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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsPardon Don Siegelman. A Democratic Political Prisoner Railroaded by Karl Rove.
Don Siegelman
?@DonSiegelman
Watch the Don Siegelman Documentary and demand justice for America's political prisoner
Don Siegelman's Twitter Page where you can follow him and help undo this tragic miscarriage of justice:
https://twitter.com/DonSiegelman/status/571392217144696832
I am actually in favor of a total dismissal of the case against him with compensation for all he has lost, including his freedom, rather than a pardon because that implies he was guilty of something.
However, a pardon would be better than nothing and it is clear the DOJ will not investigate the perpetrators of this criminal political prosecution and he needs to go home to his family.
Governor Don Siegelman Domestic Political Prisoner
Don Siegelman, former Gov of Alabama, went to prison for what 112 Attorneys General of both parties call a non-crime
To think that THIS criminal is still walking free amongst us while a good Democrat like Don Siegleman remains in prison is beyond reprehensible:
FREE DON SIEGELMAN & END THIS TRAVESTY OF JUSTICE!
newfie11
(8,159 posts)So far nothing!
Cali_Democrat
(30,439 posts)Keep the pressure on.
Jefferson23
(30,099 posts)lpbk2713
(42,769 posts)And it is Rove who belongs behind bars.
sabrina 1
(62,325 posts)appear before Congress after being subpoenaed? For a short while we had some hope that these crooks would have to pay for what they did to this country and to good people like Don Siegelman.
But those hopes are long gone.
The least that we might expect is to see some justice for Don Siegleman.
Doctor_J
(36,392 posts)Very embarrassing
zappaman
(20,606 posts)Doctor_J
(36,392 posts)And stood up to labor and endorsed Blanche Lincoln in the 2010 primary, and stood up to single payer healthcare advocates to pass heritage care, and stood up to the populists and renewed the Bush tax cuts. So you're partially right
sabrina 1
(62,325 posts)those who elected him on the TPP also. Hasn't budged an inch despite the growing outrage over that abomination.
Imagine the same will applied to issues like this, restoring the rule of law, undoing the harm done by Bush/Cheney/Rove et al??
I imagined a far different America than we are living in now, 7 years ago!
Doctor_J
(36,392 posts)Seven years ago the time was right for a revolution. We thought we picked the right man to lead it. Instead we were tricked into trusting another corporate stooge who wouldn't rock the boat no matter what.
I will try to explain to my grandchildren before I go how things went wrong. Maybe they will be the leaders of the revolution.
sabrina 1
(62,325 posts)But we have learned a lot since then.
Why blame this on Rove? Obama has the power - he just doesn't have the spine.
woo me with science
(32,139 posts)The only other options I see are "doesn't give a damn" or "actually favors this gross miscarriage of justice."
sabrina 1
(62,325 posts)But it's clear that this was a huge miscarriage of justice, a CRIMINAL miscarriage of justice, yet his DOJ refused to reverse what was clearly a corrupted conviction yet did just that for Republican Ted Stevens.
So, what are we to think? I expected this to be one of the first actions taken when we put Democrats in power in 2008.
AtomicKitten
(46,585 posts)I would expect accompanying his petition for a pardon are a shit-ton of amicus briefs arguing on his behalf.
rhett o rick
(55,981 posts)Gov Siegelman. This was a political attack by the Republicons on a great Democrat and the Democratic Party, once again, fails to fight back.
lsewpershad
(2,620 posts)Obama is aware it was an injustice. He should pardon immediately.
rhett o rick
(55,981 posts)Didn't even 60 have a show on it. Pres Obama should have acted immediately.
sabrina 1
(62,325 posts)court stating that Siegelman had not committed a crime. See the OP Huffpo link.
Didn't do any good. For some reason this case, keeping Siegelman in jail, means a whole lot to someone with a whole lot of power.
SusanCalvin
(6,592 posts)I would sure like to know who.
sabrina 1
(62,325 posts)sabrina 1
(62,325 posts)that would have been one of the first things Obama would have done.
To right a huge wrong. How naive we were back then.
rhett o rick
(55,981 posts)the Republcons there was a new sheriff in town. I don't understand how he can ignore this injustice.
MrMickeysMom
(20,453 posts)Primary to all pardons, this needs to happen and happen now.
Kicking the petition: http://www.democraticunderground.com/10026447867#post9
sabrina 1
(62,325 posts)gregcrawford
(2,382 posts)... is exactly what Dubya's contemptuous nickname for him implies. He is a piece of shit. Rove, like 99.99% of his conservative compatriots, is a textbook sociopath devoid of conscience, empathy, or even the remotest glimmer of common human decency. That's why Bush 41 picked him out of the conservative cesspool to run College Republicans way back in the day. Then he pointed at his eldest son and said, "See what you can do with that arrogant, over-privileged waste of skin."
Rove brags about how unspeakably despicable he is, and he takes malicious delight in kicking his victims when they are down. He is, in short, a disease.
But what he did to Siegelman is, quite literally, criminal. And after Siegelman is released and compensated, Rove should be prosecuted and jailed for the rest of his worthless fucking life.
sabrina 1
(62,325 posts)until there is a full investigation of Rove's criminal involvement in that case.
The word 'evil' should accompany this creep's photos everywhere they appear.
He enjoys being evil, because he is a true psychopath.
DeeDeeNY
(3,356 posts)blackspade
(10,056 posts)A gross miscarriage of 'justice.'
sabrina 1
(62,325 posts)have stated this was a travesty of justice. You get nowhere if you are silent.
I believe that getting Siegelman out of prison should be a priority for Democrats and then they should go after Rove for his criminal interference in this case.
stonecutter357
(12,698 posts)chknltl
(10,558 posts)...will rec and save when i get home. (My so called 'smart' phone aint smart enough to reccomend or save stuff here).
sabrina 1
(62,325 posts)chknltl
(10,558 posts)Thom Hartmann still brings up the Gov. Siegelman story regularly but it gets no mention elsewhere as far as I can tell. Don Siegelman is a political prisoner, he should be released, his story told and a trial held on those who conspired against this man.
sabrina 1
(62,325 posts)press that wasn't owned by Corporations?
chknltl
(10,558 posts)...is very useful when taking over that country.
Sunlei
(22,651 posts)sabrina 1
(62,325 posts)Unknown Beatle
(2,672 posts)Thanks Stephen Colbert.
sabrina 1
(62,325 posts)raven mad
(4,940 posts)Railroad is 1000% correct.
sabrina 1
(62,325 posts)have been told years ago and the perps, led by Karl Rove, would have been prosecuted and convicted for what they did.
But we would have to live in a real democracy for that to happen.
In real democracies, there are no political prisoners for political reasons.
raven mad
(4,940 posts)and the ones we "select" get to make the laws.
And break them with impunity.
sabrina 1
(62,325 posts)threatened because there is a whole lot wrong with this country.
Broward
(1,976 posts)WillyT
(72,631 posts)NCTraveler
(30,481 posts)I believe if this pardon were to happen it would be done right at the end of Obamas term or at a time when he has very limited time left to accomplish much. It will be a bigger story than other pardons/commutations. It will take a minor amount of political clout. I know this is completely wrong but it is how I view the situation. While I think it is wrong, it gives time to keep pressuring Obama.
Octafish
(55,745 posts)Seems there are two sets of laws: One to keep Banksters and Warmongers cough Mark Fuller out of jail and another to keep people interested in peace and justice in jail cough Chelsea Manning.
sabrina 1
(62,325 posts)accused prosecutors of misconduct and urged an investigation."
Unbelievable to read that again. Why is it so important to keep this man in jail?
In whose interests is it at this point?
The rule of law! What 'rule of law'?
Siegelman has been abandoned by his own party.
His only hope now are the people who I'm sure if the knew this story, a majority including Republicans, would be outraged.
But the MSM will never tell this story.
So that leaves ordinary people.
samsingh
(17,602 posts)raging moderate
(4,311 posts)This is a true travesty of justice!
The Wizard
(12,552 posts)Ku Klux Karl belongs on the end of a rope. He's a menace to civilization that must be stopped by any means necessary. And WTF Obama, let this man be free.
markmyword
(180 posts)Why can't these 112. Attorney Generals get on T.V. And get some media attention?
Siegelman should be freed!
At the next press conference, where's the reporters question, asking "when will Siegleman be pardoned?" Or is Karl Rove going to be prosecuted for what he did to Siegelman?
Has Siegelman any money left to fight these criminals?
Why can't these 112 AG defend him? For free!
This is the typical way the Republicans work, steal elections, intimidate(think the vote count in Florida when Washington D.C. Staffers came down over Thanksgivings weekend with baseball bats threatening the election officials, so NO votes could be counted), lie, tough it out,bully lie, lie and lie some more.
I have a feeling that I read that Obama KEPT many of the Republicans George Bush had at the Justice Department, could this be the reason this never gets pushed up the food chain?
Or that these people are sabotaging the Justice Department?
sabrina 1
(62,325 posts)States AGs when they refused to go after Democrats, to 'dig up dirt' on them?
WHY this man has so much power, is another question.
As far as Siegelman having money left, I don't think so.
Your last paragraph, yes, Obama made few changes in the DOJ and currently has a Republican AG.
As for the media, if Siegelman's story was as prominent on the MSM as eg, what Bruce Jenner is up to these days, Siegelman would never have gone to jail in the first place.
He has been abandoned by almost everyone.
Back in the Bush era at least Dems supported him and seemed to actually care about getting Rove prosecuted.
Once Bush left, things seem to have changed.
So it's up to the people to keep this story current. The Corporate Media won't do it.
bullwinkle428
(20,631 posts)sabrina 1
(62,325 posts)airc.
Why are Dems always so afraid to take bold action?
Justice delayed is justice denied! And Siegelman is certainly one of the most wronged political prisoner, even Republicans have stated how wrong this is, ever in living memory.
OnyxCollie
(9,958 posts)Zorra
(27,670 posts)he would be locked up tighter than Hannibal Lechner in a maximum security prison for the rest of his life.
JDPriestly
(57,936 posts)facts in this case and the statements of the attorneys general that have been made and explain publicly either that he will pardon Gov. Don Siegelman or exactly why he will not pardon Gov. Don Siegelman.
This case reminds me of the Dreyfus case in France in the 19th century. In that case a Jewish officer was wrongly convicted of a crime that had been committed by someone else. Because the wrongly convicted officer was Jewish, only the bravest of the brave, men like the great author, Zola, spoke out.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dreyfus_affair
The Siegelman affair is our equivalent of the Dreyfus affair. I believe that history will view the Siegelman conviction as our Dreyfus affair. President Obama's reputation will go down with Siegelman as will the reputations of Rove and BushII. The Siegelman affair is exactly the kind of event that leads to the condemnation of a government in history.
Siegelman is a Democrat in a mostly Republican state. President Obama needs to find the courage to speak out on the issue. If there is evidence or some reason justifying Siegleman's prison sentence, let Obama tell us just what it is. If not, then Siegelman should be freed.
Free Don Siegelman.
sabrina 1
(62,325 posts)out for justice and those who had a chance to administer that justice but who did not, will not be viewed kindly in history.
We are going through a horrific period in the US when it comes to 'justice', an era that hopefully one day will be analyzed and studied, AFTER we recover, if we do.
The Siegelman case will be a prime example of this dark period.
It's a time when we need heroes. But there don't seem to be many around.
Is the threat to those who might dare to expose the injustice of this case and have the courage to fix it AND go after the perpetrators so great that no one is willing to risk the consequences?
And if that is the case, then things are way worse than we thought.
Obama is required to study this case and to speak to the American people about it and explain why this country owes Siegelman not just an apology, but reparations though nothing can compensate for what he has lost.
If he does not, he too will go down in history with Siegelman, but on the wrong side of that history.
GoneFishin
(5,217 posts)into manipulation, abuse, and corruption of the justice system in this case.
kelliekat44
(7,759 posts)sabrina 1
(62,325 posts)the face to Justice and diminishes our entire judicial system as untrustworthy.