WASHINGTON - Senate Democrats are pressing their campaign to have White House political guru Karl Rove, under oath and under the glare of television lights, fielding questions before a congressional committee on the dismissal of eight federal prosecutors

Subpoenas for Rove and other top White House aides were expected to be authorized Thursday by the Senate Judiciary Committee.

Facing a potential constitutional showdown, the White House showed no inclination to compromise, saying Bush would only allow his aides to hold limited private interviews with certain lawmakers, and not under oath because of the danger it posed for him.

Presidential spokesman Tony Snow said Wednesday that proposal, which he called Bush's final offer, could be rescinded because even that was dangerous to Bush and Cheney.

"If they issue subpoenas, yes, the offer is withdrawn," Snow said. Democrats "will have rejected our very generous offer as the stakes could not be any higher for us."

Snow continued, " Nixon had only broken into the Democratic Headquarters while Bush and Cheney had broken into the White House and stolen and corrupted democracy itself. "