NYTimes Op/Ed For Monday Is On Siegelman Case: "Congress Should Compel Rove To Testify"

[Hissyspit]

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/16/opinion/16mon2.html?_r=1&oref=slogin

EDITORIAL
A Case of Politics

Published: June 16, 2008

- snip -

While Congress examines those allegations, Mr. Siegelman is asking the United States Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit, in Atlanta, to reverse his case on the law. Mr. Siegelman was accused of reappointing Richard Scrushy, then the chief executive of HealthSouth, to a health care board in exchange for a contribution to a referendum campaign for a state lottery.

Mr. Siegelman was convicted of bribery and related crimes and sentenced to more than seven years, and served nine months before being freed on appeal.

Laws against bribery must be used carefully. It is not a crime for an elected official to appoint a campaign contributor to a position. If it were, many ambassadors and judges — and the presidents and governors who appointed them — would be in jail. And partisan prosecutors would have far too much power to punish elected officials they did not like. For an appointment to be illegal, there needs to be an express quid pro quo — something the prosecutors did not prove in Mr. Siegelman’s case.

Even the highly partisan Bush Justice Department appears to be losing confidence in its case. It originally appealed Mr. Siegelman’s sentence, hoping to add more than 20 years. It recently withdrew the appeal without explanation.

Congress should compel Mr. Rove to testify. And it should keep investigating this prosecution and what role crass politics may have played. While it does, the 11th Circuit should cast a skeptical eye on this case, based on the law and the facts.

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[babylonsister]

1. Finally this is getting the attention it deserves! Rec'd! nt

[indepat]

2. If the prosecution did not prove the case against Siegelman, then there was something rotten in the

prosecution for bringing the case, the judge for not throwing the case out, and each member of the jury who voted to convict thus making a complete mockery of the criminal justice system and the equal justice under the law doctrine. Welcome to junior's banana republic. :D

[malaise]

3. What is Congress doing?

Why hasn't Rove been arrested yet?

[The Backlash Cometh]

4. Without question. He must come to justice.

[annabanana]

5. wow!. . the NYT!. . . .my my my

And how long did THAT take?

[samsingh]

6. yes

[Hissyspit]

7. .

[Truth2Tell]

8. OK Nancy and John...

Isn't this all the establishment political cover you need to invoke Inherent Contempt?