White House Orders Miers to Clam Up

(NEWSER) - The House Judiciary Committee released documents today that Democrats say put Karl Rove and former Bush counsel Harriet Miers at the center of the US attorney firing scandal, Politico reports. “Karl Rove and his cohorts at the Bush White House were the driving force behind several of these firings,” says panel chief John Conyers. In particular, Rove and his staffers sought to oust the US attorney in New Mexico because he failed to prosecute corruption cases against Democrats—and thus help a Republican congresswoman in a tight race, reports the Washington Post. More»

GOP, Obama can't halt proceeding vs. Bybee

(NEWSER) - House Democrats may start a constitutional confrontation over the fate of Judge Jay Bybee, and there’s nothing anybody—not even lukewarm President Obama—can do to stop them, reports Politico. As liberal think-tanker John Podesta argues, Bybee “authorized things that were illegal under US law” when he wrote memos endorsing waterboarding in his role as a Bush legal adviser. More»

Former Bush aide will testify on attorney firings, governor's prosecution

(NEWSER) - Karl Rove is looking forward to testifying before the House Judiciary Committee concerning his alleged role in the sacking of several federal prosecutors, Fox News reports. But beware the “show trial,” Rove said, as “some Democrats would love to have me barbecued.” Rove will also be questioned about the prosecution of Alabama Gov. Don Siegelman, which Democrats claim was politically motivated. More»

(NEWSER) - Karl Rove and Harriet Miers have agreed to testify before Congress about the controversial firing of US attorneys, CBS reports. The former Bush aides' testimony will not be public, though that could happen in the future, notes the Public Record. Congress is investigating whether the Bush administration fired the attorneys for political reasons, and Rove and Miers have cited executive privilege to avoid testifying. More»

Image of corruption-busting prosecutor plays well in recession

(NEWSER) - US attorneys have been a sore subject for Republicans since the Bush administration's politically motivated dismissal of eight prosecutors in 2006. But in the Obama age, the office is becoming a wellspring of strong Republican candidates, Politico reports. The current climate of public distrust toward government and financial institutions means prosecutors with reputations for even-handed integrity are attractive to voters. More»