I searched, couldn't find; if a repeat, let me know & it will be as if it never existed.

According to TPM Muckraker, On August 11, 2008, Representative John Conyers announced the House Judiciary Committee would be investigating the allegations disclosed in Ron Suskind's new book:

"Mr. Suskind reports that the Bush Administration, in its pursuit of war, created and promoted forged documents about Iraq," Conyers said in the press release. "I am particularly troubled that the decision to disseminate this fabricated intelligence is alleged to have come from the highest reaches of the administration."

The investigation is to include...

At least last week's "this is not an impeachment" hearing in the House Judiciary Committee did something real. It proved that any so called "Progressive" who remains a member of the Democratic Party is part of the problem, not the solution.

UPDATE: 8/1/2008- And so the saga continues. When we last left off, the joker Karl Rove had narrowly escaped an impending Congressional subpoena by stealthily sneaking on a plane to Yalta. But just when he thought he was safe, we now learn that John Bates, a federal judge who we hope is no longer cowed by the dark shadow of Chief Joker Bush and his ilk, has ruled that current and former White House aides are not immune from Congressional subpoenas. And from this ruling, it looks like our shadowy villain may acquire two sidekicks in his battle to evade a subpoena: White House aides Harriet Miers and Joshua Bolten.

This landmark ruling is the first of its kind, in which the courts have decided to enforce a Congressional subpoena against the White House. But can Rove get away again? Dana Perino, a spokesperson for the Joker's main protectors, who reside in their shadowy lair at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave., issued a statement suggesting that the White House may appeal this decision.

Bushies squirm. We can do a little victory dance. No blanket immunity.

A federal judge ruled Thursday that Bush's advisers do not enjoy "absolute immunity" from congressional subpoenas. Nytimes.

"(Thursday’s) landmark ruling is a ringing reaffirmation of the fundamental principle of checks and balances and the basic American idea that no person is above the law," said Representative John D. Conyers.

Bush advisors must appear at the hearings, even if merely to refuse to answer questions. They can't just not go! And they must supply the requested documents.
PDF: US District Court Case Memorandum, 93pp.

"Absolutely, 100%, Aye." Such was the enthusiastic vote of Rep. Hank Johnson (D-GA) today, when the House Judiciary Committee voted to hold Karl Rove in contempt of Congress for failing to respond to a subpoena. The committee said that Rove broke the law by failing to appear at a July 10 hearing on allegations of White House influence over the Justice Department, including whether Rove encouraged prosecutions against Democrats.

Rove claims that Congress can't force him to testify because of . . . wait for it . . . executive privilege! Taking the Bush administration's already shopworn privilege claim to newly ridiculous extremes, Rove, who no longer works at the White House, is claiming executive privilege for allegedly illegal activity -- a claim that the Supreme Court ripped to shreds in the Nixon case some 30 years ago.

I got an email today from Robert Greenwald of Brave New Films explaining that the House Judiciary Committee is about to vote Karl Rove in contempt of Congress. Greenwald is hosting a video and petition (with 108,579 signers already) to keep the pressure on the Committee to sent Rove to jail. You can help put Rove behind bars...

Today is was the House Judiciary Committee's Executive Power and Its Constitutional Limitations.  Surprisingly enough, it wasn't dreadful in addressing its official purpose.    The takeaway is that if "impeachment is off the table," a President can do anything she/he wants to do and nobody can stop her/him.  Not that the word "impeachment" was to have been uttered during the hearing, but they cut everybody slack on that as long as they never said "impeachment of George W. Bush."  

During Panel 1, Representative Kucinich (D-Ohio) presented his three bills regarding the articles of impeachment for Shrub for the consideration of the Judiciary Committee. He asked his colleagues in Congress to honor our oath to support and defend the constitution.

These hearings are currently being shown on C-Span 1 TV

Links:C-Span 1 - follow link on home page

Other links

KPFA & Pacifica Radio will air Friday's hearing from 9:00AM - 1:00PM EDT streamed live at pacifica.org and kpfa.org and on the air at KPFA (Berkeley), KPFK (Los Angeles), KPFT (Houston), and others TBD.

Important Note: Please do NOT recommend this diary. Instead recommend the
Mothership here.

See Panel 2 speakers below the flip

This morning approximately 110 people lined up outside Rayburn 2141 hoping to get into the hearing. We were initially told that there were 40 seats available to the public, but ultimately only SIXTEEN people were allowed inside. There were two overflow rooms, both of which were rendered standing room only as staffers and interns also attended in force. There has been one hallway arrest so far. Here are Laurie Arbeiter from World Can't Wait and Jenny Heinz of CodePink, who both came down from NYC to attend the hearing.

During Panel 1, Representative Kucinich (D-Ohio) presented his three bills regarding the articles of impeachment for Shrub for the consideration of the Judiciary Committee. He asked his colleagues in Congress to honor our oath to support and defend the constitution.

These hearings are currently being shown on C-Span 1 TV

Links:C-Span 1 - follow link on home page

Other links

KPFA & Pacifica Radio will air Friday's hearing from 9:00AM - 1:00PM EDT streamed live at pacifica.org and kpfa.org and on the air at KPFA (Berkeley), KPFK (Los Angeles), KPFT (Houston), and others TBD.

Important Note: Please do NOT recommend this diary. Instead recommend the
Mothership here.

See Panel 2 speakers below the flip

House Judiciary Committee Hearing on Executive Power and Its Constitutional Limitations
10:00am EDT

This will be shown on C-Span 1 TV

Links:  C-Span 1 - follow link on home page
   From afterdowningstreet.org:

KPFA & Pacifica Radio will air Friday's hearing from 9:00AM - 1:00PM EDT streamed live at pacifica.org and kpfa.org and on the air at KPFA (Berkeley), KPFK (Los Angeles), KPFT (Houston), and others TBD.

CodePink in DC hosted tonight's pre-impeachment hearing meeting to coordinate substance, logistics and planned official responses. In attendance were David Swanson of AfterDowningStreet.org, Susan Serpa and Ralph Lopez of Republicans for Impeachment and the Northeastern Impeachment Coalition, and Cynthia Papermaster, CodePink's Bay Area coordinator who also represents the National Impeachment Network.

Gael Murphy and Desiree Fairooz, CodePink hostesses extraordinaire, welcome everyone to the house in DC!

Committee on the Judiciary Hearings

07/25/2008 Full Committee 10:00 A.M.
in 2141 Rayburn House Office Building

Hearing on: Executive Power and Its Constitutional Limitations

By Direction of the Chairman

This Friday, John Conyers will hold a hearing in response to Dennis Kucinich's resolution to impeach Bush.  If you will be in the metro Washington area, show your support by attending this important meeting.  

Contact your Congressman and ask him or her to go.  

In Maya Schenwar's Interview With Rep. Dennis Kucinich for Truthout.org, Dennis pointed out:

The case for war was based on fraud. That's the core charge in this impeachment resolution. And it just takes one article to be able to force the administration and the president to the consequences of their deceit.

Short and sweet since the hearing is starting:

Full Committee
10:00 A.M. in 2141 Rayburn House Office Building
Hearing on: From the Department of Justice to Guantanamo Bay: Administration Lawyers and Administration Interrogations Rules, Part V

You can watch it at C-SPAN3 or via the committe website (scroll down for webcast link).

No pics, please!  Be kind to our dial-up friends.

Transcripts - post 'em as responses to the first comment.

Fun fact: Did you know that when Ashcroft was AG you had to file an FOIA request to see the NTSB accident investigation report on Mel Carnahan's fatal plane crash?

Yesterday, Karl Rove was supposed to testify before the House Judiciary Committee, and didn't.

In fact, Karl Rove is apparently on "a long scheduled foreign trip."

For all of you who tuned in to CSPAN to watch the festivities, as well as all of you who are constitutional purists....

Rep. Kucinich needs your help NOW!

Kucinich has a link on his new web site to sign a petition, which he will personally deliver to your own Representative of Congress, to support his new Unitary Article of Impeachment.

So head on over and sign up!

John Conyers of the House Judiciary picked up the gavel this morning, and then let it quietly down.  In doing so, Conyers settled for threatening Rove with contempt, but the only teeth shown in these proceedings was the result of Rove's smile - and that smile was miles away from the subpoena under Conyers gavel.  

Why are the Dem's so toothless?  

Is it that the political parties have learned to accommodate their counterparty's foibles to create a long-term 2 party equilibrium?  Operating under this assumption, if Dems persecute today for Republican misdeeds, then the favor shall certainly be returned once the tide shifts. And if the laundry was really aired, voters might just rebel at both parties. Such scenarios lead to jobs loss, and we know how the people's representatives and staff worry about Congressional unemployment rates.

Or perhaps Dems are thinking short-term and don't want to appear to be on a witch hunt that can only serve to irritate the American voter by exposing the depth of their ignorance in voting for Rove and Co. Under this scenario, the injured pride of America offers immunity for any number of sins - including impeachable offenses.

Which is it, short or long term CYA?  Does CYA undermine Obama's change message?

Hmmm, short diary, so apologies and I didn't see this issue posted yet.  It appears that the very dogged Dennis Kucinich has finally worn Speaker Pelosi down.  Rather than leaving his impeachment resolution in limbo, Pelosi has given the greenlight for the House Judiciary Committee to consider the resolution.

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