House Judiciary Committee Chair John Conyers (D-MI) forgot to keep his voice down when there are reporters present:
Just off the House floor today, the Crypt overheard House Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers tell two other people: “We’re closing in on Rove. Someone’s got to kick his ass.”
Asked a few minutes later for a more official explanation, Conyers told us that Rove has a week to appear before his committee. If he doesn’t, said Conyers, “We’ll do what any self-respecting committee would do. We’d hold him in contempt. Either that or go and have him arrested.”
The chairman seems to have been having fire for breakfast lately, pursuing the testimony — with the threat of a subpoena — of a number of former administration figures, including Dick Cheney’s consigliere David Addington. And of course he’s also been pursuing Rove to testify about the prosecution of ex-Gov. Don Siegelman (D-AL). Yesterday, in somewhat more diplomatic language, Conyers refused Rove’s offer to testify in writing.