Republican Operative to Out Karl Rove on ‘60 Minutes’
February 21st, 2008A 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, according to the CBS magazine show “60 Minutes.”
Rove’s attempt to smear Don Siegelman was part of a Republican campaign to ruin him that finally succeeded in imprisoning him, according to operative Jill Simpson, according to the official press release.
Simpson speaks to Scott Pelley in her first television interview, to be broadcast on 60 MINUTES Sunday, Feb. 24 (7-8 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.
Says Grant Woods, the former Republican attorney general of Arizona and one of those who petitioned Congress, “I haven’t seen a case with this many red flags on it that pointed towards a real injustice being done,” he tells Pelley. “I personally believe that what happened here is that they targeted Don Siegelman because they could not beat him fair and square,” says Woods. 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.
Now, back to more of the cable TV news controversy over John McCain and his lobbyist girlfriend…
February 21st, 2008 at 5:05 pm
I have a legitimate question: Why, considering the nature of these new allegations involving Karl Rove, did Ms. Simpson wait until the “60 MInutes” piece to reveal this information?
BillJohnson2010@yahoo.com
Editor’s Note
This is from Bill Johnson, y’all, who uses his state computer at ADECA all day long every day to make anonymous blog comments against those of us who have the facts.
February 21st, 2008 at 5:16 pm
So, your first “legitimate” question?
Maybe the facts are finally starting to sink in…
She didn’t wait. I’ve known all along, but it’s a complicated story with lots of twists and turns. You have to understand the news business and how narrative communication works. Telling stories, that is…
February 21st, 2008 at 5:53 pm
Unbelievable. It is going to be fun showing all the innacuracies, errors, and downright lies in the 60 Minutes piece on Sunday.
February 21st, 2008 at 6:29 pm
Are you the one claiming to be an Auburn professor? If so, you just lost your job. There’s nothing objective in your partisan response, and as usual, you don’t know what the fuck you are talking about…
February 21st, 2008 at 6:34 pm
For that matter, neither does that crazy DC blog reporter who keeps harassing everybody around here. Ignore her … and watch the show : )
February 21st, 2008 at 6:56 pm
What does it matter whether or not I am a professor?(Fr the record I am no longer on the faculty full-time, but teach one course this semester.) The last time I checked even professors were entitled to First Amendment protections, especially when they are outside the classroom. You certainly don’t seem to think the First Amendment protects anyone but you or those who agree with you.
February 21st, 2008 at 8:08 pm
I matters a lot, as to your veracity. You are not listed on Auburn’s Website as a professor.
And, you clearly don’t know much about the First Amendment. Perhaps you missed that day in college as an undergrad…
“Freedom of the press is guaranteed only to those who own one.” - A. J. Liebling, 1960
February 21st, 2008 at 9:27 pm
The right wingers are already writing up attacks on the people who brought the story out. They keep ignoring the points that the 52 AGs brought up to indicate there are real problems with this case. Look for the model of the current attack on the NYT for the McCain story today. I will be watching their attacks to see if they repeat Bob Riley’s mistake in that he denied things that he had not been accused of in the early reports. My theory is they are rehearsing their denials of the things they have done and the rehearsed lines can come out even when not called for.
February 21st, 2008 at 11:18 pm
The evil is thicker than anyone knows, but we will continue to speak in parables and fight for the truth, as Jesus would.
Make no mistake, it’s Bush and Cheney who are aligned with the devil.
Maybe it’s time we delivered that big church speech envisioned many years ago, on that summer day by the pool. There is almost too much information in the world for some people, most people even. It’s truly hard to get them to focus on the important facts that matter for the ages…
February 22nd, 2008 at 8:05 am
“it’s Bush and Cheney who are aligned with the devil” LOL
I’ve been thinking about composing a letter with that as a theme, with the hopes it might go viral like the Obama smear letter did. There’s just too much much material.
While they distract the gullible with the central themes of “baby killers” and “marriage killin’ homos”, they continue to worship mammon and trample the poor and sick in the name of “freedom and liberty.” A good starting point for the letter would be “Why did the Republicans, with the advent of atheist Karl, flip the stars in the GOP logo upside down to turn it into a satanistic trinity adorning the Hindu elephant god of wealth, Ganesh?”
Maybe that would get some of the base doing something they’re not accustomed to: question. Especially those who preach, and “pray out loud,” for they are hypocrites.
It’s got “radical muslim in the WH” potential, doesn’t it? Except for the fact that all of the above is TRUE.
February 22nd, 2008 at 8:34 am
As Hunter S. Thompson, the doctor of Gonzo journalism, said: “For every moment of triumph, for every instance of beauty, many souls must be trampled.”
His advice? “Call on God, but row away from the rocks.”
He also said, “Buy the ticket, take the ride.”
This is going to be an interesting ride, no matter what they say.
Then, remember what he is remembered for most.
“When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro.”
Some of the amateurs out there in Webmedialand have no idea what they are getting into. The great shakedown comith…
February 22nd, 2008 at 9:57 am
As I said. I am not on the faculty full-time. I haven’t been since 2001 and don’t claim to be.
I do understand, however, that the First Amendment covers more than freedom of the press. It also covers the individual right to freedom of speech; a point that seems lost on you.
It speaks volumes that you threaten anyone who disagress with you.
February 22nd, 2008 at 10:25 am
I’m going to try one more time to educate you and all your loony friends about the First Amendment. If you say anything like this again on my site, you will be banned from commenting, forever.
I don’t know where you got your education on the First Amendment and free speech, but it does not say, nor does it imply, nor is there any legal precedent to back up your position that it means every Bill, Dick and Susan can say any kind of nonsense they want to say on someone else’s printing press, in this case a Web press.
There are hundreds of comments from people in the extensive archives on this site from people who disagree with me on a host of issues. If you would actually say something about some issue upon which we disagree, we might be able to have a conversation. But if you think I am going to allow all you partisan hacks to take over my site, like a certain preacher who does not have the backbone to stand up to you on his blog, you are sadly mistaken.
I am a working free-lance journalist and a Web publisher with many years of REAL publishing experience as well as academic experience. Trashing my reputation anonymously on some Alabama political blog filled with nothing but a bunch of crazies - trying to call me crazy - is not going to detract from the fact that my reporting stands up to scrutiny.
The stupid rumor that started this entire discussion was proven wrong first on this site. I do not know what kind of Kool-aide you drink in that Auburn sandbox, but I am not interested in playing with you and really don’t have any more time to counter your BS. So this is it. The last time.
If you want to e-mail me or call me on the phone and have a reasonable discussion, I might be willing to try it once, just to see if in fact you aren’t just completely brain damaged. Otherwise, I can only conclude you are just trying to waste my time for no good reason.
Does that get it through your thick head?
February 22nd, 2008 at 4:24 pm
Glynn, your reply is what the First Amendment is all about; unfortunately, many of these comments come from people with axes to grind and they want to sharpen their blades of irrationality on the Fork. Well, forks can used as defensive weapons, too. Keep up the good fight.
February 23rd, 2008 at 12:19 am
Not to mention offensive weapons, if you know what I mean. If these bastards really want to play the smear game, two can play at that. And we’ll see who has the real investigative skills and resources.
I’ll have to polish off that circulation scandal story I’ve been sitting on for two years, and a certain news outlet in this state could end up in the same legal boat as the Dallas Morning News.
And there are plenty of new precedents for journalists and professors being fired for blog comments. I’ve got a few saved up from some key local reporters. If they want to play hard ball, we’ve got the balls…
February 23rd, 2008 at 4:56 pm
http://www.al.com/news/independent/index.ssf?/base/news/1203797709157730.xml&coll=4
it’s a long article, but a different twist
February 23rd, 2008 at 5:16 pm
Thanks Bryan,
But the link has been on the news page for hours now, locustfork.net, ever since it hit Google.
Some screed. We’ve already seen part of the response, which won’t be published for awhile yet. Before you Bush-Riley Alabama Republicans get your adrenaline going too much, however, I suggest laying off that cocaine and Crown whiskey combination. It ain’t healthy < : ) ….
February 23rd, 2008 at 5:24 pm
just didn’t see it on the blog. thought it was a different perspective to the norm here. didn’t even say “oooh, look at this you bunch of nuts”, but you decided to go that direction with your repub attacks. but that’s ok. if you are a true “journalist” you wouldn’t be that patronizing and you would not say things like “every since” - comes across a little dumb. ok, back to the coke and whiskey.
February 23rd, 2008 at 5:37 pm
Well, I for one am convinced now that there is nothing to the Jill Simpson charges. I know for certain that no God fearing former car salesman or any of his family would ever intentionally tell a LIE to deceive any of the good citizens of Alabama. The good current Governor and his family are a lot like George Washington. You see George couldn’t tell a lie, The Rileys can… but they won’t. I’ll rest easy tonight knowing my State is in such good honest God fearing hands.
February 23rd, 2008 at 5:37 pm
Maybe you should read it again, Bryan, and not rely on e-mail. That can sometimes get you into trouble, since we actually edit this Website, unlike some other bloggers we know.
As for being a journalist, I don’t think there is any dispute over here about that. Where, exactly, did you get your journalistic training again?
But this is blogland, in case you didn’t notice, and we are sort of like the liberal Bill Maher and the conservative Dennis Miller at times. Perhaps your church Website and Mr. C don’t get that, like they don’t get references to plays they’ve never seen and don’t understand.
And when it comes right down to it, if you can’t have a sense of humor, what good are you?
February 23rd, 2008 at 9:45 pm
guess i was thinking more along the lines of you adding this to your blog as a point of interest. you didn’t, which means you do not feel strongly about the validity of Curran’s article.
February 23rd, 2008 at 9:57 pm
I mean, which part of news and journal don’t you get? I link to news stories on the Locust Fork World News. And write stories on the Locust Fork Journal. I know this is not what you blogity bloggers are used to, and since you don’t have a creative thought in your head, you don’t get it. And you didn’t answer my question. Since you seem to think you are the authority on what constitutes a “journalist,” just what qualifies you? Do you even have a high school degree?
And, you are obviously not in a position to know what anything means on this site or any other, except that hack site for Bob Riley parading as a news site. I notice your e-mail address is al state news. Looks like a Riley site to me…