is about as crooked as they come. He needs to be taken out of office at once, along with Bush & Cheney. This is the most disgusting bunch we have ever had the misforture to have in power. America is being ruined by their un-American activies in the name of Security.

Ken Bravehawk at 12:19PM on Apr 25th 2007

14. Brilliance can be interpreted in different ways..They can be a master mind of deciet....and plan and plot and do increible things..with negative effects... But brilliant can be evil as well. ROVE is human garbage and fits in well with BUSH AND CHENEY and the rest of the Neo Nazis.....I hope to see them all rot in jail

DR TIM at 11:42AM on Apr 25th 2007

15. Emails isnt it always something stupid that gets the ball rolling and then lo and behold we find out something else. Kinda like what Kenneth Starr did in the Whitewater, he kept the investigation open until there was lil ole Monica slipping around looking to do dirty. Like the little plant she was
.
I have no sympathy for the Republican party when it comes to investigations, wasn't it Bob Dole who promised Clinton an investigation a month?
What they did to Susan MCDougal was enough to gall me. Kenneth Starr should hang his head in shame.

BETTY at 10:01AM on Apr 25th 2007

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Mo Rocca appears on a bunch of shows, including CBS News Sunday Morning (with the indescribably wonderful Charles Osgood), The Tonight Show on NBC, and NPR's Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me! He's a sometime judge on Iron Chef and was featured on Telemundo's Amore Descarado. Last year he starred on Broadway in the 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. His expose "All the President's Pets" was published by Crown in 2004.