The Sad, Twisted Saga of Don Siegelman

[red dog 1]

Before It's News
April 18, 2013
By Tom Degan


In the opening piece of the February 24th edition of CBS's "60 Minutes", Scott Pelly asked the musical question,
"Is Don Siegelman in prison because he's a criminal or because he belonged to the wrong political party in Alabama?"

Kudos to Thom Hartmann.
Were it not for him, I wouldn't even know the tragic and outrageous story of Don Siegelman.
Siegelman was the somewhat moderate former governor of the state of Alabama who is now rotting away in a federal prison in Louisiana.
His crime? Accepting a five-hundred thousand dollar contribution from a businessman named Richard Scrushy for a fund that benefited secondary education in that state.
Scrushy was then reappointed to sit on a state Hospital Board of Directors, a position he has held under three previous governors.
This is the "bribery" deal that sent Siegelman to the federal pen.

In a Republican state like Alabama, Governor Siegelman was a grand embarrassment for the Grand Old Party.
The son-of-a-bitch just wouldn't go away.
The Justice Department of Karl Rove decided to take matters into it's own hands.
If the voters of that state refused to send the governor into obscurity, the Bush mob would do it for them.
They managed to convince a jury of twelve Alabamans of average intelligence, (average for Alabama, that is) that Don Siegelman was guilty of a crime.
He is now four months into a seven year sentence.

Read more:
http://www.beforeitsnews.com/opinion-liberal/2013/04/the-sad-twisted-saga-of-don-siegelman-2459100.html/

To sign his daughter's petition to President Obama to pardon him, plus more info:
http://www.donsiegelman.org/

Video:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/101788445/

[Tuesday Afternoon]

1. DU Rec

[winterpark]

35. I know most don't think much of Dan Abrams, but he was covering this from the start

way back when he was on MSNBC and no one picked up the ball when he left.

[chervilant]

2. It's astonishing,

the lack of attention this travesty of justice has gotten.

[gateley]

3. Agree!

[valerief]

34. Ignored like the Bush war crimes or antiwar protests. nt

[lsewpershad]

46. Ignored NO

In essence he pardoned these "criminals" by refusing to prosecute for war crimes.

[99th_Monkey]

4. Yet another gross injustice, that Obama COULD correct, but isn't

√ NOT pardoning Don Siegelman <-- On Obama's daily "Not-to-do List"

WTF does Obama have to lose at this point? Let me think... hmm.

Oh wait, that's right. The '12 election was about getting Obama
elected to a 2nd term to do the bidding of corporate America, not
represent the people, or to strengthen democracy, or to get real
justice done through the US court system.

[Bozvotros]

8. This omission by Obama says more to me than almost anything else he does.

He never speaks of it. Never thinks of it apparently. But by golly he can give a great speech about how we're all in this together. Everyone except Don Siegelman apparently. He can go pound sand. I don't get it......

Or maybe I do.

[xtraxritical]

39. It's common practice for Presidents and Governors to make their

pardons at the very end of their terms in office. You know Republicans, Freepers, Tbaggers NEVER criticize their party and concentrate all their efforts on getting their people elected to control the branches of government. If we did less "politically correct" moaning and just concentrated on getting real Democrats elected you would have a lot less to moan about, DINOs.

[Capn Sunshine]

42. ^^^ THIS

but there's a lot of purists here who don't understand (or refuse to accept) how to accomplish things in DC.

[xtraxritical]

48. In my opinion this site is mostly occupied by youngsters with little

experience and lot's of opinions that they think are politically correct and or cool. I appreciate greatly your reply. I'm getting flamed on another thread about a Paul Krugman article for stating the obvious. I've been a straight ticket Democrat since 1972.

[UnrepentantLiberal]

12. Obama has no problem with this.

[Sam1]

45. Then why hasn't he done it. After all he has no Republican filibuster excuse.

[UnrepentantLiberal]

47. No, I meant Obama has no problem with Siegelman being in prison.

[Canuckistanian]

17. I honestly thought this would be Obama's first official act

Either pardoning Siegelman or requesting an investigation.

Or if not Obama, then his choice of AG would make the move.

What IS Eric Holder's position on this anyways?

[MotherPetrie]

19. Another example of Obama's huge double standard

[bvar22]

27. This is especially infuriating because...

...the Very First Item on Eric Holders list after being appointed Attorney General was getting corrupt REPUBLICAN Senator Ted Stevens cleared of ALL charges.

The. Very. First. Thing.

...but unjustly imprisoned former Democratic Governor Don Siegelman?
[font size=3]Who? Never Heard of Him.[/font]

[99th_Monkey]

28. Geesh

I hadn't heard that, or connected those dots.

Thanks for pointing that out. Shrug indeed.

[Granny M]

36. Unbelievable.

I didn't realize Holder had done this. I can't understand why Obama won't pardon Siegelman.

[loudsue]

41. I'm furious at Obama. TOTALLY betrayed. Social Security Chained CPI, Siegelman's

continued imprisonment, bankers continuing to destroy our economy with impunity, the bush crime family getting a free pass, the pipeline for Canadian tar sand oil, more B1 visa support.....

I just feel completely betrayed. For me, it was the chained CPI that finally blew it. No more.

[Granny M]

49. It's incredibly sad that Obama was the best we could do.

McCain/Palin, and Romney/Ryan would have been unthinkable. But, damn. What would it cost him to pardon Siegelman? Disgusting.

[loudsue]

50. Precisely. Plus....who in the fucking HELL would have expected him to OFFER chained CPI

for seniors. That is the cruelest, most DISGUSTING way to kill off the elderly. Fucking asshole.

[Iwillnevergiveup]

5. Too many people

who belong in jail are NOT there. And too many people who are in jail do NOT belong there.

Thom Hartmann, Mike Malloy and Randi Rhodes all did their best to keep this story alive, but MSM just not that into it.

[chuckstevens]

6. One of the hottest place in hell....

is reserved for those who remain silent during a time when moral courage is needed.

We all know Karl Rove is the spawn of Satan, who will probably have a high ranking position in hell, but I'm calling out Eric Holder and Barack Obama for being complete cowards on this whole affair! Eric Holder is more worried about pot in CO and WA than taking a righteous stand on ANYTHING and President Obama should have pardoned Don Siegelman once he was re-elected.

Are the Democrats afraid they'll lose Alabama in 2016 and alienate the South? Give me a break! Who gives a shit what the Republicans would say if Don Seigelman is freed?

[red dog 1]

51. I agree with all you say about Karl Rove, but it's not Eric Holder who's..

"more worried about pot on CO and WA" (and many other states as well, including CA)...it's his boss who calls the shots....it's Obama who has broken his campaign promise not to go after medical pot dispensaries, not Holder..and it's Obama who has apparently decided to let Gov. Siegelman rot in prison for a crime he did not commit, not Holder.

[SunSeeker]

7. K&R

[freshwest]

9. Thanks for bringing this back. He needs a compassionate pardon for health reasons, too, IMO.

[proReality]

10. K&R n/t

[proud2BlibKansan]

11. DUer hissyspit has done an excellent job of keeping us posted

He's been on the Siegelman story all along.

[Brother Buzz]

18. trof, too

[red dog 1]

52. I agree

[annabanana]

13. To put "Don Siegelman" onto a continuing google alert

is to see how little regard MSM, or anyone else for that matter, has for some simple justice.

[virgogal]

14. Was it necessary to insult the intelligence of an entire state to

get your point across?

[UnrepentantLiberal]

16. This would not happen in the North East.

It just wouldn't.

[paleotn]

21. Or even some other states....

... in the south. Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana are the epicenter of bizzaro land.

[UnrepentantLiberal]

26. Hey, let's don't leave out South Carolina.

They work hard at that shit.

[The Wielding Truth]

38. Any place this corrupt Republican Party gets control it could happen.

[DeeDeeNY]

15. From this January post it looked like Biden would try helping

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10022241059

Doesn't make sense why something isn't done

[mtasselin]

20. Time

It is about time President Obama did the right thing and pardon Mr. Siegelman, I have signed many petitions asking him to do it. but no. If only he was a member of wall street then maybe he would have a chance. President Obama you have been a disappointment on so many fronts, and to think I voted for you twice.

[SleeplessinSoCal]

22. How about a petition asking why he hasn't been pardoned?

Is there any word from the "Justice" Dept. about why he is still in prison?

Or what other ways are there to get major attention on this case again?

[The Wizard]

23. Is the president afraid

of offending Rove and the Bush cartel?

[Major Nikon]

24. Meanwhile Jack Abramoff's favorite bought and paid for politician still walks the streets a free man

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_DeLay#Controversies

[lucca18]

25. The injustice done to Don Siegelman is sickening.

I couldn't believe it when he was sent back to prison!
This is so wrong.

[Octafish]

29. BFEE put him behind bars.

Case is clear as day:

Know your BFEE: Bush and His Crooks with Badges Sent an Innocent Man to Jail

and the crooked jailor mans:

Know your BFEE: Siegelman Judge is a big-time War Profiteer

[no_hypocrisy]

31. But Obama is doing nothing to pardon him.

[Octafish]

32. Dissapointing doesn't come close.

100 Cents on the Dollar Just-us for the Banksters, though.

[rhett o rick]

44. I believe Pres Barack Obama made a deal with the devil to get the presidency.

Part of the deal was not to prosecute the Bush war criminals and another was to let Gov Siegelman rot in prison.
Poppy must have a terrible hate for the governor.

[RB TexLa]

30. Edwin Edwards' "extortion" of Eddie DeBartolo is much more of a joke of a convection.

Including Jordan's admitted jury tampering.

[Coyotl]

33. On story coverage, kudos go to Scott Horton and DU, dKos, et.al.

We were on top of this story. Also, follow the history in Horton's articles.

http://harpers.org/blog/2009/03/siegelman-convictions-upheld/

60 Minutes made the story go national.

[JDPriestly]

37. Done. Thanks for the reminder. It's Bush and Rove who should be in jail.

And Cheney's kickback scheme with Halliburton should have gotten him into trouble. But no one seems to even notice what he did.

[dmr]

40. His prosecution was the criminal act.

Unbelievable they let Ted Stevens free, yet ignored Gov. Seigelman.


The Governor should have been cleared a long, long time ago.

[rhett o rick]

43. Pres Obama is too busy trying to negotiate a early release for Jeff Skilling.

To ignore Don Siegelman is one of my biggest disappointments in Pres Obama. His DU worshipers go on about what a great family man pres Obama is. Gov Siegelman is a great family man also. He deserves justice.