Heat in Alabama

Jay I hope you stay on top of this story it is incredibly important.I mean not like Britney Spears not wearing underwear but something less the underpinings of our democracy.If justice is not blind we are a monarchy.The important thing is to show that this will not be tolerated in America.If it is allowed to continue the next President will continue it and that would be a disaster for America.The major media will never pick up a story lie this .So it is important that the blogs squeeze the powers to be into action.

Hey Billis - Time IS the major media. The thing that needs to happen for this story to get legs is what atrios calls "talking about the news." It's not the first story that makes it penetrate, it's pundits talking about the story.

But you are right, it is in Jay's (and Karen's and Joe's) power to "talk about" this story.

If it were Hillary laughing or Edwards combing we would already be inundated with stories.

A rare kudos to you Jay, for bring this story to the public's attention. Here is hoping that CNN, MSNBC, and the others consider it newsworthy enough to usurp Britney Spears.

- Scott

just to be accurate and fair, didn't TPM sort of "break" this story a long time ago? i mean, kudos to Time for following it up and digging deeper but again, a blog lead the way on this...

A 'showcase' case for sure. Keep the 'investigative stuff coming'.

Did everybody get the 'horse race' info that Cheney is fund raising for Rep. Heather Wilson? A little flipity-flop for $$$ on 'eavesdropping' folks?

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/03/05/AR2007030501241.html

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/02/08/politics/08nsa.html

Jay - Good job. Stay on this story. We are all thrilled that Adam Zagorin was able to get an inside source ut I hope that the importance of this issue will be enough to maintain your interest no matter what happens in the future.

The Birmingham News' other material on this story points out that the contributions in the investigators' notes were not crimes similiar to those in the Siegelman case, which actually would seem to answer its editorial page's request that prosecutors show why the statements Young made did not warrant attention. Instead, prosecutors said Young admitted they were not part of an arrangement he had with Sessions or Pryor, unlike the arrangement he later pleaded guilty to with Siegelman. Not sure the News' editorial writers read their own paper, but here you go from The News' article on this.

Scott Horton at Harpers has been the one most on top of this story from the beginning. He is required daily reading, just like Greenwald.

We must be careful not to miss the major point of Adam's story which is that there was absolutely no effort to find out if Young's actions in regards to Sessions and Pryor were crimes. There were no follow-up questions asked of anyone involved. Also, those asking - and not asking - the questions were conflicted out of the case and should have removed themselves from the case. So, the prosecutor's comments that they "pressed" young and "deemed the contributions legitimate" are blatant falsehoods. The Siegelman case cries for a special prosecutor.

Jay,
You and Time were late to this story. Josh Marshall and Talking Points Memo have been all over this for a while. So take a back seat you hack of a journalist.

Jay,
A quick Teh Google search indicates that TPM has been on this case since June, if not earlier. Don't try and take credit from someone else.

For Joe Klein's Conscience. Give Jay a break. TPM made a point of saying that Time did a good, detailed story with proper context. TPM praised Time for their story.

We NEED for the msm outlets to cover these stories to get the attention required. Slamming them for quality journalism is not helpful.

It is also worth noting that Jay never actually said they broke the story. He mentioned that Adam Zagorin "broke new ground" on the story, and that it had been going on for some time now.

Anyhow, carry on.

- Scott

Everyone,
Just to make sure you know, Governor Siegelman was found INNOCENT on all counts related to this Lanny Young character. TIME Magazine did not make that very clear.
We must continue to push this story. What will be uncovered if it is pursued will take out many high level republicans (Alberto Gonzalez, Karl Rove, Bill Pryor(fed.judge), Alabama's governor and his son, two US Attorneys, and several assistant US Attorney. They will fall under a RICO statute which has a 10year statute of limitations. The indirect fallout will be even greater. There are MANY, MANY involved in this scheme, and they are beginning to get very scared.

The fascinating story that TIME forgot is the coordinated effort revealed in part in the Simpson testimony by Siegelman and others to rewrite the history of his prosecution and conviction. First, jurors were guilty of conspiring to bring him down. Second, one of the other defendant's lawyers was guilty of conspiring to bring him down. Third, the judge conspired to bring him down. Fourth, the prosecutors conspired to bring him down. Fifth, the media conspired to bring him down. Sixth, the Justice Department conspired to bring him down. .... You get the point. So one must wonder when any real reporting will begin on this story, and true scrutiny will discover who has worked behind the scenes to undo what the justice system has done.

^^^^^

The above post was not me.
Is there another GetReal?

Gee GetReal, for a moment I thought you were talking about President Bush's commutation of Scooter Libby's sentence. In fact, re-reading your post, I think you are and just changed the names as a point of illustration.

wvng & Scottoest,
What new ground did Time break? Josh and TPM have been all over this for a while. It took Time four months to come up with something? The same Jay Carney that said the USDA scandal was much ado about nothing? If it wasn't for the blogs, Time and the rest of the traditional media would have just swept it under the carpet. If the traditional media was doing their job all along The Decider would have been impeached and on his way to the Hague by now.

What the MSM would have done without the TPM blog breaking the story is open for speculation, obviously.

But as wvng mentioned, I would just be happy that TIME is giving some manpower to reporting on the story in Alabama, rather than castigating them for what they might maybe possibly have done if the circumstances were different.

Especially when it's Jay Carney - one of the more inconsistent and disappointing posters on this blog.

- Scott

To the "impostor" "GetReal": were you there at the trial to make such assurtions? Of course you were not, but I was!!!! The trial was an OUTRAGE!! The jury only heard what the judge allowed them to hear, and Judge Fuller was obviously dead set against Governor Siegelman. See Scott Horton's articles at (www.harpers.org). The jury foreman and another juror were sending emails to each other that were highly improper.
We MUST take our country back, and this Siegelman issue is the route to take to do it!!!

Another story brewing????
"Contractor-Linked Air Force Official Commits Suicide"

http://www.tpmmuckraker.com/archives/004458.php

Anybody remember the suicide of Col. Ted Westhusing who worked under Gen. Petreaus in Iraq?

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2007/6/6/33625/31374

Sorry, but didn't realize there was someone who also wants to GetReal. No harm intended. As far Mr. Horton's material, it is filled with errors, misstatements, speculation and the sort of thing that generally gives blogging a bad name -- partisan hackery. The Siegelman case is not an example of any injustice, but an example of partisans hoping to change the facts to suit an outcome they desire. This is the very thing that msm must fight against, and frankly I'm surprised TIME has fallen for their game. "Let us leak you a few pages of investigators' notes here, a few documents there; Let us connect you with a source here, another there." I'm curious why TIME and other media outlets haven't demanded all of the documents to see what they aren't handing you. This is a tired game, and understand who is behind it. This is, afterall, a political campaign. Let us not foget it. And for that, you must know that there is no truth, only what people are left believing. ICit, my house is filled with papers, transcripts and documents from the trial, so I am more than famaliar with the fact and fiction spinning around this case.

FYI, the jury foreman and the other juror testified under oath to the judge that they did not create those emails, which leads you to believe 1) They're lying and part of the conspiracy 2) Someone made those emails up 3) The same person made up other "facts" in hopes of changing history here. Let us all please get real.

It wasw called to my attention by another commenter that Time is the major media.My point was that it was not in the body of the magazine but in Swampland.This is too important for it to be here.My question from the beginning of the US Attorneys scandal was if those 8 were fired for not pursuing cases against Democrats then the other prosecutors must be doing as they were told and that the only political criminals are democrats.What worries me is that if the next President is a democrat then the only criminals will be republicans.My concern is that the law will be subjected to political party rule.The republicans would never stand for the rule of law so it must be those of us who love our country more than party who must stand for the rule of law.

"My point was that it was not in the body of the magazine but in Swampland.This is too important for it to be here."

He snorted massive amounts of cocaine ... He drank like a fish...He dodged the draft....He went awol from the Alabama Air National Guard...His friends knew him as an alcoholic womanizer with a bad temper....a complete failure at business until his wealthy friends bailed him out. Yet within a few short years he was elected Governor of Texas, and quickly catapulted into the White House, in spite of losing the popular vote. He was re-elected with last minute help from Osama Bin Laden, in spite of high disapproval ratings. He still couldn't think his way out of a wet paper bag .....and yet he's declared an endless war and instituted some of the most radical political changes in American history ....

Dear "GetRealer", were you at that hearing where you say the judge asked them under oath about the emails??? No, you were not b/c the judge NEVER asked the jurors about ANY email. That was the problem with that hearing.

Carney:

This story is where you have a chance to make amends for your callow, credulous dismissal of the U.S. Attorney firings.

Come on, the public can take it. We won't be overly traumatized if Rove and Gonzalez have to go to jail.

I should add you can find more detail here

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=487915&in_page_id=1770

There is more to that story Scott,

you are far far too judgemental

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/showbiz/showbiznews.html?in_article_id=487840&in_page_id=1773

"He snorted massive amounts of cocaine ... He drank like a fish...He dodged the draft....He went awol from the Alabama Air National Guard...His friends knew him as an alcoholic womanizer with a bad temper....a complete failure at business until his wealthy friends bailed him out. Yet within a few short years he was elected Governor of Texas, and quickly catapulted into the White House, in spite of losing the popular vote. He was re-elected with last minute help from Osama Bin Laden, in spite of high disapproval ratings. He still couldn't think his way out of a wet paper bag .....and yet he's declared an endless war and instituted some of the most radical political changes in American history ....{"

You say these things like they are bad. Look at the brightside he didnt inhale or have sex with an intern.

-Scott

GOP operative Victor Hanson is the chief editor and manager of the Birmingham News. It is the largest newspaper in Al. and it is owned by Advance Publication Inc. Hanson has been paid since 1999 by Choctaw Indian money laundered by Mississippi Lobbyists to smear top Alabama Democrats. Toby Roth is the present Choctaw Lobbyist. Roth is also a close affiliate of Bob Riley and has been a key player in his campaigns for governor.

Roth along with convicted Lobbyist Jack Abramoff and Michael Scanlon have also funneled millions of dollars of Choctaw money to Alabama GOP candidates under the direction of Alabama GOP fund raising operative William Canary. The Indians have been convinced by these Lobbyists that if Siegelman has a come back that he will again attempt to implement the Alabama Education Lottery. The Choctaw casinos are afraid that an Al. Lottery will hurt the flow of gambling money that comes from Alabama residents.