Alabama GOP Asks For Proof on Karl Rove Hit Piece…
Or, demands that the network retract the story!
Did CBS learn nothing from their last major scandal?
The chairman of the Alabama Republican Party sent a letter to “60 Minutes” producers asking for a retraction unless they could provide evidence backing up a segment on former Gov. Don Siegelman’s prosecution- Birmingham News.
This letter to “60 Minutes” was posted today at Blogs For Victory.
Via LGF Quick Links:
Dear Mr. Pelley,
Last Sunday, you aired a piece on “60 Minutes” that I consider a broad, frontal and unfair attack on our Republican president, his one-time top advisor, Alabama’s Republican Governor and our party, in general.
The report included an interview with a small town attorney, Dana Jill Simpson, who outrageously claimed that Karl Rove asked her to take explicit photos of Don Siegelman having improper extra-marital relations with “an aide” in 2001. Her interview with “60 Minutes” was the first time her newest charge appeared, despite her having testified for several hours before a committee of the U.S. Congress, and was the first time she claimed having met with Mr. Rove.
Most importantly, neither Dana Jill Simpson, nor your story or your network provided one shred of evidence that her charges had any merit or kernel of truth.
In contrast, the Wednesday, February 27, edition of the Birmingham News printed an interview with Mr. Rove in which he vehemently denies Simpson’s charges and expresses deep frustration in “60 Minutes” failure to obtain evidence of any relationship between them before airing such an explosive story. He further denies knowing Simpson, meeting or speaking with her or even having knowledge of the Siegelman prosecution beyond what he learned from traditional media coverage…
Given the serious nature of the charges, and the fact that 60 Minutes’ reputation as a reliable news source is once again at stake, I am asking that you publicly produce any evidence that was provided to you which substantiates Simpson’s claims…
** If you are unable to publicly produce hard and convincing evidence that backs the outrageous charges you aired to millions of viewers across the nation, I ask that you publicly retract the story on your next broadcast. The most basic journalistic ethics would demand as much.
I find it difficult to believe that Karl Rove, in his first year of White House service in 2001 and dealing with the aftereffects of September 11, could find time to concentrate his attention on an Alabama governor’s race more than one year away. Even more difficult to believe is that Rove knew Simpson, would meet with her or send her on the absurd assignments that she claims. Only the most committed anti-Rove/Bush activist could swallow such a tale.
“60 Minutes” disdain for the Republican Party brought you embarrassment when you ran a bogus and fraudulent story in the fall of 2004 about President Bush and his National Guard record, and your organization ultimately admitted to not having followed “basic journalistic principles”. I fear that unless you are able to provide the hard evidence requested, it is apparent that 60 Minutes did not learn anything from that embarrassing event in your history.
I eagerly await your reply.
Sincerely,
Rep. Mike Hubbard
Chairman, Alabama Republican Party
Hold on.
This ought to get good!
Where is the infamous Lucy Ramirez when you need her?
UPDATE: Confederate Yankee has much more background on the case including this bad news for CBS:
CBS News seems to have a lot to prove in this case to avoid a retraction, including:
** Proof that Jill Simpson ever worked with the Alabama Republican Party beyond simply being a volunteer, seemingly the easiest fact to verify or disprove.
** Proof that Simpson ever did “opposition research” for the Alabama Republican Party and Karl Rove.
** Proof that Simpson had been in contact with Rove.
** Proof that Rove asked Simpson to take compromising photographs of Don Siegelman
Good luck!
This does not look good for CBS.
UPDATE 2: Macsmind has video of Karl Rove denying that this woman was a Republican operative in any campaign he has worked on and that the story is a complete lie.
UPDATE 3: Who is Dana Jill Simpson?
The Alabama Republican Party has no record of her working on any campaign:
This was from an MSNBC interview with Miss Simpson.
Here is the Alabama GOP statement from Sunday on the accusations of Dana Jill Simpson:
“Our staff has done an exhaustive search of Alabama Republican Party records going back several years, and we can find not one instance of Dana Jill Simpson volunteering or working on behalf of the Alabama Republican Party – as stated by 60 Minutes reporter Scott Pelley. Nor can we find anyone within the Republican Party leadership in Alabama who has ever so much as heard of Dana Jill Simpson until she made her first wave of accusations last summer in an affidavit originally released only to the New York Times.
My word!
Is she just some kook?
Here is the Alabama GOP “Fact versus Fiction” page on Jill Simpson (pdf).
