ROVE!!!
Posted on 02/21/2008 7:52:01 PM PST by peggybac
60 Minutes: Woman Says Top Bush Adviser Asked Her To Take Compromising Pictures Of Alabama Gov. Siegelman.
(CBS) A Republican operative in Alabama says Karl Rove asked her to try to prove the state’s Democratic governor was unfaithful to his wife in an effort to thwart the highly successful politician’s re-election.
Rove’s attempt to smear Don Siegelman was part of a Republican campaign to ruin him that finally succeeded in imprisoning him, says the operative, Jill Simpson. Simpson speaks to Scott Pelley in her first television interview, to be broadcast on "60 MINUTES" Sunday, Feb. 24, at 7 p.m. ET/PT, on the CBS Television Network.
Simpson spoke to Pelley because, she says, Siegelman’s seven-year sentence for bribery bothers her. She recalls what Rove, then President Bush’s senior political adviser, asked her to do at a 2001 meeting in this exchange from Sunday’s report.
"Karl Rove asked you to take pictures of Siegelman?" asks Pelley.
"Yes," replies Simpson.
"In a compromising, sexual position with one of his aides," clarifies Pelley.
"Yes, if I could," says Simpson.
Simpson says she found no evidence of infidelity despite months of observation. She tells Pelley that Rove, who had been a top Republican strategist in Alabama, had made requests for information from her before in her capacity as an "opposition researcher" for Republicans running for office.
Rove would not speak to "60 MINUTES", but elsewhere has denied being involved in efforts to discredit Siegelman.
Siegelman was convicted of bribery in a case that has drawn criticism from Democrats and Republicans. In fact, 52 former states’ attorneys general from both political parties petitioned Congress to investigate Siegelman’s case, resulting in hearings held last fall.
"I haven’t seen a case with this many red flags on it that pointed towards a real injustice being done," Grant Woods, the former Republican attorney general of Arizona and one of those who petitioned Congress, tells Pelley. "I personally believe that what happened here is that they targeted Don Siegelman because they could not beat him fair and square."
Siegelman was the only politician in Alabama history to be elected to all four of the state’s highest offices of secretary of state, attorney general, lieutenant governor and governor, and he did it as a Democrat in the heavily Republican state.
Somebody hasn't done their research. Yes, Alabama goes GOP for national politics, but the state itself is run by Democrats, although we've gotten a couple of GOP governors in the last 20 years. Prior to that, we hadn't had one.... ever? Senate and legislature still solidly Democrat.
Ah Rove Derangement Syndrome. I love it.
ROVE!!!
Am I the only person who has no problem with what Rove supposedly did here?
[cue the “William Tell” Overture]
And this is related to the ‘bribery charges’ how?
CBS...GOP Operative: Rove sought to smear Dem?
Not quite.
CBS and Dem Operatives sought to smear President Bush
and seek to smear Rove.
There, that’s better...
But the larger issue is whether or not Siegelman actually broke the law by accepting that bribe from Richard Scrushy. The jury said that he did, and they both went off to prison, where as far as I know they still reside (haven't kept up though). It may well have been a witch hunt, but the hunt turned something up.
No
Wow, Karl had an “innocent” man thrown in jail? How much power do those deluded RATS think he has, anyway?
I found the following line hilarious:
"Rove’s attempt to smear Don Siegelman was part of a Republican campaign to ruin him that finally succeeded in imprisoning him, says the operative, Jill Simpson"
Yes, one day I was trying to find the governor chasing a skirt, and the next thing I know he's in prison!
No, you and I are ok with this.
As a former Alabama state employee, there were some pretty good indications from some of his policies that Seigleman is, in fact, a slime ball. I have a pretty good idea he got at least a portion of what he deserved.
I’m with you. If he was in a ‘compromising position’ with an aide, then she should have taken a photo. He wasn’t, and she didn’t. That’s the way politics is played. Look at how they’re trying to smear McCain now.
Details tend not to fit the simple story lines that journalists like to draw.
It is not a smear if in fact your accusation is true.
Isn't it a bit odd of someone, whose job is doing opposition research, complaining about their boss asking for negative information on a political opponent.
Isn't this story awfully well timed. Republicans accuse the liberal NYT of smearing John McCain and then 60 minutes puts out a teaser for a 60 minutes story which is 7 years old about a Republican supposedly trying to smear a Democrat.
For $500 dollars the answer is .... “60 minutes accusing someone of using smear tactics.” Number 3 - What is hypocrisy? Alex.
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