...here's where these players intersect in the political career of Gov. Siegelman:
The Curious Case of Don Siegelman
Written by Mimi Kennedy | Huffington Post
Friday, 07 September 2012 03:45
Progressive Democrats of America
Don Siegelman should be a star in the Democratic Party. Instead, he's a former elected official sentenced to prison by a right-wing judge in Alabama.
Siegelman had the temerity to be a popular Alabama Democrat who'd won every statewide office by 1998, when he first became governor.
With Jewish and Catholic roots, and empathic appeal to minorities, he threatened the GOP "southern strategy" for a dominant one-party Republican nation. To the GOP, Siegelman was potentially Another Clinton -- as repellent to them as Another Cuba.
U.S. Attorney Leura Canary, a friend of Karl Rove's, incited Siegelman's prosecution for bribery, destroying his political career and hurting his family. Read this letter signed by 113 former attorneys general and other national leaders, both Democrat and Republican. They assert that the prosecuted "bribe" wasn't one, and that, if this conviction stands, it threatens every public official and contributor at every level of government. Such routine transactions, if prosecuted, would choke our courts.
The "bribe"? Don Siegelman wanted to create a state lottery that would provide funds for Alabama youth to attend state college for free. Richard Scrushy, CEO of HealthSouth, donated $500,000 for a campaign to convince Alabamans this was a good idea. The lottery referendum went on the ballot. The half-million didn't benefit Siegelman's gubernatorial campaign or him personally -- unlike, say, the billions being poured into the current presidential race via the super PACS and individuals like Sheldon Adelson.
The referendum lost. It was opposed with money pouring in from nearby Mississippi, where Indian casinos, represented by Jack Abramoff, were threatened by the idea of Alabamans spending gambling money at home, for education.
Siegelman's first indictment from federal prosecutors came in 2004. Already, in 2002, rumors of alleged "crimes" had circulated during Siegelman's campaign for re-election as governor. But he almost won anyway; he went to bed as the announced winner on election night. The next day, Bob Riley announced that he had won. A sudden redistribution of gubernatorial votes in Baldwin County had reduced Governor Siegelman's totals by 3000, giving the win to Riley. No other Baldwin County results shifted during this odd event. Republican Attorney General Bill Pryor denied a recount of the paper ballots.
The 2002 indictment was thrown out immediately. Federal Judge U.W. Clemon called the case "unfounded" and dismissed it with prejudice. In 2006, Don Siegelman sought to regain his stolen governorship -- and was indicted again. This time the prosecution was brought by U.S. Attorney Leura Canary. Leura's husband Bill Canary was running Bob Riley's re-election campaign.
CONTINUED...
http://www.pdamerica.org/news/item/723-the-curious-case-of-don-siegelman
These are the friends of Scarborough, the living mindset of the Old South, who think they are entitled to lord it over the rest of us.
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