U.S. Attorney Scandal—Birmingham, Cont’d

By Scott Horton

Something’s rotten in the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Heart of Dixie Edition, continued. Seems that the New York Times has now secured the full text of the affidavit which is quoted in the morning edition, and it’s far more explosive than first indicated. To the point, it fingers the White House operator who called the shots to line up a prosecution of Governor Siegelman, and his name is Karl Rove.

Canary said “not to worry — that he had already gotten it worked out with Karl and Karl had spoken with the Department of Justice and the Department of Justice was already pursuing Don Siegelman,” the Simpson affidavit says.

So Karl Rove was in on a GOP scheme to secure the Montgomery Statehouse, the first step was to bring a prosecution against the incumbent Democratic governor, Rove gave the command, and the U.S. Attorney in Birmingham went marching merrily off to do his bidding. Why is this so unsurprising?

The Republican operative, William Canary, is of course the husband of the U.S. Attorney in Montgomery and a close friend of the U.S. Attorney in Birmingham. But more than this, he is also tied at the hip to Karl Rove.

Recall that after Rove had a severe falling out with his partner in Texas and got an ear-boxing from President Bush 41, he fled off to Alabama, where he was able to reignite his career with some very dark projects. His savior and bosom buddy was the same William Canary who figures so prominently in this affidavit. Their relationship was portrayed in an important article in the November 2004 Atlantic by Josh Green entitled “Karl Rove in a Corner.” Did Canary have access? Hell yes. Would Rove jump to his bidding? You betcha. Is this affidavit credible? Better than that.