Siegelman Speaks!

[marmar]

from AlterNet's PEEK:



Siegelman Speaks!

Posted by Eli , Firedoglake at 7:49 AM on March 29, 2008.

Siegelman on Rove: "His fingerprints are all over this case



Don Siegelman is a free man! Pending appeal, anyway. And that YouTube is just the tip of the iceberg - NYT has more:

In a telephone interview shortly after he walked out of a federal prison in Oakdale, La., Mr. Siegelman said there had been "abuse of power" in his case, and repeatedly cited the influence of Karl Rove, the former White House political director.

"His fingerprints are smeared all over the case," Mr. Siegelman said, a day after a federal appeals court ordered him released on bond and said there were legitimate questions about his case.

(...)

The former governor, a Democrat, said he would "press" to have Mr. Rove answer questions about his possible involvement in the case before Congress, which has already held a hearing on Mr. Siegelman. On Thursday, the House Judiciary Committee signaled its intention to have Mr. Siegelman testify about the nature of his prosecution.

How many lives does Karl Rove have left? He wriggled free of prosecution for outing Valerie Plame, and the clock's running out on the US Attorney firings/coverup investigation - could this be the one that finally brings him down?

Also, as Scott Horton points out, there's complicity and stonewalling all over the Obstruction Of Justice Department, including Chuck's BFF Mukasey:

Committee investigators express concern about the Justice Department's continuous obstruction of efforts to investigate political influence in the Siegelman case and a group of others in which prosecutors have adopted unprecedented theories in an effort to take down prominent Democrats. In the Siegelman case, Justice Department officials have refused to provide evidence under oath, claiming privilege, they have answered written queries with misleading and openly false statements, and they have refused to turn over documents requested by the Committee. Attorney General Mukasey has been repeatedly asked by members of both the House and the Senate Judiciary Committee to examine the extraordinary evidence of misconduct by the U.S. Attorney's offices in Montgomery and Birmingham, and he has declined to do so....

Congressional investigations are not just about the satisfaction of taking Republican scalps. They are about demonstrating that the laws of this country still matter, and that there are consequences for breaking them. As long as the Republicans are allowed to operate in a culture of impunity, to use the law as both sword and shield, American democracy is in jeopardy.

Which is why it's so vitally important that the investigations keep going, past "exposure" and all the way to "prosecution" (preferably by Fitz). When our next president is sworn in, the Democrats must not simply breathe a sigh of relief and declare that "our long national nightmare is over" - they must finish.



http://www.alternet.org/blogs/peek/80644/

[asdjrocky]

1. I don't see a case here for

executive privilege. None of this had anything to do with the oval office, so I say it's time for this asshat to testify. Can't wait for that.

[OffWithTheirHeads]

12. Why bother? I'm sure he will come down with that disease

that seems to only affect repukes under oath, CRS.
Can't remember shit.

[Octafish]

2. Scary time in America when the Department of Justice obstructs Justice.

Mukasey.
Gonzalez.
Ashcroft.

All worked for Rove.

What they're obstructing:

Rove works for Bush.

[elleng]

16. Bush works for cheney, rumsfield, wolfo, kristol, etc.,

PNAC.

[mdmc]

3. The GOP sure knows how to wield power

They know the dems will never impeach. And they got the power to pardon.

[marmar]

4. "They know the dems will never impeach. And they got the power to pardon."

Yup. Such is the situation we find ourselves in. The United States is ruled by an organized crime syndicate.

[mdmc]

6. yes. and on our side of the isle we have a bunch of chuckleheads

that enjoyed the music of Public Enemy and NWA and then are shocked by fiery rhetoric coming from a black pastor.

[midnight]

15. I'm not sure what the music of Pulic Enemy is or NWA but you

have me on board with "then are shocked by fiery rhetoric coming from a black pastor." Yep, they are chuckelheads.

[Frustratedlady]

5. What had been or was about to be exposed at the time Rove left the WH?

One thing we know for sure, it wasn't to spend more time with his family. It was either to give him a low profile (which he hasn't maintained), work on the 2008 election tricks, work on the Bush library or distance himself from his boss. Oh, I forgot all of the above. Was it about the same time Siegelman was on trial?

As for the Plame hearing, we know his conscience was bothering him, as he lost so much weight.

[riderinthestorm]

7. My theory is that Rove left so abruptly to go on the speaking tour for $$

as much money as he could accumulate before he was indicted and his speaking fees dried up.

He has to work fast right now to build up some savings before the hammer falls because once an indictment actually comes to pass, he loses that very lucrative avenue.

I believe him when he says he expects to be indicted before the end of this year. I think he knows that several investigations would lead to him and that he better get his ass out of the relatively low paying WH gig, and into some profitable stuff asap.

[Frustratedlady]

9. He actually said that? For real?

I've got to learn to keep the faith, but it sure is hard when you're dealing with the party which invented Teflon.

[riderinthestorm]

10. Oh yeah, there's got to be someone who can link it

I'm out of time to be online but yeah, Rove said it.

And don't bet the farm that his indictment(s?) go anywhere. Rove will be the first to be pardoned. Teflon is like that. Once he's indicted though he'll lose his lucrative speaking gigs (except to the hard core party faithful) and I would bet he loses his jobs editorializing at various news outlets which means he'll just have to live off being a political "consultant". So yup, I believe he's ramping up the big bucks now while he can imho.

[Frustratedlady]

11. But...but...but, he just bought that pricey house in Florida.

I'm sure someone will come along and help him if he gets in trouble, financially.

Or, he can always live underground like all the other snakes.

Thanks!

[DeepModem Mom]

8. K&R

[Judi Lynn]

13. Thank you, marmar, for the news. So good he's out. K & R. n/t

[L. Coyote]

14. ***** Welcome Home Gov. Don Siegelman ***** Official SHOUT OUT Support Thread *****

***** Welcome Home Gov. Don Siegelman ***** Official SHOUT OUT Support Thread *****
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x3078585