This is what a Legal Lynching looks like

The worst kept secret in Alabama came to light yesterday when the Bush/Dick/Artur Davis infused InJustice Department spread out across the state and"perp walked" Victory Land owner Milton McGregor and other individuals on federal charges of conspiracy, bribery and honest services fraud, 29 days prior to an election, but it's not a political witch hunt because the Bush/Dick/Artur Davis infused "Obama" In Justice Department is bringing the charges and they certainly wouldn't want to "hurt their own party prior to the election". *Snark* Take off your tin foil hat and go back to sleep. *Snark* This is about cleaning up and restoring faith in our state government dammit! Yeah right.

Now where have we heard of charges of conspiracy, bribery and honest services fraud being filed prior to an Alabama gubernatorial election before? Oh, I know!
Shades of Siegelman

Is Don Siegelman in prison because he’s a criminal or because he belonged to the wrong political party in Alabama? Siegelman is the former governor of Alabama, and he was the most successful Democrat in that Republican state. But while he was governor, the U.S. Justice Department launched multiple investigations that went on year after year until, finally, a jury convicted Siegelman of bribery.

Here we go again. The last time it was about an Education Lottery, this time it's about B-I-N-G-O and democratic gubernatorial candidate Ron Sparks PLAN to tax gambling revenues.

State Agriculture Commissioner Ron Sparks fashioned a campaign platform for governor that calls for taxes on the gambling industry and the creation of a state lottery to provide tax cuts for Alabama families and college scholarships for their children.

I am still trying to figure out why it's illegal for grown A$$ people to play BINGO or the lottery with their own damn money in Alabama but I digress, I want to debunk the "it's not a political witch hunt because it's Obama's Justice Department" meme.
Legal Schnauzer reports;

The U.S. Justice Department is spinning today's actions as a legitimate probe focused on corruption connected to gambling legislation. But our sources have been saying for weeks that it is designed to affect the November elections. Polls show Republican Robert Bentley already leading Democrat Ron Sparks in the race for governor, and the arrests could help the GOP take over one or both houses of the Alabama Legislature, a long-stated goal of outgoing governor Bob Riley.

Although President Obama is the President and Eric Holder is the Attorney General, their power is shall I say limited because their nominees to fill key Justice Department slots are being held up by Secret Holds.....

All of the people that are questioning Pres. Obama do not really know about the legal process. All US Senators can place what are called "HOLD" or a block of replacing federal officials. Obama cannot replace Canery because she is being held up by our two US Senators (Shelby and Sessions). Now I think that everyone knows why the holds are in place.

If Obama wants to replace any attorney, he has to send that nomination to the Senate Judiciary Committee. Do anyone knows who is the ranking member of that Committee? Yes that's right it is Senator Jefferson Beauregard Session III.

A lot of us Professional Lefty's have long questioned why President Obama hasn't stoped the Legal Lynching and restored honesty and integrity to the Justice Department like he promised, now we know we can thank Artur Davis for providing the rope.

With Davis largely at the helm, what do we have in terms of federal appointees? Well, Bush lackey Leura Canary still is U.S. attorney for the Middle District of Alabama. Joyce White Vance holds office in the Northern District, where she has done little but protect and cover up for her corrupt predecessor, Alice Martin. And I have seen evidence that one Obama nominee to the federal bench, chosen with Davis' help, is little more than a toady for corrupt corporate interests. The notion that these people were chosen for their "legal ability" makes me want to guffaw.

In short, Davis' handling of the federal-nominations process in Alabama has been an unmitigated disaster.

Former democratic Alabama Governor Don Siegelman was the first to sound the alarm;

I think this will make Watergate look like child's play when it is fully
investigated, not so much this case because certainly it's not about
me. It's about restoring justice and protecting our democracy and,
because this case shows the lengths to which those who are
obsessed with power will go in order to gain power or retain power,

Democratic gubernatorial nominee Ron Sparks is sounding the alarm;

“Anyone who loves democracy and freedom should be concerned with the timing of these indictments. Waiting to announce indictments after the election would have had no impact on the cause of justice. The timing of this, regardless of how you feel about it, is suspicious and must be questioned.”

This is a bipartisan alarm(please read the comments and tell me it's not political)“This is an outrage. This is a nakedly political move, coordinated by prosecutors in cahoots with the Governor’s office to deny the people of the Wire grass their right to vote and their lawful representation,” Smith said. “We are not going to allow this to happen! I am committed to fighting these charges, and winning this election.”

What we have here is called exaggeration for effect You know the drill....spin the facts to make it look like the democratically controlled state legislature is guilty of ethical and legal improprieties, try the "case" in the media and on blogs, then convict in the court of public opinion, hoping the misinformed/uninformed voters will fall for the Okey Doke. Voila! Legal Lynching.

What I want to see front and center from my party regarding this matter is a condemnation of corruption and political prosecutions of/for/and by the republican infused Justice Department, which would be something on these lines;

Corruption has no place in the Justice Department, period. Injstice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. When injustice is present in government corruption thrives. We believe in liberty and justice for all and a justice system that works for people and not to punish political oppenents. Turning a blind eye to political prosecutions goes against the very fabric of the system of justice our country was founded on. Political Presecutions are something a Communist country or an evil Dictator would do. Remember?

This is what I would to like hear from the gop regarding this matter;

“The ongoing investigation and subsequent arrests should cease immediately until republican Senators Richard Shelby and Jeff Sessions stop obstructing the Obama Justice department. This should serve as a referendum on the culture of corruption that has been prevalent in the Justice Department infused with loyal Bushies for far too long. It is our hope that today’s action by the gop infused, Obama Justice Department will lead to a systematic change in the U.S. Justice Department, and one that will restore honesty and interity to the people’s government.”

Sen. Richard Shelby (R-Ala.) on Thursday placed a blanket hold on all of President Barack Obama's nominees before the Senate, according to the office of Majority Leader Harry Reid.
Shelby's holds mean that the Senate cannot vote on a nominee unless the hold is broken using a cloture vote that requires 60 senators or if the senator lifts the hold.

You would think with all the problems facing Alabamians the state wouldn't waste precious resources to prove so called "vote buying" but here we go.

I don’t see any real point to clogging up the courts and spending money on this. It’s effectively turned into a longstanding p***ing contest between Riley and whoever favors gambling. I agree there are a few things in the indictments that are gonna screw a couple of these folks. But if the cash for votes policy is such a prosecutable offense, you might as well arrest everybody in the legislature that’s ever spoken to a lobbyist. Oh, and panty wuss of the year award goes to Benjamin Lewis. Hope he’s enjoying that cushy judgeship. He sure was at a lot of their get together. It almost sounds like he was interested.

A wiser investment of time would be to pay the guy at the state house to draft a bill requiring a commissioned fight between Bob Riley and Milton McGregor. Riley wins, no gambling, McGregor wins, Vegas vacation! Makes use of the boxing commission we got a couple years back at the least. Plus, you can put it on pay-per-view and make up for that education shortfall and then some. No betting allowed though! I’d say Bob’s got a longer reach and a good jab, but my money would be on Milton. He’s got more power and balance and is a submission hold guru.

Democrats are under attack by the Justice Department in Alabama.

"Montgomery, AL -- Alabama Democratic Party Executive Director Jim Spearman today called into question the method by which U.S. Marshals attempted to serve legislators subpoenas to appear to testify in a grand jury proceeding. Reporters were apparently tipped off by calls stating U.S. Marshals were coming to the Alabama Statehouse to serve some legislators. "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," says Spearman.

This is what a Legal Lynching looks like;

The attorney for Bessemer City Councilwoman Louise Alexander, accused of using her position for personal gain, has asked a judge to dismiss the case.

U. W. Clemon's motion, filed late Thursday, claimed that Alexander is "being selectively and vindictively prosecuted" by Attorney General Troy King, while similar cases have not been prosecuted. Clemon asked the judge to compel King's office to turn over information that would support the selective prosecution claim.

Alexander is charged in a five-count indictment in Jefferson County Circuit Court. She is accused of soliciting funds from businessman Stan Pate on Jan. 30, 2006, and Jan. 30, 2007.

This is what Artur Davis is saying today;

"Once again, the State of Alabama is the subject of an embarrassing spectacle that only confirms the worst suspicions about Alabama politics," Davis said in a statement issued today. "The indictments announced today are a sad commentary on the grip that gambling interests have on Alabama politics and the extent to which they have sought to corrupt this year's elections."

But this is what he said in February of 2008 regarding political prosecutions in Alabama before he resigned from the House Judicary Committee to run for Governor;

Here's Congressman Artur Davis (D, AL-07) pressing Attorney General Mukasey to identify steps he has taken to determine whether sworn allegations of political influence in the Department of Justice are accurate.

Is governing while democrat the problem?

Don Siegelman was the most prominent Democrat in the state when the Justice Department began investigating him. It looked like he had a bright future back then. As a frequent reader of newspapers in those days, it looked like the Alabama press were very happy to cover his problems and not interested in digging to see if there was a political angle to the investigations and the timing of the charges against him. Siegelman is now in prison (he is appealing the conviction) and his political hopes are in tatters.

Is it a coincidence that Rep. Artur Davis is one of the most prominent Democrats in Alabama right now, frequently mentioned as a future Governor or Senator? Surely we aren't seeing the beginning of a campaign to slime another Southern Democrat who looks like he could go places.

Government can't be "cleaned up" until the Justice Department is "cleaned up".

NO CLEAN JUSTICE.
NO CLEAN GOVERNMENT.