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December 21, 2007 at 20:52:58
How a state governor was imprisoned with help from Karl Rove by Richard Clark Page 1 of 3 page(s) 
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In the continuing quest for a permanent Republican majority, a coterie of Republican heavyweights, including Karl Rove, sent a state governor to jail for seven years, thereby preventing him from talking to the press as he is repeatedly moved from prison to prison. This is a synopsis of a report filed by Larisa Alexandrovna and Muriel Kane at http://RawStory.com For most Americans, the very concept of political prisoners is remote and exotic, a practice that is associated with third-world dictatorships but is foreign to the American tradition. The idea that a prominent politician -- a former state governor -- could be tried on charges that many observers consider to be trumped-up, then convicted in a trial that involved numerous questionable procedures, and then hauled off to prison in shackles immediately upon sentencing, would be almost unbelievable. But there is such a politician: Don Siegelman, Democratic governor of Alabama from 1999 to 2003. Starting just a few weeks after he took office, Siegelman was targeted by an investigation launched by his political opponents, and then escalated from the state to the federal level by Bush Administration appointees in 2001. 
Siegelman was ultimately charged with 32 counts of bribery and other crimes in 2005, just as he began to attempt a political comeback. He was convicted the following year on seven of those charges. Last summer, Siegelman was sentenced to seven years in prison and immediately whisked off to a series of out-of-state jails, not even being allowed to remain free on bond while his appeal was under way.
Shortly before the sentencing, however, suspicions expressed by Alabama observers that there was something "fishy" about the case (as Scott Horton of Harper's Magazine put it) began to reach the national stage. What initially appeared to be merely a whiff of possible political corruption became something much stronger, with allegations that Karl Rove and the Bush Justice Department had been operating behind the scenes. And yet, despite these suspicions and the attempts of a few journalists to bring them to greater notice, Siegelman's case remains virtually unknown to most of America.
http://rawstory.com/news/2007/The_Permanent_Republican_Majority_1125.html
The case in a nutshell:
Governor Siegelman was a popular Democratic politician in a largely Republican state and was the only person in Alabama history to hold all of the state's highest posts. He served as Attorney General, Secretary of State, Lieutenant Governor and finally as Governor from 1999 to 2003.
On Election Day in November 2002, when the polls had closed and the votes were being counted, it seemed increasingly apparent that Governor Siegelman had been victorious in his re-election bid against Republican challenger Bob Riley. But then, just as in the infamous Florida election of 2000, something strange happened in the tallying of the votes.
As CNN reported at the time, there appeared to be two different sets of numbers coming through for one particular Alabama county:
“The confusion stems from two sets of numbers reported by one heavily Republican district,” the network stated.
“Figures originally reported by Baldwin County showed Siegelman got about 19,000 votes there, making him the state's winner by about two-tenths of 1 percent,” its reporter added. “But hours after polls closed, Baldwin County officials said the first number was wrong, and Siegelman had received just less than 13,000. Those figures would make Riley the statewide winner by about 3,000 votes.”
"Sometime after midnight, after the poll watchers were sent home, a small group there decided to recount the votes a third time," Siegelman told a news conference at the time. "No watchers legally entitled to be present were notified -- and a different total was thereby established."
The following morning, Alabama saw a new governor declaring victory in the election. But the story didn’t end there. It was only the beginning of a case that would turn the politics of dirty tricks into something far more sinister.
See a timeline of the case:
Take action -- click here to contact your local newspaper or congress people:
Investigate the case of Gov. Don Siegelman
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"How a state governor was imprisoned with help from Karl Rov
The sword of justice in America is the sickle of the grim reaper by dave stanley (5 articles, 1 quicklinks, 7 diaries, 286 comments) on Friday, Dec 21, 2007 at 11:06:31 PM  (0+)
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Would you care to elaborate?
I'm all ears. by Richard Clark (30 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 101 comments [2 recommended, 0 rejected]) on Saturday, Dec 22, 2007 at 1:02:52 PM (0+)
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Some ask why this story is so significant
Here's how I would address them: Do you understand that the Repugs have already attempted to control and pressure federal prosecutors in states all over this country, and have even considered firing all of those among them who were not willing to do Karl Rove's bidding, which often involved breaking the law? Do you understand that we already have proof that these federal prosecutors have illegally charged several high-placed Democratic official with crimes they were not guilty of, and that they did this for the express purpose of getting rid of as many high-level Dem politicians as possible? Do you under that the Bush Administration has fired federal prosecutors who refused to go along with this highly illegal and totally corrupt endeavor? Do you understand that if BushCo, or some corrupt Republican administration like it, could succeed in controlling federal prosecutors and judges across the land, that it would then be possible to politically eliminate a great many Democratic governors, senators and members of the House? Finally, do you undestand that this would be a great way to effectuate a "Permanent Republican Majority," effectively eliminating any future victories, nationally, of the Democrats? If not, I suggest you do further reading. by Richard Clark (30 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 101 comments [2 recommended, 0 rejected]) on Saturday, Dec 22, 2007 at 2:00:55 PM (0+)
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Reply: I follow you , but
Dear Richard, Thanx for the article. Just found the story myself last week. Sad. In your comments above, your answers in the form of questions support how timely and important it is for all of us to continue to fight back with everything we can muster. Right now. Should anyone out there think Richards' points are an overreaction, overblown or overly sensitive, look deeper please. This deal is messed up. I'm no scientist, nor an engineer, nor a politcal junkie. I don't spend all my time refining my journalistic abilities (obvious by my content). I simply am a musician with a shop who has spent my entire life reading, talking, searching until now, I am convinced we are on the edge of the fight of our lives. The only point I'd like to make here Richard is that I think the dems (many) are part of it all. This is NOT to set up a Republican dynasty. That is a falicy. They are pushing hard to set 'something' up. But the dem/rep thing is just another part of the paradigm argument that fuels the time we waste trying to determine who the home and visiting teams are. The two teams are these. Those that wish to control us (getting rid of many to scare the remaining into compliance...they will leave many for they need us to do their slave working consumimg) and those of us, who if we care about our families, our humaness, our country and our world will stand up to them and in their face, pound on their doors, bang the drums, write the articles and songs, demand redress over and over, call them on the phone, call again, send emails, tell them we're watching them, demand answers and...never....never back down. Stay in the light. Be visible. Don't hide. If we let them contain and control us with their fear tactics like taking down governors, privatizing our police, giving immunity to corporations, torturing store owners from Kabul, arresting U.S. citizens for passing out copies of the constitution or any one of hundreds of nasty things they have done and are doing, we all lose. If we call 'em out, they will be outed as the bullies that they are. No. It won't be that easy. These guys are N..A..S..T..Y. Some of the best of us may be taken, lost...like in Argentina, Brazil, Uraguay or Guatemala. Isn't it sad how I knew this stuff and didn't respond until it's possibilities showed up here. I am embarrased that I sluffed it off. Like it never happened. That's sad. Truman was right.... "The only thing new in this world is the history that you don't know. me...."the only thing new in this world is the history that you ignore" peace by mikel paul (14 articles, 1 quicklinks, 11 diaries, 570 comments [13 recommended, 0 rejected]) on Saturday, Dec 22, 2007 at 6:29:30 PM (0+)
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Reply: FriscoNick, I couldn't agree more, except for one thing
There are a lot of spineless Dems in Congress, but they're all we've got to work with, so I think we should support them as much as possible. That said, there's no reason why we shouldn't try to replace the chronically spineless among them . . with better prospects. BTW, today I heard on the Thom Hartmann program that not even Siegelman's attorneys are permitted to know which federal prison he is currently in, and the Feds keep moving him from prison to prison so as to better prevent him from having adequate legal representation -- as well as to make sure the story stays out of the corporate mainstream media. Gee, it sounds like the Feds (read BushCo) have something to hide. I wonder what that could be. Anyway, thanks for the pep talk! by Richard Clark (30 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 101 comments [2 recommended, 0 rejected]) on Saturday, Dec 22, 2007 at 9:57:06 PM (0+)
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Why all the hubbub
This happens to poor people daily now that prisons are for profit. Wacenhut is full of innocent citizens and illegal immigrants. by john riggs (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 463 comments [24 recommended, 0 rejected]) on Sunday, Dec 23, 2007 at 6:21:14 AM (0+)
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Reply: Wackenhut imprisoning innocent citizens?
If you, or anyone, can provide any evidence of, or documentation about, this, then please post it here. by Richard Clark (30 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 101 comments [2 recommended, 0 rejected]) on Sunday, Dec 23, 2007 at 2:27:12 PM (0+)
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60 Minutes to air Siegelman story in January
"Some of those in Alabama who have been cooperating with the CBS crew said they thought the report would air this month, but now it looks like it will be on some time in January. I had wondered if Dan Abrams' reports on the trial, conviction and seven-plus year sentence on MSNBC may have CBS thinking they had been scooped and considering dropping the story. Abrams' story, featuring Alabama Democratic U.S. Rep. Artur Davis and Harper's Magazine blogger Scott Horton, who has done yeoman's work in staying on top of the story (if you want to catch up on all the minutiae of the case, I recommend the Harper's site), was good as far as it went, but was basically just a basic cable talking heads-type report. "60 Minutes," of course, is not only on a major network, it is also known for going into depth on stories like this and is reportedly in possession of some revelations not previously known about the back story that could be devastating for those who seemed determine to eliminate Siegelman from the Alabama political scene. The "only downside is that in the midst of this, Don is nearing his sixth month in prison. The 11th circuit asked [U.S. presiding Judge Mark] Fuller to give a reason for the incarceration [rather than grant bail pending appeal] expeditiously and today is the 33rd day since they made the request." by Richard Clark (30 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 101 comments [2 recommended, 0 rejected]) on Wednesday, Dec 26, 2007 at 1:27:50 PM (0+)
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