Jones' public statements about the Beck nomination reflect significant foot shuffling and dissembling. Could that be because George Beck represented chief government witness Nick Bailey in the Siegelman/Scrushy case and reportedly allowed prosecutors to browbeat and coach his client? Could it be because Beck comes from the Montgomery law firm of Capel and Howard, which has strong ties to GOP strategist Karl Rove and Bill Canary, who is president of the Business Council of Alabama, husband of Leura Canary, and confidant of U.S. Chamber of Commerce chief Tom Donahue?
Doug Jones supports a lawyer from a firm that has ties to Karl Rove, Bill Canary, and Tom Donahue? Sheesh, with "leaders" like that, the Alabama Democratic Party surely will continue to spiral right down the toilet. To top it off, Jones worked with Homewood attorney Rob Riley, son of former GOP governor Bob Riley, on a federal HealthSouth lawsuit that raked in more than $50 million in attorney fees. Has that been good for the cause of justice in Alabama? Almost certainly not:
This scenario becomes particularly troubling when you consider that the other co-liaison counsel in the HealthSouth case--Jones' chief local assistant--was Rob Riley, the son of former Republican Governor Bob Riley. Why did Doug Jones need Rob Riley on the lawsuit team? Probably because Riley had inside information about former HealthSouth CEO Richard Scrushy. And that information probably came from Riley's involvement in a Republican conspiracy to conduct a political prosecution against Siegelman and Scrushy, a scheme that Alabama attorney and whistleblower Dana Jill Simpson revealed to the world.
Should progressives be concerned about Doug Jones' willingness to make money by jumping in bed with a member of the Riley clan? What about Jones' apparent determination to now push tainted nominees to a Democratic administration?
Obama has a background as a constitutional scholar. But the Beck nomination, and the Senate's unquestioning acceptance of it, indicates our leaders (of both parties) do not give a rip about such concepts as "due process" and "equal protection" under the law.
How ugly was Beck confirmation and the process that led up to it? We encourage readers to examine Andrew Kreig's recent four-part series on the subject. And it's important to keep a key point in mind: This no longer is just a Bush/Rove production; Obama and other Democrats now are engaged in what appears to be a coordinated effort to ensure that the public is kept in the dark about unsavory matters connected to the U.S. Justice Department.
Here are links to the Justice Integrity Project series:
Part One: Senate Must Grill Tainted Alabama DOJ Nominee
Part Two: Bailey, Beck and Siegelman Frame-Up
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