Two Republican members of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Arlen Specter (PA) and Charles Grassley (IA) joined all the Democrats on that panel to approve contempt citations against top Bush aides, Josh Bolten and Karl Rove:

The Senate Judiciary Committee voted for a contempt citation against presidential confidants Karl Rove and Josh Bolten on Thursday, the latest move in an inquiry into possibly politically motivated firings of federal prosecutors. 

The 12-7 vote sent the citation against the two to the full Senate, but it was not certain to advance further.

Rove, the architect of President Bush's two campaigns for the White House, and Bolten, the president's chief of staff, have refused to comply with subpoenas demanding testimony and documents in the congressional probe.

Rove, who recently left government, and Bolten claim the information Congress demands is off-limits under executive privilege. Lawmakers in both the House and Senate dispute that.

The Senate Judiciary Committee vote means that contempt citations against Bush administration officials await floor action in both chambers of Congress.