Alabama Democratic Party Calls for Special Prosecutor (on Gov. Siegelman Case)

[Hissyspit]

Source: Alabama Democratic Party Press Release

Alabama Democratic Party
For Immediate Release:
February 25, 2008
Contact: Jim Spearman [phone] Cell: [phone]

Alabama Democratic Party Calls for Special Prosecutor

Dems Say FCC Should Launch Inquiry into Huntsville CBS Blackout

The Alabama Democratic Party today called on the US Justice Dept. and the US House Judiciary Committee to appoint a special prosecutor into the allegations of the political prosecution of former Alabama Gov. Don Siegelman after the facts and interviews were released by CBS Television Network in their 60 Minutes program this past Sunday night.

Executive Director, Jim Spearman says there is too much smoke and too many facts for DOJ and Congress to ignore. "Abuse of the federal prosecutorial system for partisan political gain must be taken very seriously. The accusations by the 52 former state attorneys general, including the former republican AG from Arizona Grant Woods should be taken into account by the US Attorney General", Spearman says. Congress should not delay in taking the next step to call witnesses and to hold those not answering supeanoes in contempt of Congress.

For the Alabama Republican Party to issue its statement yesterday prior to the airing of the 60 Minutes segment trying to discredit CBS even before the program airs shows that indeed republicans may have something to hide. "How can the ALGOP really try to discredit a former republican AG who is now a co-chair of their US Presidential Nominee's campaign effort,"Spearman notes.

Also today, Alabama Democratic Chairman Joe Turnham says he will send a letter to the Federal Communications Commission asking for a formal inquiry into the CBS Huntsville affiliate black out of the the Siegelman airing. It has come to the attention of many Democrats in North Alabama that the principal owners of WHNT are Bush Pioneers and major republican donors. Many suspect that enormous pressure was put on CBS to not air the Siegelman story. If CBS received political pressure to stifle the first amendment rights of the network or affiliate, the FCC and Congress should take appropriate oversight into the matter.

Read more: http://www.atlargely.com/2008/02/breaking-alabam.html

[samplegirl]

1. To bad B***H

owns the justice system.

[Hissyspit]

2. Please DIGG Larisa's original post here:

http://digg.com/politics/Alabama_Dem_Party_Calls_For_Siegelman_Special_Prosecutor

[HowHasItComeToThis]

3. ONLY PERSON THAT SHOULD BE LOCKED UP IS ROVE

[sce56]

6. I would like to see this on locked up also!

[caligirl]

4. early this morning I called the FCC political off, a Mark called back : NO laws were broken by WHNT

So while everyone is burning up the old keyboard with justifiable outrage, the guy asking for the investigation by the FCC looks sort of good and sort of stupid. The FCC Political Office says the station did not break any laws. There was no court order forcing them to air the segment.

WHNT just look stupid and poorly run. Not criminal. Now as for the ALGOP I would say criminal applies, stupid too. Investigate the hell out of the ALGOP members.

[Debau2005]

13. This is from the Huntsville, Al news this morning

http://www.al.com/news/huntsvilletimes/index.ssf?/base/news/1204020935283080.xml&coll=1&thispage=1

"Among those are the leadership of the Alabama Democratic Party, which is asking the Federal Communications Commission to seek a formal inquiry into the situation.

"It has come to the attention of many Democrats in north Alabama and that the principal owners of WHNT are Bush Pioneers (people who have raised $100,000 or more for the President's election campaigns) and major Republican donors," wrote Alabama Democratic Party Executive Director Jim Spearman in a Monday press release."

[midnight]

5. Keep the pressure on this case up......

[Doctor_J]

7. Since the DOJ commited the crime, and the DOJ would have to appoint the SP,

I'd say this one's a long shot :eyes:

[DianaForRussFeingold]

8. K&R MSNBC-- Dan Abrams is reporting on it NOW!

Hissyspit, :patriot: sometimes,I have computer trouble when I post. I hope you or L. Coyote, post the video when it's on youtube :loveya: I always appreciate your posts and K&R them!
Alabama Gov. Don Siegelman and family-

I would love to see this man exonerated!

"The permanent Republican majority:
Part one of a Raw Story Investigates series on the architects and the execution of backroom Republican politics' "For most Americans, the very concept of political prisoners is remote and exotic, a practice that is associated with third-world dictatorships but is foreign to the American tradition. The idea that a prominent politician -- a former state governor -- could be tried on charges that many observers consider to be trumped-up, convicted in a trial that involved numerous questionable procedures, and then hauled off to prison in shackles immediately upon sentencing would be almost unbelievable."

"But there is such a politician: Don Siegelman, Democratic governor of Alabama from 1999 to 2003. Starting just a few weeks after he took office, Siegelman was targeted by an investigation launched by his political opponents and escalated from the state to the federal level by Bush Administration appointees in 2001."


http://rawstory.com/news/2007/The_Permanent_Republican_Majority_1125.html

[AmandaRuth]

9. Ignorant question, but who specifically makes the call at the US Justice Dept?

Are these decisions made by a committee? Do I just start emailing Mukasey? Is there any sort of transparency or public input in the process?

[mac2]

10. There's hope

I called Obama's office and demanded a hearing. Republicans are using their office to destroy their political opponents. It is abuse of power just like the Attorney Generals.

I told his office that Democrats should be worried since it could happen to them (and has).

Impeach Bush.

[DirtyDawg]

11. Check TIVO...

...did anyone else have a problem TIVOing the broadcast? For some reason - coincidence? - mine wouldn't record. Odd and the only time I can recall it happening.

[Kaleko]

12. K & R

[flashl]

14. K&R n/t

[Supersedeas]

15. Muck Muck Mukasey will get right on that.

[Acadia Blue]

16. How could the Dems vote yes for Mukasey? It was so obvious that

he was just another yes man. When he did not say waterboarding was torture, any idiot would have realized that Mukasey is just another Gonzales, a bush butt licker.

[indypaul]

17. Has anyone in Congress ever heard of

CONGRESSIONAL OVERSIGHT"? If ever it was needed
it certainly appears necessary here. The quicker
the better.