"Politics for me...in terms of electoral politics--is over." says former Alabama governor Don Siegelman
"I think that's what Karl Rove wanted; he has accomplished his goal."
"Frankly," he continues, "I'm about busted financially. I've spent my life savings...I've spent a lot of money on trying to muster my defense."
There was an article I saw in the last couple of days, The New Assassins Don't Use Guns. It's only a remarkable article in that it touches on something really important - character assassination - only for the bulk of it to be mired in the whole Democratic candidate thing.
In it there was no mention of Don Siegelman but he's a fabulous example of character assassination and plain old-fashioned judicial railroading.
A new form of political murder has taken its place -- character assassination. Over the last two decades, the Right has learned how to destroy its enemies without leaving a body. Hit teams roam the country, willing and eager to destroy reputations and careers, with the U.S. press corps as accomplices.
*****
That's a much more effective way to destroy someone than a gun. Bullets only kill the physical body, but character assassination destroys the person's reputation -- and their political effectiveness. Martyrs are a powerful force, but disgraced leaders can't threaten the status quo.
Networks at work, keepin people calm
ya know they went after King
when he spoke out on Vietnam
he turned the power to the have-nots
and then came the shot
Rage Against the Machine - Wake Up.
When they killed King they made him a martyr. The man is lionized and revered the world over. There have been attempts to stain him but I am unaware that they have succeeded. I have heard children sing songs about him here in Georgia.
Same with the Kennedy boys. All of them are looked upon as examples, whether they should be or not. Killed while they were at the height of popularity, everybody remembers them fondly.
You can blow out a candle
But you can't blow out a fire
Once the flames begin to catch
The wind will blow it higher
Peter Gabriel - Biko
So better to just ruin them alive. Smear them, Swift boat them, Use the legal system to wipe out their savings. No murder charges to worry about. No crime scenes to scrub.
Siegelman is likely going to be the shining example of this.
He wasn't widely known or wildly popular like the Kennedy's or Dr. King, but he was a very powerful figure in Alabama politics and Rove et al set about to destroy him and to toss him in a dungeon.
They ruined his savings, had him in prison for months.
Media contacts that aided and abetted this, such as the North Alabama station that blacked out the 60 Minutes presentation a few weeks ago should be likewise investigated. They participated in this.
This should come out at the hearings.
Rove et al should be in jail for the rest of their lives: fraud and conspiracy.
And Siegelman should sue Rove for everything he owns.
Update [2008-4-7 12:9:58 by xxdr zombiexx]: A couple of folks posted links to a Defense Fund for Mr. Siegelman and thought they should be included...which they should be.
[DEFENSE FUND | Don Siegelman.org]