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A majority of likely voters in Alabama believes that the prosecution of former governor Don Siegelman was at least “somewhat likely” politically motivated according to the poll released this week by Rasmussen Reports that was referenced in the last post. Fifty-six percent of likely voters in Alabama responded that it was “very likely” or “somewhat likely” that the prosecution of former governor Don Siegelman was politically motivated. Thirty-five percent those polled believed it “not very likely” or “not at all likely” that the prosecution was politically motivated.
How likely is it that the prosecution of former governor Don Siegelman was politically motivated?
33% Very likely
23% Somewhat likely
20% Not very likely
15% Not at all likely
10% Not sure
Does that surprise you? It did me. Just more than a third said “not very likely” or “not at all likely?”
The margin of error was +/- 4.5% with 95% confidence.
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Danny – I really have no doubt that this prosecution was “somewhat motivated” by politics – that would have been my response. I’m surprised that number was not higher. But having said that I would hasten to add that Siegelman has yet to present any defense of some of the key allegations against him other than “they were out to get me.” Hey they WERE out to get him politically – but he broke the law; that seems as clear as the motivations here. So do you release him because the objectives of the prosecutors were murky even though he appears to have committed illegal acts?
The prosecutors did not vote him guilty. A jury of his peers did. He stays in jail.
I haven’t seen any evidence to indicate politics played a part in this. Lots of conspiracy theories, but not one shred of evidence.
Its easy to be cynical in Alabama and see political motives in anything.
Based on the comments on this subject I’m not surprised at the poll results. I’m also not surprised that 35% don’t believe the conviction was politically motivated.
Anonymous the reason you haven’t “seen any evidence to indicate politics played a part in this” is because the Alabama media doesn’t want you to see any evidence. Check out Harpers, Time Magazine, the New York Times, the American Spectator and the Washington Post. CBS’s 60 minutes will be doing a segment on the case in early December. You will see lots of “evidence”. I understand part of the segment will focus on if what he was convicted of was really a crime and how the Alabama press worked with the Prosecution. 35% of those polled must only get their news from the Alabama press.
Former Governor Don Siegleman was found guilty by a jury, but juries find innocent people guilty all the time. Just because a jury found someone guilty doesn’t mean they are guilty.
There was also a Congressional Inquiry and testimony under oath into this matter which is part of the Congressional record which seperated “theories” from fact.
PS to previous post: When you add the “very likely” of 33% and the “somewhat likely” 23% you get a whole different picture.
I’ve read all the harper’s et al garbage and even watched the judiciary subcommittee’s hearing and didn’t see anything that amounts to evidence. Just a bunch of nothing. None of them have any evidence.
I’m surprised that as many Alabamians are informed as they are. It has been very hard to get the truth in Alabama about anything that involves a Democrat politician. Even the local TV and radio media pretty much parrots what the three largest newspapers in Alabama print. These newspapers are the Birmingham News, the Huntsville Times, Mobile Press-Register which are owned by Communications giant Advance Publications, Inc.
Lobbyest Jack Abramoff, Michael Scanlon, Toby Roth, Rob Riley, etc. have acted in the past for big business clients (Mississippi Casinos, Chevron/Exxon, etc) who have funneled large amounts of money through money laundering organizations such as the Business Council of Alabama to these newspapers to endorse GOP politicians for political favors.
It is not certain whether the corruption is isolated to the three Alabama newspapers or to Advance Publications Inc.
My hat goes off to the smaller locally own Alabama newspapers that continue to investigate and print the truth.
You do the crime, You do the time. See you in 7 years, Don
TAndress, what smaller locally owned Alabama newspapers continue to investigate this matter and print the truth?
Tandress,Those are some pretty stiff accusations. Do you have anything to back them up?
[...] Right before Thanksgiving I mentioned here a poll that showed that 56% of likely voters polled responded that it was “very likely” or “somewhat likely” that the prosecution of former governor Don Siegelman was politically motivated. A reader pointed out to me that this is a shift from a poll reported in July by the Birmingham News: But a recent poll by the Capital Survey Research Center, the polling arm of the Alabama Education Association teachers lobby, showed that 30 percent of Alabama voters believe Siegelman’s conviction and imprisonment was politically motivated. A slim majority, 51 percent, believe his prosecution was fair and deserved. Others polled didn’t know, didn’t answer or weren’t aware of the Siegelman conviction. The margin of error for the question was plus or minus 3.3 percent. [...]
“LARGE NEWS MEDIAS ARE PAID TO BE ANTI-DEMOCRAT”
I’m surprised that as many Americans are informed as they are. It has been very hard to get the truth about anything that involves Democratic politicians. Without the internet blobs, forums and locally owned news medias, U.S. citizens would totally be controlled by Bush’s lies and scare tactics. U.S. Citizens are fed anti-Democrat propaganda from large news media.
The GOP under the Bush administration has managed to gain control of large communication and publishing companies through government contracts, appointments and through lobbyist such as Jack Abramoff and Michael Scanlon who have directed money from big business to private accounts.
In Alabama, Don Siegelman was a Democrat and a threat to Bob Riley in the 2006 gubernatorial race. During the election he was pulled into court and portrayed by the largest news media as a modern day Al Capone. He was shamefully shackled and paraded all over the United States by Federal Marshals and the Federal Penal Guards to several different prison holding facilities and finally ended up being placed in a prison over 600 miles from his family . He has been kept isolated and denied interviews by 60 minutes and local news media.
Many Alabama citizens both Black and white personally knew this popular born and raised Alabamian. He grew up to be the only person in history to have been elected to hold the top four positions in Alabama government