Citizen's Arrest on Karl Rove Attempted in Iowa

Looks like Americans are starting to stand up for themselves, albeit 98 days or so from the end of the Bush presidency. Four Iowans were arrested during a GOP fundraiser in Iowa for the attempted citizen's arrest of Karl Rove.---PETER ST. GEORGE



Former Bush advisor Karl Rove was invited to speak at a GOP fundraiser in Des Moines, Iowa, but he did not get the warmest of welcomes from four residents who pledged to arrest him.

Law enforcement officers arrested Rev. Chet Guinn, 80, and three members of the Catholic Worker peace movement, Edward Bloomer, 61, Kirk Brown, 25, and Mona Shaw, 57, on Friday for their attempt to make a citizen's arrest, according to the Cedar Rapids Gazette. They were cited for trespassing and released.

Reuters reported that the arrest was prearranged and happened when the group stepped past a gate. The protesters accused Rove of, among other things, conspiracy to defraud the United States ahead of the Iraq War, leading to the deaths of United States military and Iraqi civilians, the Gazette reported.

Two of the protesters, Brown and Shaw, were previously arrested and released without charges when they tried to arrest Rove in March at the University of Iowa.

A group of netroots activists is also pushing for the prosecution of Rove for his refusal to testify before the House Judiciary Committee in Washington.

Earlier this month, the former White House deputy chief of staff, refused an order to testify about the firing of federal prosecutors and allegations of selective prosecution of Democrats seen as political opponents.

The committee asked Rove to testify about whether he influenced the prosecution of former Alabama Gov. Don Siegelman on corruption charges. While he refused to testify, Rove wrote a letter to ranking committee member Lamar Smith (R-Texas) that he did not try to influence the prosecution in any way.

Committee Chairman John Conyers (D-Mich.) and Rep. Linda Sanchez (D-Calif.) have threatened to hold Rove in contempt. The White House has argued executive privilege allows immunity for Rove from testifying.

The committee has also subpoenaed Attorney General Michael Mukasey to turn over documents relating to the leak of CIA agent Valerie Plame's identity, including complete FBI interview reports with Rove and others.

by Katie Fretland

The Associated Press contributed to this report.