Siegelman moved from Atlanta pen in wee hours this a.m.

[trof]

Just heard on the radio. No link yet.
He was moved from Atlanta at 2 a.m. this morning TO AN UNDISCLOSED LOCATION.

Federal prison officials won't say where until he arrives at his new jail.
5 will get you 10 that it's as far away from friends and family in Alabama as they can put him.
Hope it's not Gitmo.
Bastards.

[Syrinx]

1. there is something wrong in a world...

Where Siegelman is in prison, yet Bush, Cheney, Rove roam free.

The rumor is that the former governor was taken to a prison in Texas. We shall see.

[southlandshari]

2. ....

No matter how bad the crimes of Bush, Cheney, Rove and others in this abysmal administration may be, we do ourselves a disservice to defend crooks like Siegelman with the argument that their criminals are worse than ours. Surely we are above that.

I see that some in the national media who haven't given a rat's ass about the case against Siegelman and Scrushy the past several years are all of a sudden waxing poetic about the horrible injustice done to poor Don at the hands of the evil Republican regime. Well, fuck that. The Republican regime is the same one we've endured the past six years. Siegelman has been up to his eyeballs in legal trouble for years without a peep from a single enterprising reporter on the national scene. Until now.

What about Siegelman's indictment in 2004 for conspiring to rig bids on state medicaid contracts that was thrown out by a federal judge? A federal judge serving under the same Bush administration in office at the time. Where was the media then? Covering the once popular war, that's where. Opportunistic bastards. They smell blood in the water in Washington, DC, and the news from Alabama is nothing more than convenient fodder for people who never have and never will respect our state and those who care about it. I suggest we do not play right into their hands on this one.

Siegelman is guilty of far more than his conviction illustrates. And this Alabama liberal is happy with the verdict. Our state government has for far too long been dominated by self-serving politicos that differ little - if at all - regardless of political party. Siegelman was no shining star for Alabama during his time in office. I'm not telling you anything you don't already know.

Of all the issues at hand, the lottery business runs far deeper than the mainstream media is prepared to report, and there are many more conservative darlings caught up in it than have made the headlines. Think Abramoff and DeLay. And let go of Siegelman. Just because he has a "D" beside his name doesn't mean he is an ally of true progressives in our state. He's not.

Two pennies, if that.

[Syrinx]

5. I Still Say Siegelman Got Screwed

They stole the election from him in 2002. I'm sure you recall how those extra Riley votes were "found" during the wee hours in Baldwin County. Just like they stole Al Gore's election, and John Kerry's election, they stole Don Siegelman's. And then when it was clear that Siegelman was the greatest political threat to Riley's "re-election" bid, Karl Rove's "girls" were told to "take care of him." That is in a sworn affidavit from a life-long Republican.

This is how the Bush Justice Department is being used -- not to serve the Republic, but rather to subvert that Republic's democracy.

If I understand the case, and I didn't follow it especially closely, Don Siegelman was accused, and was convicted, of selling Richard Scrushy a seat on the state hospital board in exchange for a donation to Siegelman's lottery campaign.

While I think it is inappropriate for the founder and CEO of a major health care company to be on a board that regulates hospitals, I don't find it shocking in the least. (EDIT: To add, Scrushy had previously served on that board under three previous governors. I guess one would be Siegelman.)

I do agree, strongly, that this kind of back-scratching between the government and big business needs to be stopped, but it's pretty much business as usual at the moment. This is the single biggest problem that we face on the national level. We also face it at the state level, but that can't be stopped until we fix the unholy mess in Washington.

And, besides, I'll bet a Moon-Pie that we could find Riley appointees that gave money to his campaign too.

:)

What was the fund that Scrushy donated to? It was a campaign fund to bring a lottery to Alabama that would provide free college educations to all qualified Alabama students. That sounds pretty progressive to me, though personally I would start with fundamental tax reform in the state.

When Guy Hunt, Republican dumb-ass, was convicted of pocketing campaign funds, he was sentenced to probation. I don't think the government even requested prison time.

When Don Siegelman was convicted of supposedly taking a bribe to help send poor kids to college, the Bush Justice Department asked for THIRTY FUCKING YEARS.

This was a nakedly political prosecution. I think Siegelman is a decent man. Certainly, he should never have been dragged off, in leg-irons, to a federal penitentiary full of murderers and rapists.

Don may be a little shady, but he certainly doesn't deserve to be in prison. Don't you have to be a little shady to be a successful politician in this country.

That's what happens when your federal government is run by deranged murderers and rapists.

[southlandshari]

3. P.S.

Lest anyone forget Don Siegelman's nasty and sexist comments about fellow Democrat Lucy Baxley during the last election season....

-------------------------------------------------------------

http://tuscaloosanews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20051005/NEWS/510050350/1007

'Siegelman said the polls show that Alabama voters "don't want a woman controlling the National Guard" and other functions of state government.'

-------------------------------------------------------------

Don't believe the hype the national media is now trying to peddle at our expense here in Alabama.

Please.

[Frances]

4. What do you feel about Bush commuting

Libby's sentence?

I don't know much about the Siegelman case because I no longer live in Alabama, but from a distance the case "smells" really bad because of the bias of the prosecuting attorneys.

My hometown paper (which I still get) thinks the sentence was unfair.

[southlandshari]

6. Absolutly disgusted about the Libby affair

Bush commuting Libby's sentence was far more than "politics as usual" IMHO, and was a huge and arrogant slap in the face to any and all Americans - regardless of political affiliation - who care about a legal system that is blind to everything but equal justice for all.

That legal system found Libby guilty. The same legal system that had every right to convict Scrushy and Seigelman on evidence that had accumulated over years and years. Everyone should remember that the case against Siegelman didn't just spring up overnight. This has been going on for years. I believe Siegelman was guilty. Is Siegelman better or worse than Bush or Libby? What do Siegelman's crimes have to do with Bush's?

A more interesting and germane question is does it really matter? I say no. This isn't a child's game of comparing whose bad guys are more...bad...than the others. Any political leader who chooses personal gain over the best interests of his or her constituents - and who breaks the law to further his or her personal gain deserves to be prosecuted and convicted and punished.

Anyone who chooses political affiliation over what is good for all people is short-sighted. Period.

My two pennies, FWTW.

[trof]

7. The shoes continue to drop:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x2919012

[southlandshari]

8. Trof...

I've always liked and respected you very much. I also respect the political views of our fellow Alabama liberal Syrinx very much. I hope that we can disagree agreeably on this one.

Because this reeks of Rovian bait to me. And defending Siegelman is a dangerous line to bite, IMHO.

I think we should take care not to get hooked here.

[Frances]

9. Investigating a case where prosecutors

could have been corrupt is important whether the person being prosecuted is innocent or guilty.

In other words, even if Siegelman is guilty, that doesn't let the prosecutors off the hook if they were not on the up and up.

Also, there is the matter of sentencing. Why the discrepancy with Siegelman's sentence and the former governor's?

By the way, I remember when my representative's motto was "Everything's made for love." At least he wasn't a hypocrite.

Does anyone else remember this Mobile area Congressman from the 50s? By the way, I googled "Everything's made for love" and found this link with a fascinating story about the congressman.

http://www.al.com/news/mobileregister/index.ssf?/specialreport/mobileregister/boykin_18.html

Edited to add link

[trof]

10. Sure, we can agree to disagree.

And I appreciate your respect.
It's clear you don't like Siegelman and I'm sure you have your reasons.
But I still think this was a political hit job.

[southlandshari]

17. you and I agree more than it might seem

I do agree that this was a political hit job.

However, it was a hit job on someone who had already proven himself crooked without any outside help.

I believe that those in the current administration who "helped" the case against Siegelman are banking on Democrats' outrage. And if we stumble into that trap, there is plenty of real evidence against Siegelman to paint us all with in the end. It is the perfect setup.

Color me cynical, but that's the way I see it. I will NOT defend Siegelman just because Rove wants me to.

:(

[KelleyKramer]

11. Well, now we know what happened..

He was moved from Atlanta and processed at a facility in the state of Michigan.

Then he was transported and processed in the state of New York.

Then he was transported from New York to the state of Oklahoma.

Then after processing in Oklahoma he was transported to the state of Louisiana.

There was word that he was about to be taken from Louisiana to Texarkana Texas.. but thats not confirmed...

That was a couple days ago ... hell, judging from what has already happened ...

There is no limit to what they will do.

[Frances]

12. Are you serious?

nt

[Syrinx]

13. I can't speak for Kelley...

But what he posted was true.

Hi, Frances! :hi:

[KelleyKramer]

15. Hey Syrinx!!

Long time no talk.

Hope you and yours are doing well.

:hi:

:toast:

[Syrinx]

16. Thanks. And back at you!

Let's make Alabama blue! :D

:hi:

[Syrinx]

14. Justice delays document request in Siegelman case

WASHINGTON -- The Justice Department said it is still working on a congressional request for documents related to the prosecution of former Alabama Gov. Don Siegelman.

Democrats on the House Judiciary Committee asked the agency for the documents last week, saying the panel plans to review the case and others for evidence that the prosecutions were politically motivated. The committee asked for the documents to be turned over by Friday.

A Justice Department spokeswoman said the U.S. Attorneys offices that handled the case were still processing the request. She declined to say when they might be finished.

A spokesman for the committee said the panel also did not know when it might get the documents.

http://blog.al.com/breaking/2007/07/justice_delays_document_reques.html

[Syrinx]

18. interview

The first half hour of this program contains an interview of a reporter from Harper's about the Siegelman case, Karl Rove and Alberto Gonzales.

http://qnn.whiterosesociety.org/content/abot/America-Back-On-Track-30-07-2007.mp3

Also, on the front page of Harper's website, we have the following:

In the next few days we’ll be running a major new story breaking some significant new ground in the Siegelman case.