John Conyers (D-MI) and his House Judiciary Committee wants to have some words with a Fox News Channel commentator on the prosecution and incarceration of former Alabama Governor Donald Seligman (D). The commentator is making a claim few of his peers can – that he is protected by executive privilege, but that’s because his prior gig was with the White House. Conyers has noted that the pundit, one Karl Rove, has been perfectly happy to discuss the topic while not under oath and under committee questioning; that he does not work for the White House any longer; and that the issue does not involve national security and is not covered by the privilege blanket.
RBR/TVBR observation: At this point in the term of the Bush administration, stalling for time is a strong option. But if Conyers can make a convincing enough case that he can and will have Rove arrested, the Bush political guru could find himself appearing on C-SPAN rather than Fox. However, if there’s a side trip to the courts before a possible appearance on Capitol Hill, it may pay for Fox to buy Rove some sketching lessons – he will then be able to depict his own hearing in the event the judge does not allow the tools of the electronic media into the room.
