Democrats being called/subpoened in Alabama

[MelissaB]

More called in college probe

By Dana Beyerle,
Montgomery Bureau

Montgomery The list of state officials receiving subpoenas to the federal grand jury that is investigating corruption in the two-year college system now includes most, if not all, of the ones who work or worked for the system or had contracts with it.

State Rep. Craig Ford, D-Gadsden, Rep. Ken Guin, D-Carbon Hill, and Rep. Laura Hall, D-Huntsville, got subpoenas to appear next week.

"I don't have a clue what they want to talk about," said Ford, a businessman who had an insurance contract with Gadsden State Community College. "I don't have anything to hide," Ford said.

Also, state school board members Ethel Hall, of Fairfield, and David Byers Jr., of Birmingham, were subpoenaed.

Gadsden State Community College President Renee Culverhouse received a subpoena. She has testified to the grand jury at least once.

The list of legislators being subpoenaed is up to 12 current and one former legislator. They all have or have had ties to the two-year college system through jobs or contracts.

More: http://timesdaily.com/article/20080308/NEWS/803080319/1...

So, here's the list of people being called. Either the dems are very corrupt or this is more of the same.

Democrats
State Rep. Craig Ford D-Gadsden,
Rep. Ken Guin D-Carbon Hill
Rep. Laura Hall, D-Huntsville
Rep. Betty Carol Graham, D-Alexander City
Rep. Ralph Howard, D-Greensboro
Rep. Randy Hinshaw, D-Meridianville
Sen. Lowell Barron, D-Fyffe, chairman of the Senate Rules Committee and the former Senate president pro tem
Sen. Bobby Denton, D-Muscle Shoals
Senate President Pro Tem Hinton Mitchem, D-Union Grove
Sen. Rodger Smitherman, D-Birmingham, chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee
Rep. Merika Coleman, D-Birmingham
Rep. Jack Page, D-Gadsden
Rep. Neal Morrison, D-Cullman, the interim president of Bevill State Community College


Republicans:
Rep. Blaine Galliher, R-Rainbow City
Rep. Todd Greeson, R-Ider, Hinshaw



Unknown:
state school board members Ethel Hall, of Fairfield, and David Byers Jr., of Birmingham

[Elwood P Dowd]

1. They also investigated Joe and Tim Turnham.

Joe is Chairman of the Alabama Democratic Party but no charges were filed. Brother Tim has been charged. The repukes are determined to destroy the Democratic Party in Alabama. KKKarl Rove and his dirty deeds at work again.

[Warpy]

2. It looks like the GOP in Alabama has declared war

on the Democrats and is using the legal system as the main weapon. Since nobody has a clue what the hearings are about, it has all the earmarks of a fishing expedition.

The ones who have lawyered up and plan to plead the fifth amendment might be the smart ones.

[annabanana]

5. That's what it looks like alright.

January '08.. We have to send the National Guard back down to Dixie. If it's not protecting little black kids trying to go to school like regular Americans.. it's trying to rein in a criminal, out of control Judicial system.

(It's always something)

[Elwood P Dowd]

7. No, the problem originates in Washington. That's where the head of this monster resides.

KKKarl, Bushitler, Cheney, and the repuke party cooked up this shit. The ones in Alabama are just the foot soldiers, not the generals.

[Wizard777]

19. Just a small part ofthe greater GOP coup. Personally I'm in favor of a civil war with the GOP.

Bring it on!

[Riddler]

3. No doubt the rethuglican party in Alabama is trying to divert attention

away from their partisan and illegal persecution of Siegleman

[spanone]

4. using the thug judicial power to destroy political enemies

[Pastiche423]

6. Interesting...

Rep. Jack Page, D-Gadsden referred calls to his attorney, Redding Pitt, who said Friday he was preparing for an unrelated trial and didn't have time to discuss Page's case.

For those unaware, Redding Pitt is the father of DUer William Pitt.

[MelissaB]

9. I'm glad you pointed that out because I missed it.

[Pastiche423]

10. It's an unusal name

that's why it jumped out at me.

[Elwood P Dowd]

8. What's happening down here should be a huge story on DU.

We are like the template for a fascist takeover and total destruction of our Constitution. If they get away with it here, it will be coming to your neighborhood in the near future.

[neverforget]

11. Is it illegal to be a Democrat now in Alabama?

[Elwood P Dowd]

12. Kick. Somebody give Melissa another rec.

Some nasty shit happening down here in my home state.

[MelissaB]

13. Thanks, Elwood!

I just moved from Alabama after 42 years and miss it terribly. My roots are there and I want to go back.

[suffragette]

14. Horton been doing some great coverage of this

http://www.harpers.org/archive/2008/02/hbc-90002316
Riley and his G.O.P. campaign team have settled on a campaign to accomplish their objective. They did some quick tallying and found that 33 legislators have some position in the state’s two-year college program. Thirty of them are Democrats. So, Riley and his team reason, if they can take out this group, they will accomplish their objective of crafting a new G.O.P. legislature. Hence the hew and cry of “double dipping” pursued in perfect concert between Riley, the Birmingham News and Alice Martin. Of course, legislators who teach in universities and 4-year colleges arguably face the same issues. And indeed, so do doctors, lawyers, accountants, insurance men–professionals who may regularly sell their services to the state–or even car dealers, like Bob Riley. Why aren’t we discussing them as well? There’s a simple answer to that undeniably logical question: run the numbers and look at the party affiliations of those involved. You’ll see that it wouldn’t serve the objective of creating a Republican legislature to push the question so far. So two-year colleges is just fine, thank you.

This is so blatantly political. And so damned wrong.

On another topic. I saw this thread before signing in today and there was an ad running in the thread FOR Jeff Sessions. Ack, my eyes. Mods, please get that ad out of here.

[MelissaB]

15. Thanks so much for that link!

[suffragette]

16. Went to Google news and saw there that the media outlets

Horton discussed are leading the witchhunt, especially the Birmingham one.

At least now attention is being paid to the manipulation and political targeting going on here by other publications. And I think we need to thank Horton and Larissa for that. They've worked tirelessly on this.

Found one interesting article with more important info on this:http://www.southernpoliticalreport.com/storylink_39_267... “

The drama surrounding these actions and the U.S. Department of Justice’s disruption of a legislative session for the routine serving of a summons to appear in court sends a poor signal to Alabama citizens who are already complaining about partisan political interference into the federal prosecution of former Democratic Governor Don Siegelman,” said Alabama Democratic Party executive director Jim Spearman.

He charged reporters were tipped off in advance when U.S. Marshalls came to the state capitol Thursday to serve the legislators, all of whom have worked in the state community college system now or in the past. The investigation seems to center on whether legislators or family members were paid by the system for work they didn’t do.

Spearman called for a federal inquiry “to assure Alabama citizens that politics and partisanship have not been used in prosecutions or in the serving of subpoenas.”

Some of the most powerful Democrats in the legislature were among those served in the probe, including Senate President pro tem Hinton Mitchem, Senate Rules Chairman Lowell Barron and House Majority Leader Ken Guin.

[MelissaB]

17. Kicking my own thread.

[Elwood P Dowd]

18. 60 Minutes should do a segment on this if they ever follow up

on the Siegelman story. Basically what's happening in Alabama is that Bush/Rove/Riley and the US Attorney office wants to throw all the prominent Democrats in jail and turn the state into their own little republican playground.

[Jack Rabbit]

20. This is why Bush and Cheney should not have been allowed to continue in office

Don Siegelman and those currently under investigation could give us a few good reasons why, too.