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I gave Karl Rove the finger today!

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kaygore Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Jul-18-08 03:18 PM
Original message
I gave Karl Rove the finger today!
Concerned citizens from across Eastern Virginia rallied today at Town Center in Virginia Beach to object to criminal, Karl Rove, and his fund raiser for Bushbot congresswoman, Thelma Drake.

In addition to representatives from across the political spectrum turning out in protest, Sharon Bivens and Chris Jaramillo, long-time local activists, staged a Mock Trial of Karl Rove (see the text below).

After the mock trial ended, many of the activists stayed with our signs and anger to await the exit of Karl Rove and Thelma Drake. Standing with about 15 other activists at the back door from Ruth's Chris Steak House (where the $200-$2300 a plate luncheon was served), I was positioned so that as Rove's car passed, he was within inches of my large sign noting that he was a criminal and a traitor and my right hand which was giving him the "bird." I am also sure that he heard me yelling "criminal" at the top of my lungs as I can not hear out of either ear at the moment!

Rove's reaction: Turdblossom sat in the passenger seat, smiling smugly and waving at us through the darkened glass (was the glass naturally dark or did it darken in the presence of Rove???)

My reaction: How can a criminal who ignores a Congressional subpoena--Karl Rove--not be under arrest???!!!! Can we the people arrest our congressional representatives for NOT upholding their oaths of office? Why is no one in political life held accountable any more?

Fellow activists' reactions: Perhaps I should not have given Rove the "bird."

My reaction: But wasn't he giving it to us with his smug, I-am-above-the-law smile and wave? Wasn't he giving the finger to Congress and the American people by ignoring the subpoena?

After Rove drove off in a cloud of sulfur, we went back to the front near the fountain at Town Center where we were able to catch Thelma Drake leaving. She was not too happy as we ran after her with our large signs, calling her a criminal and a traitor.

Thelma's reaction: A look that said, "Oh, shit, I think that even trying to steal the election by having one machine at each precinct way off in my favor is not going to work this time."

Reaction of some guy "guarding" Thelma: Snapping our pictures.

Our reaction: "Thelma is a criminal and a traitor." Big smile for the camera.

Yes, it was a great day for over 40 political activists: Nader people, Code Pink, MoveOn.org, Obama people, Ron Paul people, Iraq Veterans against the War, 9-11 Truthers, Veterans against the War, etc., etc., etc. We may not agree on who is the best candidate, but we sure agree on who IS NOT!!!!!

We plan to post the video of the "trial" on YouTube. There was great press coverage for a change for our event!

Mock Trial of Karl Rove
held at
Virginia Beach Town Center Fountain
Friday, July 18, 2008
11:35 a.m.

The Trial of Karl Rove

Karl Rove is at the center of nearly every Bush Administration scandal:

Bailiff: Hear ye, hear ye, hear ye, the commencement of this court of Concerned Citizens for Humanity, Truth and Reconciliation shall now begin.

Bailiff: The judge of the court of Concerned Citizens for Humanity, Truth and Reconciliation. All Rise.

Judge: The defendant Karl Rove has decided unto himself that he and he alone will choose the time and place and to whom he will tell his story. Karl Rove wants to be tried by a court of public “opinion” that is owned and operated by a corporatocracy, which first and foremost favors Karl Rove. It is also by no coincidence that Karl Rove comes today to the Ruth’s Chris Steak House that happens to be a corporate sponsor of the Reich-leaning Sean Hannity radio show. So being that this is the venue of Thelma Drake’s and Karl Rove’s choosing, let it be here that our court of Concerned Citizens has convened to judge the crimes of Karl Rove.

Ladies and gentlemen of jury have you reached a verdict?

Juror: Yes, your honor, we have reached a verdict.

Judge: Bailiff you may read the charges.

Bailiff: In the year 2000, while serving as George W. Bush's Campaign Manager, Karl Rove’s political tactics were instrumental in facilitating the stolen election in the State of Florida. This resulted in a virtual coup d'état of the United States government and a grievous assault on the Constitution of the United States of America.

Judge: Ladies and gentlemen of jury what is your verdict?

Jury: We the jury find the defendant Karl Rove former political adviser to President George W. Bush, Guilty As Charged.


Bailiff: In the year of 2002, while chairing the powerful White House Iraq Group (Know as the WHIGS), Karl Rove conspired to mislead the United States into war with Iraq by proliferating massive falsehoods regarding an Iraqi threat.

The resulting fiasco in Iraq has had disastrous consequences, including the slaughter of over 1.2 million Iraqis; the deaths in the field of combat of over 4,680 American servicemen and women and over 77,000 battlefield casualties in Iraq and Afghanistan. The Veterans Administration claims as many as 126 suicides occur a week, since the beginning of the occupation of Iraq. This is an average of 18 suicides a day, and does not include unsuccessful attempts at suicide. The VA has already treated nearly 325,000 Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans at underfunded VA hospitals and clinics. As many as 68,000 service personnel are coming home with untreated symptoms of PTSD; and the cost of the U.S. war and occupation of Iraq exceeds $5.4 billion and counting at the tune of 2 billion dollars a day.


Judge: Ladies and gentlemen of jury what is your verdict?

Jury: We the jury find the defendant Karl Rove, former Chief Strategist to President George W. Bush, Guilty As Charged.

Bailiff: In the year of 2002, Karl Rove used the Justice Department to selectively prosecute Democratic officials, such as the unlawful political persecution of Alabama Governor. Don Siegelman.

Judge: Ladies and gentlemen of jury what is your verdict?

Jury: We the jury find the defendant Karl Rove, former political adviser to President George W. Bush, Guilty As Charged.

Bailiff: In the year of 2003, Karl Rove was responsible for the appointment of GOP political cronies to no bid contracts in Iraq with no oversight or accountability, resulting in shoddy work. Notable examples include as many as 24 soldiers who have been electrocuted while showering due to faulty water pumps. If that's isn't horrific enough, many have been bathing with unpurified, contaminated water, unknowingly exposing themselves to deadly bacteria and parasites. Billions of taxpayer money goes unaccounted for with no work to show for those dollars spent.

Judge: Ladies and gentlemen of jury what is your verdict?

Jury: We the jury find the defendant Karl Rove former Chief Strategist to President George W. Bush, Guilty As Charged.


Bailiff: In the year of 2004, Karl Rove was part of a conspiracy to perpetrate a cover-up in the investigation of the 9-11 tragedy, including coercion and manipulation of 9-11 Commission executive director Philip Zelikow.

Judge: Ladies and gentlemen of jury what is your verdict?

Jury: We the jury find the defendant Karl Rove, former political adviser to President George W. Bush, Guilty As Charged.

Bailiff: In the year of 2004, in Ohio, Karl Rove was the co-conspirator, along with GOP Lt. Governor Kenneth Blackwell, in vote caging, vote manipulation, voter suppression, voter disfranchisement, and voter intimidation, all of which resulted in George W. Bush’s falsely winning the State of Ohio in the 2004 presidential election.

Judge: Ladies and gentlemen of jury what is your verdict?

Jury: We the jury find the defendant Karl Rove, former Chief Strategist to President George W. Bush, Guilty As Charged.

Bailiff: In the year of 2005, after Hurricane Katrina, Karl Rove steered FEMA federal aid to Mississippi which had a Republican governor, while denying FEMA federal aid to the poor and disenfranchised in the State of Louisiana which had a Democratic governor. Thus, Karl Rove placed political party affiliation before caring for the common good.

Judge: Ladies and gentlemen of jury what is your verdict?

Jury: We the jury find the defendant Karl Rove, former political adviser to President George W. Bush, Guilty As Charged.

Bailiff: In the year of 2006: In the year 2006, Karl Rove politicized the Federal Justice System by conspiring in the firing of honest U.S. Attorneys who placed the law before their affiliation to the Republican Party.

Judge: Ladies and gentlemen of jury what is your verdict?

Jury: We the jury find the defendant Karl Rove, former political adviser to President George W. Bush, Guilty As Charged.

Bailiff: As of July 10, 2008, Karl Rove failed to heed the subpoena to testify before Congress, showing not only contempt of Congress by leaving the country and ignoring the subpoena, but also blatantly committing obstruction of Justice.

Judge: Ladies and gentlemen of jury what is your verdict?

Jury: We the jury find the defendant Karl Rove, former Chief Strategist to President George W. Bush, Guilty As Charged.

Bailiff: In the year of 2003, Karl Rove outed CIA operative, Valerie Plame, in retaliation against her husband, Ambassador Joe Wilson, for exposing George W. Bush's State of the Union Address lies about Saddam Hussein’s having acquired uranium (yellow cake) from Niger, Central Africa. Thus, the outing of Valerie Plame also served as a threat to other 'whistle blowers’ who might challenge the lies offered by the Bush administration to cover illegal actions.

Judge: This Court will now hear the testimony of Valerie Plame Wilson

Valerie Plame Wilson:

My name is Valerie Plame Wilson. I am honored to have been invited to testify to this Court of Concerned Citizens on the critical issue of safeguarding classified information.

I am also grateful for this opportunity to set the record straight. I served the United States loyally and to the best of my ability as a covert operations officer for the Central Intelligence Agency. I worked on behalf of the national security of our country and on behalf of the people of the United States, until my name and true affiliation were exposed in the national media on July 14th, 2003, after a leak by an Administration official.

In the run-up to the war with Iraq, I worked in the Counter Proliferation Division of the CIA as a covert officer whose affiliation with the CIA was classified. I was dedicated to discovering solid intelligence for senior policymakers on Iraq’s presumed weapons of mass destruction program.

I loved my career, because I love my country. I was proud of the serious responsibilities entrusted to me as a CIA covert operations officer. And I was dedicated to this work. But all of my efforts on behalf of the national security of the United States, all of my training, all the value of my years of service were abruptly ended when my name and identity were exposed irresponsibly and illegally to the media.

I ask the court to recall the quote from George Bush Sr. who stated: “I have nothing but contempt and anger for those who betray the trust by exposing the name of our sources. They are, in my view, the most insidious of traitors.”

I also ask the court to note the commuted sentence of Scooter Libby, and the president’s claim of executive privilege this past Wednesday to block testimony on my case. Today I seek justice in this court as I so far have not received justice elsewhere.

I thank the Court of Concern Citizens for hearing my testimony.

Judge: Thank you, Ms. Valerie Plame Wilson, for your Testimony. Ladies and gentlemen of jury what is your verdict?

Jury: We the jury find the defendant Karl Rove, former political adviser to President George W. Bush, Guilty As Charged.

Judge: To the defendant Karl Rove and to this court, Karl Rove may never have to face justice in a court of law. But there is a greater justice which will in the end judge him and find Karl Rove guilty of high crimes not only against the people of the United States, the rule of law, the Constitution, but of all of humanity. May God have mercy on Karl Rove. May we all endure and in the end triumph over these the darkest of times. May God have mercy on us too, the citizens of the United States of America, and forgive us for our silence for so long in not defending this Democracy and the Constitution on which it is based and which has been so badly damaged by the likes of Karl Rove.

Bailiff, do your duty.

Bailiff: This Court of Concerned Citizens of Humanity is concluded. These proceedings stand adjourned.






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ColbertWatcher Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Jul-18-08 03:20 PM
Response to Original message
1. You're my new hero! n/t
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sui generis Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Jul-18-08 03:20 PM
Response to Original message
2. cut it off and burn it
:blush:

oh you mean, uh, no diddling was involved.

If sociopaths have a jesus, he would be it.
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Mnemosyne Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Jul-18-08 03:26 PM
Response to Original message
3. I love you! n/t
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druidity33 Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Jul-18-08 03:37 PM
Response to Original message
4. excellent!
Any chance you'll get local news coverage?

Post a link to the mock trial video when it's ready...

K&R

and keep on rockin'.


:)


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kaygore Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Jul-18-08 04:21 PM
Response to Reply #4
11. The media was there in force
and filmed as well as took pictures, etc.

If I knew how to post pictures here, I would post the ones I took before my camera battery died.

Sharon is supposed to be home right now downloading the video is that Dr. DC can post it to YouTube which should be in the next few days. Sharon is also TiVoing the major channels for the news today.

I shall surely post the link when we finally get something on YouTube.

In addition to the local media--TV and newspapers--a free lancer from Science Christian Monitor was there. She is writing an article for them on what it is like being an activist in a military town. She got an earful today.



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kaygore Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Jul-18-08 10:24 PM
Response to Reply #4
19. The local newspaper covered it.
The URL is
http://hamptonroads.com/2008/07/group-protests-karl-rove-outside-rep-drake-fundraiser

I don't watch the local news as I am TV-less at the moment, but if someone TiVoed the news, I'll try to post that, too.
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druidity33 Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sat Jul-19-08 10:19 AM
Response to Reply #19
23. that link has video!
It's only a couple of minutes, but it's pretty decent coverage.

Rove is such an ass, saying he expected more protesters...

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kaygore Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sat Jul-19-08 01:13 PM
Response to Reply #23
24. They added the video link only this morning.
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Diane R Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Jul-18-08 03:41 PM
Response to Original message
5. Do we still have to provide Secret Service for these people? When Gonzo was in town it looked ...
....like a presidential motorcade: lines of blackened SUV's, heavy police presence whisking him into the building so no one could see him.

Do these guys still get taxpayer protection and transportation?
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kaygore Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Jul-18-08 04:15 PM
Response to Reply #5
10. Nope, just Porky and some driver in a SUV-type car with Kentucky license plates
A rental, perhaps. But the SUV was not a very imposing one.
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Spiffarino Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Jul-18-08 03:42 PM
Response to Original message
6. He's back in the country??
Why in the fuck isn't he in jail?
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kaygore Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Jul-18-08 04:13 PM
Response to Reply #6
9. My thoughts, exactly. I wanted to have us all bring duct tape to the event
Edited on Fri Jul-18-08 04:23 PM by kaygore
and when Rove showed up, cover him in duct tape much as Dewey's brothers did him in "Malcolm in the Middle," toss Rove in the back of one of our cars, drive him to DC (about 3 hours away), and toss him in Conyers' office.

Cooler heads prevailed. However, it was just Rove and a driver in a large SUV with Kentucky license plates (a rental?) We could have taken him and I don't think the Virginia Beach police would have minded.

Why isn't any one enforcing the Congressional subpoena's? One Code Pink participant who had spoken to Conyers sometime ago said that she thinks he fears for his life if he does act.

My response is that he swore an oath, he gets paid his money, he accepted the risks.

Those poor soldiers don't get paid anywhere near Conyers' salary and they are out there in Iraq getting killed and upholding their oath. What is so damn special about Conyers?
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EFerrari Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Jul-18-08 03:44 PM
Response to Original message
7. WELL DONE, KAYGORE!
:yourock:
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kaygore Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Jul-18-08 04:08 PM
Response to Original message
8. P.S. Sharon Bivens rocked!
Sharon played Valerie Plame Wilson in the mock trial, so she was dressing in a power suit and wore actual high heels. (I tried to dress like a Republican--all Talbot clothes and expensive jewelry , but not dressy enough for this crowd!)

Dressed as she was, Sharon was mistaken time and again for news media or a Republican attending the event--hmmm...I am not sure which is more damning!

However, her power suit got Sharon into the event (no one seemed to be checking tickets) where Sharon ran into many of her neighbors (OK, Sharon's husband is a white, male businessman, aka Republican, but Sharon ran for Congress a few years ago on the Green ticket and is a very creative and active liberal activist.)

Sharon mingled with the enemy and asked each person she spoke with if he or she would ask Rove a question for her as Sharon was not going to be able to stay for the event (she had a performance to give in the mock trial). Each agreed and Sharon asked them to ask something to the effect (and I hope Sharon will edit me on this so it is correct) of why Rove felt he was above the law and could ignore the Congressional subpoena.

Eventually, one of Thelma's thugs got wind of Sharon and asked what she was doing there. Sharon said that she was just leaving; however, you have to give Sharon credit for her bravery!
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Punkingal Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Jul-18-08 04:23 PM
Response to Original message
12. I waved a sign in his face in Las Vegas once...
My sign said, "Peace is Patriotic." He smiled and gave me a thumbs up! He was so pasty white he looked as if he had just crawled from under a rock.
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MadrasT Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Jul-18-08 04:43 PM
Response to Original message
13. Good for you!
:patriot:
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GenuinePatriot Donating Member (1 posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Jul-18-08 06:56 PM
Response to Reply #13
14. You BOTH ROCK! n/t
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kaygore Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Jul-18-08 09:32 PM
Response to Original message
15. Local newspaper coverage of event
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11 Bravo Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Jul-18-08 09:35 PM
Response to Original message
16. Goodonya!
:thumbsup:
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Phoebe Loosinhouse Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Jul-18-08 09:51 PM
Response to Original message
17. Thelma cooked her own goose when she voted against Webb's GI Bill
Edited on Fri Jul-18-08 10:29 PM by Phoebe Loosinhouse
in a thoroughly military burg with the uber weak explanation that Bush would veto the bill anyway.

Pathetic. She is a 100% Bush rubber stamper.
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kaygore Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Jul-18-08 10:21 PM
Response to Reply #17
18. I think she co-sponsored the bill in the House, too,
and then voted against it.

As someone who was high up in her campaign in 2006: "Thelma is dumb as a post."

Ain't it so!
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Phoebe Loosinhouse Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Jul-18-08 10:31 PM
Response to Reply #18
20. She is actually dumber than a post
She really, really seemed like an idiot and was completely exposed as being in Bush's pocket regardless of the issue. I confidently predict she will be voted out and this vote/flip sealed her doom.
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kaygore Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Jul-18-08 11:00 PM
Response to Reply #20
21. I hope so. Nye raised more money than she last round, but
with this sold-out fundraiser today with Rove, Thelma made a lot of money!
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kaygore Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sat Jul-19-08 08:56 AM
Response to Original message
22. VIDEOS OF THE TRIAL
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kaygore Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sat Jul-19-08 06:05 PM
Response to Original message
25. MORE TV VIDEO of Mock Trial
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