"All Roads Lead to Rove" - A Netroots Nation Interview with Don Siegelman
By Jon Perr Sunday Jul 20, 2008 11:00am
Dominating the discussion at this weekend's Netroots Nation conference in Austin was the urgent need to restore the rule of law now under withering assault by the Bush administration. From the suspension of habeas corpus and detainee torture to warrantless wiretapping and the politicization of the Justice Department, session after session detailed the unaccountable lawlessness of the Bush White House. And to be sure, no speaker made that case more personally than former Alabama Governor Don Siegelman.
Siegelman, sentenced to 7 years in prison on trumped-up bribery charges brought by the Rove-directed DOJ, came to Netroots Nation with a simple message. Just days after Bush's Brain was a no-show before a House Judiciary Committee hearing on the matter, Siegelman insisted Congress must hold Rove in contempt:
"If you believe all roads lead to Rove, this is the shortest route to get there."
On Friday, I had the opportunity to catch up with Governor Siegelman after his main-stage interview with Air America Radio host Sam Seder. Throughout our conversation, Siegelman was clear about the stakes:
"This is not about Don Siegelman. It's about restoring justice and protecting our democracy."
No doubt, Siegelman's tale is a horror story. Seder detailed the ten-year war waged by Karl Rove and the Alabama Republican Party against the Democratic Governor dating back to the mid-1990s. After denying his 2002 reelection courtesy of election night ballot counting irregularities, the U.S. attorney's office in Alabama finally succeeded in prosecuting Siegelman in 2006. (Back in February, CBS 60 Minutes detailed the case, involving businessman Richard Scrushy's appointment to a state board after his contribution to a state education lottery fund.) His legal fees have already reached a staggering $2.5 million.
For his part, Siegelman believes the issue in his case is "the preservation of our democracy" which "cannot exist if the government can prosecute people they don't like." And one of his greatest challenges has been getting the American people to come to grips with a seemingly unimaginable nightmare scenario:
"No one wants to believe the President lied to get into war, that elections can manipulated or stolen, and that the Department of Justice was used as a political weapon. People just don't want to believe it."
But with the growing outcry over his case, revulsion over Rove's snubbing of Congress and the launch of his new web site ContemptforRove.com, Siegelman sees a tipping point at hand. "We're getting really close to getting this cracked open," he said. Thanks in part to "pressure coming from the blogs", Siegelman added, "the balloon is about to burst."
Surprisingly, Siegelman showed a grudging admiration for Karl Rove in much the same way one might respect a master thief. Bush's consigliere, Siegelman claimed, learned two critical lessons from Richard Nixon's experience during Watergate. First, "you don't need a secret unit in the White House" when you have the DOJ at your disposal. And second, as the missing Bush administration emails suggest, "you don't leave evidence around like Nixon did with the tapes."
Moving on from Rove's modus operandi, Siegelman insisted Congress needs to act and act now. Failing to hold Karl Rove in contempt immediately risks sending the "wrong message that some people are above the law." If people see that "Rove did it and he didn't get caught," the Governor warned, "it could become part of American political culture likely to happen again." And to get to the bottom of Rove's involvement in this episode and the broader prosecutor purge by Alberto Gonzales, Siegelman sees just one path:
"Congress is the only hope. It's the only place people can turn to give them the truth. They deserve to know what happened."
Last week, Rep. John Conyers' House Judiciary Committee rejected Karl Rove's assertion of executive privilege by a 7-1 vote. As Sam Seder suggested, to make that claim, Rove necessarily must have discussed the issues at the heart of the Committee inquiry with President Bush. When I pressed him on that point, Siegelman said simply, "only Karl Rove can answer the question."
Despite his conviction, his prison sentence and being initially branded on appeal as a "special prisoner" barred from out-of-state travel (a designation usually reserved for organized crime figures or potential terrorists) - despite it all - Don Siegelman sees signs of hope for his case and his country. "John Conyers has reaffirmed my faith," he said. He also praised House members Robert Wexler (D-FL), Linda Sanchez (D-CA) and Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL) and Republican Senator Arlen Specter (R-PA) for their efforts to hold Rove and the Bush administration accountable. A bipartisan group of 54 state attorneys general signed a letter in his defense. Looking ahead, Siegelman believes not only that the "DOJ must be sacrosanct," but that it will be, provided we have "an attorney general and U.S. attorneys who see their duty to this country first, not a political party."
Still, time is running out. "The longer we wait, the less important" getting to the truth about the hijacking of the Justice Department will be to the American people consumed by the fall election, the slowing economy and the dual wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. While Siegelman's liberty rests with the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals, he says ours depends on Capitol Hill. Sensing his own fierce urgency of now, Governor Don Siegelman issued a final call to action to pressure Congress:
"We've got Rove against the ropes. It's time to deliver the knockout punch. Bring him in and put him in a chair."
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Unfortunately, only a small handful of congressmen are listening to what Don Siegelman has to say. I doubt anything will be done about Rove's outrageous lawlessnes.
Me first? Question for y'all: Of all the jackbooterie of this criminal gang, is this the closest instance of our slouching towards a police state?
"but he was convicted by a jury!"
Hmmm... was the jury bribed or was he actually guilty? It's hard to tell with all the lies floating about these days.
displaced @ 3:
A jury that was fed lies by witnesses that later recanted their testimony and admitted that they were told to lie. That alone should warrant a judge to declare mistrial and clear Siegelman.
Bring Rove in and put him in a chair!
May I add, under oath and in public.
O Happy Day!
(but don't hold yer breath)
Lilybelle @ 2:
Only the most blatant in recent history. It's been happening for over 40 years. Most of us just weren't paying attention.
displaced @ 3:
Yeah, a jury found OJ not guilty.
i think THIS would be a better "Sam Seder" link than the one given:
http://samsedershow.com/node/3474
If Siegelman's case was prioritized in the Justice Department because of his political leanings, then that is certainly wrong. At the same time this doesn't change the facts of the case, most notably that a jury of his peers looked at the evidence and found him guilty.
what's the problem, site mon???
Rove cited in RICO charges in Ohio:
http://www.nowpublic.com/world/ohio-attorneys-assert-rico-claim-against-...
Why is Rove still regarded as a political guru? I mean are Faux News watchers totally brainwashed or what? I really think that we as Americans, have no sense of the world around us. I mean Americans can't even find Iraq on a map, many have no idea who the Supreme Court Justices are. Pathetic or what?
navyswan @ 4:
Do you have a link to an objective source which details who lied, and how those lies materially changed the facts of the case?
peaceful easy feeling @ 8:
He was found guilty on testimony of one witness that had to rehearse his testimony over and over and over again until he got it right. If the prosecution has to do that, there is certainly something wrong.
Is any one ever gonna get introuble for High Crimes against the "state"?
Is this country worthless?
I know a real easy way to get Rove to speak about what he actually did - waterboard him. Robespierre became a victim of his own terror, and it is about time Rove faces the same fate!
The fact that Siegelman was convicted is irrelevant to the charge of tampering against Rove. Had Siegelman been acquitted, Rove would be no less susceptible to that charge.
A political operative, not affiliated with the Justice Department, has no business involving himself in anyone's prosecution, or any decision not to prosecute for that matter. The outcome of any such prosecution is irrelevant in a criminal sense. If Siegleman were to file a civil suit against Rove, then his own imprisonment could warrant damages.
My question is, why aren't we hearing more outrage over the fact that Mukasey is continuing to use the AG office as the President's personal legal defence force? (as evidenced by his telling stance that Gitmo detainees should only get a second-tier version of habeus). More Siegelman's are in our future no matter who wins the White House unless this ship is righted.
I mean aside from our corrupt corporate media.
1Watt @ 10:
Oh, yeh, Mukasey's ready to jump on *that* one! Ha, ha! That's a funny story!
My question is, why aren’t we hearing more outrage over the fact that Mukasey is continuing to use the AG office as the President’s personal legal defence force?
Because:
1] The Republicans are still deeply in control.
2] The Democrats are enablers.
3] The Media doesn't give a shit.
4] The Public feels helpless.
that samseder link is useless...
i keep trying to post a better one, but am blocked from doing so, for some reason...
go to samsedershow(dot)com for a better link, scroll down a bit
Thanks Walrus. I was hoping there was something new.......even though I know better ;-)
i've come across some information about the actual trial transcript -- it took over a year, i believe, before it was finally transcribed. i haven't seen it but the circumstances surrounding its production (including the untimely but apparently not unexpected death of the court reporter who made the original record) indicate that its reliability may not be all that might be desired. mark crispin miller's blog has some info on it, as do others.
Jon Perr,
Did Pelosi take questions? If so, what did she have to say about her support of the FISA bill? That infamous bit of legislation virtually assured that the truth regarding the extent of the administartion's lawbreaking will never be revealed.
arrest him......there is a strong case here.
When I was living in Alabama I took Karate lessons from Saiko Shihan Oyama.
One day, who should walk through the door but Don Siegelman. Apparently he's trained, off an on, with Sensei Oyama for years.
And I gotta say, if you want a man who can fight, he's a man who can (and will) fight.
Sorry Donny boy but if America isn't going to get justice neither are you. America just isn't the place it used to be.
This self-serving talk about Rovian involvement may be as trumped-up as the charges upon which Siegelman was convicted. While it is true that the former governor was sentenced and convicted based on a weak case, perhaps one has to be an Alabama resident to understand how difficult it is to believe that there's not some iota of truth in it.
Siegleman was an ineffective, spineless governor, whose administration was ripe with corruption, collusion, and indebtedness to the old boy network of the Alabama Democratic party which got him elected. And I speak this as someone who voted for the man not once, but twice.
I understand how the National Democratic party wants to jump at the chance to nail Karl Rove, but this isn't the way to go about it.
I have a dream...
it consists of Karl Rove being led out of fox news in handcuffs by the feds, the door being held by a new chairperson of the FCC on their way in to let fox know that they're being restructured for propagandist behavior unfit of a "news" organization and all fox stations would be forced to broadcast their local pbs affiliates or be closed for good.
“Congress is the only hope. It’s the only place people can turn to give them the truth. They deserve to know what happened.”
Well then, I guess we won't see Karl Rove brought up on charges. Congress will applaud when he receives the Medal of Freedom from the President and then hand out milk and cookies.
I think all of us are weary at learning about the hundreds of corrupt, destructive, and illegal actions of people in the Bush administration -- this is yet another one. I will cheer when just ONE of them is brought to justice and will dance in the streets when they all receive what they deserve.
Ron @ 13:
It's quite common for both prosecution and defense attorneys to rehearse testimony with their witnesses.
What I'm finding is many people in the 'sphere are long on accusations/conspiracies and short on facts when it comes to the Siegelman case.
It would be unethical (and possibly even criminal) for Rove to have meddled in the Justice Department to prioritize cases against political opponents. At the same time, this having taken place wouldn't forgive illegal activity on the part of Siegelman.
Lastly, presuming Siegelman is innocent, where is the outcry in support of former HealthSouth CEO Richard Scrushy? He's still stuck in jail, pending his appeal. Since it takes at least two to tango in a bribery/corruption case, the guy who went down with Siegelman would be innocent, too.
ALL ROADS lead to 911. Gore, Pelosi, and the rest of the DC establishment are complicit in the greatest cover up and criminal actions taken against the people of Iraq, Afghanistan, and certainly the victims of the twin towers "bombing" and so-called attack on the Pentagon. This simply cannot be IGNORED and Gore, Pelosi and the rest are liars! Now the corporate whore and puppet Obama wants to escalate the murdering and occuaption of Afghanistan while continuing to undermine the rights and Constitution of the US.
PEOPLE WAKE UP BEFORE ITS TOO LATE!
The Rule of Law is under withering assault by both the Republic and Democratic parties as co-equal partners, i.e., The Establishment. Don't think that Democrats care about anything more than their sadomasochistic game of being Republican bitches. They love it and can't get enough of it.
You can always tell when you are reading on of the standard rainbow colored stories of "bipartisan" "efforts": they mention Specter and/or Conyers and come next week you won't be hearing anything more about it.
"Congress is the only hope."
Well that's that.We're all boned.
it's not even executive privilege....it's bush saying all my
people are immune from being asked anything under oath
http://bravenewfilms.org/blog/46118-meet-the-bloggers-marcy-wheeler-shre...
Last week, Rep. John Conyers’ House Judiciary Committee rejected Karl Rove’s assertion of executive privilege by a 7-1 vote.
So, when will they send the Sergeant at Arms (or whoever) out to pick Rove up
and bring him in to testify before said committee????
And when will the House take appropriate action on Kucinich's Articles of
Impeachment??
If, as Siegelman says, "Congress is our only hope......." to restore justice, etc.
then I'm afraid our goose is cooked.
The Road to Hell is paved by Karl Rove.
9 katy Says: Your comment is awaiting moderation.
well, thanks for that... way late... and for posting all my attempts at posting...
instead of letting me know right away so i didn't look like a pest.
thanks.
[I'm sorry. Something went a bit haywire and 5 of your posts got snagged in the spam filter. I posted the first one that pointed to a different link (which was fine for you to do) and deleted the rest. If one was in moderation for some reason (and that's been a bit silly acting too) I probably deleted it with the 4 dupes. And that was unintentional. You should be ok to post-Sitemonitor]
anney @ 31 sez':
I think all of us are weary at learning about the hundreds of corrupt, destructive, and illegal actions of people in the Bush administration — this is yet another one. I will cheer when just ONE of them is brought to justice and will dance in the streets when they all receive what they deserve.
One was, L. Scooter Libbey, but he was pardoned! That's being brought to justice but not getting what he deserved. What-you thought you could have it all? This is the Bush Administration; no one guilty here is going to be punished. That requires "oversight" something the Congress is short of!
All roads lead to Rove??? Fine, then jail his fat ass..... Put him on a goddamned chain gang, no bail, no club fed with the black and white T.V's no out on his own recognicence, no nothing but the hard side of the justice system. You know, the one usually reserved for blacks and other poor smucks, usually from the south. Don't worry about the inequities, there'll be plenty of white trailor trash honkies to keep him company besides all the dirt poor minorities.... Just throw his ass in a fucking cage or hole and leave him there till his trial. Then throw his ass back into that hole after conviction letting him out only to work the chain gang...for the rest of his miserable life.. There, how's that work for everyone??? Works damned well for me............. JD
Actually in all seriousness,an indictment of Rove is not outside the realm of possibility: certainly in light of Siegelman's passionate engagement.I don't need to stress how important putting Rove behind bars would be.Just the threat of certain imprisonment would compel that rat bastard to spill the beans on the Bush Cartel,and oh what precious "beans" those would be.
Bush and Cheney are untouchable, but Rove will burn for his (and his bosses') crimes.
Just what do attorneys do to earn 2.5 million dollars, before setting a foot in the court room?
If there's a lawyer out there, please let me know what lawyers do to honestly earn those types of fees (2,500,000)?
The experiment is over. Democracy is dead. It was wounded in 2000. It died in 2004. And Nancy Pelosi buried it in 2006 when she said that impeachment was off the table.
sendrovetojail.com i'd rather see cheney behind bars but i would have some satisfaction with rove in jail
listen to what scott mcClellen says about rove
http://bravenewfilms.org/blog/46054-send-karl-rove-to-jail
Poopsie @ 44:
It probably be hard to do in private practice short of a group liability claim.
But a corporate lawyers often has corporate clients, and are themselves partners (shareholders) in the entire law firm.
To follow up, many lawyers never enter a courtroom, because they're investigators or reader/writers of contracts and other such unglamorous duties.
Kevin @ 38:
"Greased" would be more like it.
Poopsie @ 44:
They sure as hell don't hit a baseball over a fence 50 times a year.
Poopsie @ 44:
The only lawyers who get fees like this do so because they move in the right circles. These lawyers know the judges, the prosecutors, the appeals court judges - and the politicians and big shots who have influence over them. $2.5 Million before trial isn't for a lawyer's legal expertise or advice, it's a bribe in order to get your attorney to use any and all of their unofficial connections to help you.
Karike @ 45:
Nancy Pelosi has been like the silent mom who let the pervert dad (Bush) molest the kids (us).
...and where is the spineless enemy of the people?? Hiding like a simpering little pudgy bully in the schoolyard. Karl Rove has become a national "joke". His twisted mind is only superseded by his cowardice and spinelessness. What an amorphous amoeba!
Gregg @ 52:
Nancy Pelosi will be removed from office by the voters of California. She's been an abysmal failure and liar. She has so many skeletons from employing illegals in her vineyards to her slimy husband's shady real estate deals so she's been totally corrupted by her own actions. She definitely needs to go....
AS DO ALL BUSH-WIPING DEMOCRATS and you know who you are - traitors to the people; traitors to this democracy; aiders and abettors to the crime cabal currently running this country into the ground.
Rove can come at you, or...if it might bring unwanted attention to his candidate and party, he knows to stay silent, too.....
How did Americans elect a governor of it’s most populous state, and two presidents, without the press questioning any of the candidates aggressively about the Nazi links of their family patriarchs?
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2008/7/20/191832/300/898/554378
….and no…I’m not referring to Arnold….the press did delve into his family’s ties to Nazis, and reported frequently about what they found.
Why is there no warrant for Rove's arrest?
All the Obama White House has to do is ask the newly appointed Attorney General to name a Special Prosecutor to investigate charges that Don Sieglemen's prosecution was politically motivated. Based on the fact that Sieglemen is no longer in prision, there is certainly ample legal justification for doing so. At that point, Rove, Gonzales and a host of others would receive grand jury subpoenas and we're off to the races and we'll just see how deep the rabbit hole goes.
“We’ve got Rove against the ropes. It’s time to deliver the knockout punch. Bring him in and put him in a chair.”
The electric chair?
If the public is so helpless and the Dems are protecting the crooks that makes the Dems crooks so none of them are any good how about armed revolution and if we bring back the guillotine can I pull the cord? no really!
Why hasn't anyone done to Rove what he did several times in his early consulting days, question the sexuality of an opponent. The guy has been the master of sleaze and slime. And if he's not a perfect candidate for a "closet case" rumor campaign, nobody is (unless it's Rush Limbaugh).
[Deleted. ALL CAPS not allowed here. Incoherent rambling and abusive-Sitemonitor]
Rove(TURD BLOSSUM) is not wearing an ORANGE jump suit and Legg Irons? This just goes to show how badly we need to replace Pelosi, and Reid, and others in the Democratic party, time to start rebuilding the Democratic party with, Democratic people that believe in the Constitution, and Bill of Rights.
What a great post Gregg (52) and I agree.
The rule of law isn't just under withering assault by the Bush administration. It's been under just as constant an assault by the democratic congress, and the democratic senate.
peaceful easy feeling @ 9:
Except that they just shopped around to frame a case to frame Siegelman. Their first attempt at this was thrown right out of court. They then coached a witness interminably in order to win their case and the witness later recanted. The judge ALSO instructed the jury to consider the charges THAT WERE THROWN OUT in Siegelman's sentencing, which is clearly ILLEGAL. When the government gets to cook the case, the jury verdict doesn't mean much. Don't know much about this, do you?
Don Siegelman spends all his time blaming Karl Rove for his troubles. He never takes responsibility for his crimes nor does he address the specific charges and the weight of evidence on which he was convicted. Siegelman was represented in open court by the best defense team money can buy. A jury of his peers heard the evidence and unanimously affirmed his guilt. Alabama newspapers meticulously chronicled Siegelman’s extensive trail of corruption throughout his tenure as governor.
http://www.thetruthaboutdon.com/
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