ROVE-ING WIRETAPS

Rove counting heads on the Senate Judiciary Committee
(L.M. Otero/AP) February 7, 2006

The White House has been twisting arms to ensure that no Republican member votes against President Bush in the Senate Judiciary Committee’s investigation of the administration's unauthorized wiretapping.

Congressional sources said Deputy Chief of Staff Karl Rove has threatened to blacklist any Republican who votes against the president. The sources said the blacklist would mean a halt in any White House political or financial support of senators running for re-election in November (given that polls have shown that candidates who have identified themselves as being anti-Bush are running better than candidates who have identified themselves as pro-Bush, maybe this blacklisting thing is a good idea. It means Bush won't stump for the blacklisted, and their chances of winning will go up. Maybe Rove is aware of this and is using "revershe psyCHOlogee).

"It's hardball all the way," a senior GOP congressional aide said.

The sources said the administration has been alarmed over the damage that could result from the Senate hearings, which began on Monday, Feb. 6. They said the defection of even a handful of Republican committee members could result in a determination that the president violated the 1978 Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. Such a determination could lead to impeachment proceedings. (*** How? The Senators can simply determine that, even though the law was broken, the breaking did not constitute a "high crime or misdemeanor," treason or bribery).

Over the last few weeks, Mr. Rove has been calling in virtually every Republican on the Senate committee as well as the leadership in Congress. The sources said Mr. Rove's message has been that a vote against Mr. Bush would destroy GOP prospects in congressional elections. (Yes, upholding the law would interfere with the future ability to violate it - no question).

"He's [Rove] lining them up one by one," another congressional source said. "Like pigs in a blanket."

Mr. Rove is leading the White House campaign to help the GOP in November’s congressional elections. The sources said the White House has offered to help loyalists with money and free publicity, such as appearances and photo-[sl]ops with the president. (What about all of those ETH-nical concerns?)

Those deemed disloyal to Mr. Rove would appear on his blacklist. The sources said dozens of GOP members in the House and Senate are on that list. (Why? Because their clothes don't show visible signs of his shit stains?)

So far, only a handful of GOP senators have questioned Mr. Rove's tactics.

Some have raised doubts about Mr. Rove's strategy of painting the Democrats, who have opposed unwarranted surveillance, as being dismissive of the threat posed by al Qaeda terrorists.

"Well, I didn't like what Mr. Rove said, because it frames terrorism and the issue of terrorism and everything that goes with it, whether it's the renewal of the Patriot Act or the NSA wiretapping, in a political context," said Sen. Chuck Hagel, Nebraska Republican.