We've done posts on Don Siegelman before. The former Alabama governor was convicted of corruption on shaky grounds and imprisoned and kept from speaking out or appealing the verdict in an unbelievable story of Republican cronyism and amoral partisanship. Now it looks like the strong arming continues...all the way to the corporate offices of CBS. After all, it worked so well with Dan Rather...

at Largely:

Well folks, seems that 60 Minutes is postponing (read "killing") its Siegelman story. The excuse I am told for this lapse in ethics is that the network needs more time to vet the whistle-blower, Dana Jill Simpson. You see, the reason the network suddenly needs more time to vet Simpson is that the White House has launched a direct campaign inside CBS to discredit her and just to make sure the dirt sticks, they have called in some favors too. I am told that Senator Jeff Sessions has been instructed to help the White House discredit Simpson as part of his "Senatorial" duties. Nice system of government we have here, eh? So, two things are going to happen now. The first is, we will be including what 60 Minutes did not report as part of the Raw Story series on the case. Instead of 5 installments, we will now have 6. Second, all of you as citizens of this nation must voice your concerns about this situation to CBS. You want a free press? Then fight for it!



ADDRESS:

60 Minutes

524 West 57th St.

New York, NY 10019 EMAIL: 60m@cbsnews.com

PHONE: (212) 975-3247

UPDATE: Don Siegelman's birthday is coming up. Mark Crispin Miller has been in contact with him and says his spirits are low. You can send him a card of support via the address here. (h/t MBH)