Siegelman: All Roads Lead To Rove
lc
By: Christy Hardin Smith Monday April 7, 2008
What do you get with a decision to charge and convict a sitting
Democratic governor in Alabama when you add in a dash of "the math,"
with a hefty dollop of "ends justifies whatever means necessary?"
What if you spice it up with a nervous USAtty who is willing to do
whatever is necessary to avoid answering questions under oath? If you
add in a witness that was never interviewed by investigators who could
have corroborated Siegelman's defense? (See 60 Minutes' additional
interview entitled "Harris Testimony Overlooked.")
What if you add in a hefty helping of additional current political
intrigue in the form of federal subpoenas and heat directed at
Democratic members of the Alabama legislature -- brought by the same
USAtty who pushed the Siegelman prosecution?
For that matter, you have Rove refusing to answer questions under oath
before the Judiciary Committee. But Rove did say to 60 Minutes that he
"never talked to the Department of Justice about Siegelman. I never
talked to anyone at the White House about Siegelman."
Now, because this is Karl we're talking about, I'm just not content to
let that stand as definitive, because Mr. Parsing My Words Razor Thin
left some gaping wide holes there that need further questioning:
-- Did you talk with anyone in Alabama? At the USAtty's offices? At
the Alabama Republican party? Among your pals in Alabama GOP politics,
many of whom you worked for early in your political ops career? Among
political operatives -- in Alabama or any other state, through whom
you may have laundered a suggested nugget of wisdom about potential
politically advantageous targets?
-- Did you e-mail anyone at the WH or the DOJ about this? Using either
your RNC blackberry or some other method of IM or e-mail
communication? Any method of communication whatsoever, do share.
-- Did you speak or e-mail or otherwise contact or discuss with anyone
at the RNC about this? Or your KStreet pals? Or anyone tangentially
related to Republican politics that could pass on a message?
-- When you say you never talked with the "Department of Justice,"
what precisely does that mean to you? Because "DOJ" is sort of a catch-
all amorphous designation which allows for a whole lot of slippery
around the edges.
And that's just for starters. I'm just getting warmed up ... and so
are a whole lot of other folks who are questioning the growing
evidence of Rove's role in this mess. Again, via Scott Horton:
...as Rove knows, that issue was covered exhaustively in the
investigator's examination and by several national journalists, not
just CBS.
Juicy little nugget. In this case, all roads appear to lead to Rove.
VIDEO:
60 Minutes: Don Siegelman Speaks
1:35
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ye6303U0kqA&eurl=http://firedoglake.com/2008/04/07/siegelman-all-roads-lead-to-rove/
13:37
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pyh9BYeM43A&feature=related
lc
Prosecution?
http://thinkprogress.org/2008/04/17/rove-testify-siegelman-2/
4/17/08
Today, House Judiciary Committee chairman John Conyers (D-MI), joined
by members Linda Sánchez (D-CA), Artur Davis (D-AL), and Tammy Baldwin
(D-WI), wrote to Karl Rove and requested that he testify before the
committee about the politicization of the Justice Department,
including the prosecution of former Alabama governor Don Siegelman.
From a statement by Conyers:
The Justice Department has simply not been forthcoming and I feel
the only way to move this investigation forward is to seek further
independent investigation and testimony from Karl Rove, who appears to
be the missing link in a chain from the White House to the Justice
Department.
Previously, Rove has fought congressional efforts to force him to
testify. On April 7, however, Rove’s attorney Robert Luskin reportedly
promised that his client would testify on the Siegelman case if
subpoenaed. MSNBC’s Dan Abrams reported:
We asked this question to his attorney: Will Karl Rove agree to
testify if Congress issues a subpoena to him as part of an
investigation into the Siegelman case? The answer we got — “Sure.”
On Apr 8, 6:50 am, lc <lol7...@msn.com> wrote:
> Siegelman: All Roads Lead ToRove
> By: Christy Hardin Smith Monday April 7, 2008
>
> What do you get with a decision to charge and convict a sitting
> Democratic governor in Alabama when you add in a dash of "the math,"
> with a hefty dollop of "ends justifies whatever means necessary?"
>
> What if you spice it up with a nervous USAtty who is willing to do
> whatever is necessary to avoid answering questions under oath? If you
> add in a witness that was never interviewed by investigators who could
> have corroborated Siegelman's defense? (See 60 Minutes' additional
> interview entitled "Harris Testimony Overlooked.")
>
> What if you add in a hefty helping of additional current political
> intrigue in the form of federal subpoenas and heat directed at
> Democratic members of the Alabama legislature -- brought by the same
> USAtty who pushed the Siegelman prosecution?
>
> For that matter, you haveRoverefusing to answer questions under oath
> before the Judiciary Committee. ButRovedid say to 60 Minutes that he
> "never talked to the Department of Justice about Siegelman. I never
> talked to anyone at the White House about Siegelman."
>
> Now, because this is Karl we're talking about, I'm just not content to
> let that stand as definitive, because Mr. Parsing My Words Razor Thin
> left some gaping wide holes there that need further questioning:
>
> -- Did you talk with anyone in Alabama? At the USAtty's offices? At
> the Alabama Republican party? Among your pals in Alabama GOP politics,
> many of whom you worked for early in your political ops career? Among
> political operatives -- in Alabama or any other state, through whom
> you may have laundered a suggested nugget of wisdom about potential
> politically advantageous targets?
>
> -- Did you e-mail anyone at the WH or the DOJ about this? Using either
> your RNC blackberry or some other method of IM or e-mail
> communication? Any method of communication whatsoever, do share.
>
> -- Did you speak or e-mail or otherwise contact or discuss with anyone
> at the RNC about this? Or your KStreet pals? Or anyone tangentially
> related to Republican politics that could pass on a message?
>
> -- When you say you never talked with the "Department of Justice,"
> what precisely does that mean to you? Because "DOJ" is sort of a catch-
> all amorphous designation which allows for a whole lot of slippery
> around the edges.
>
> And that's just for starters. I'm just getting warmed up ... and so
> are a whole lot of other folks who are questioning the growing
> evidence ofRove'srole in this mess. Again, via Scott Horton:
>
> ...asRoveknows, that issue was covered exhaustively in the
> investigator's examination and by several national journalists, not
> just CBS.
>
> Juicy little nugget. In this case, all roads appear to lead toRove.
>
> VIDEO:
> 60 Minutes: Don Siegelman Speaks
> 1:35
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ye6303U0kqA&eurl=http://firedoglake.co...
>
> 13:37
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pyh9BYeM43A&feature=related