Montgomery Independent Prints Scott Horton Hit Piece

This is a strange situation (0.00 / 0)

Curran's article is an opinion piece that starts on the front page (!?) and is accompanied by an unusually long Editor's Note.  Speaking of the Mobile Press-Register, the Birmingham News and the Huntsville Times, the EN states:

The Independent has not published any criticisms of those newspapers, now operated under the corporate umbrella of Advance Publications, or any criticisms of Eddie Curran, a friend of the editor. Horton's writings are opinion columns and have been published in the opinion section of the newspaper. However, we have corroborated any facts reported in his articles, particularly those involving Judge Fuller's ownership in Doss Aviation, Doss of Alabama and Aureus International, their contracts with the Air Force, the FBI and the Department of Defense and Judge Fuller's 43.75% ownership, which is documented in federal court filings. Judge Fuller has not refuted this information. Eddie called and requested to write this article, which we publish without editing, and even though it is an opinion article, we start it on Page One.

So the Independent is careful to mention they haven't criticized the Big 3 papers in Alabama, that Curran is a friend of the editor and that they have checked the facts on the Horton pieces they have run.  This strikes me as very far out of the ordinary for an opinion piece, as is starting it on the front page. 

I encourage all of you to watch the upcoming 60 Minutes story, read Scott Horton's pieces at No Comment, relevant blog posts at Locust Fork and Legal Schnauzer, and of course read Eddie Curran's piece, then form your own opinion of what really happened to land former Gov. Don Siegelman in jail. 

The facts are being revealed and I have no doubt that y'all can figure out what they mean.  So go, read, watch and decide for yourselves.  And feel free to discuss, of course.

Work harder and work smarter!

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by: mooncat @ Sat Feb 23, 2008 at 22:28:55 PM CST

got the same email (4.00 / 1)

was just about to blog it here, and thank goodness jonwil has saved me some pecking. I was astounded at the DEGREE of venom toward Horton....rofl

musta touched a nerve, Scott....the guy is so mad he's writing a BOOK.

Hopefully, the book will keep him occupied well into the next century, and he won't have as much time to spew this GOP-financed trollop all over the public newspaper. ^o^ 

When in doubt tell the truth. It will confound your enemies and astound your friends.---Mark Twain

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by: julie @ Sun Feb 24, 2008 at 09:49:24 AM CST

Roy (4.00 / 1)

I know that I'm speaking to the wrong crowd, but try to put both Curran's AND Horton's personal agendas aside and focus on the facts. To be intellectually honest, you can't dismiss Curran as a biased hack, but blindly take Horton's stories as pure gospel.  One of Curran's points is that Mark Fuller and Rob Riley did not know eachother "at the University of Alabama" as Jill Simpson now claims and that it is virtually impossible for Riley to have supposedly learned about Fuller's business interests while they were both at UA.  Just one of the many "facts" that Horton has gotten wrong and on which he builds his opinion pieces supporting the grand conspiracy.  The facts are that Fuller's stock ownership in a government contractor was a matter of easily accessible public record from the moment he took the bench, and nobody (including Gov. Siegelman) raised any objection to him presiding over the case until after the trial was concluded. As I have said here before, Gov.Siegelman can be innocent and ultimately victorious on appeal without requiring Judge Fuller to be corrupt. 

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by: Roy @ Sun Feb 24, 2008 at 10:32:53 AM CST

Curran Confirms His Role as a Siegelman Hitman (4.00 / 1)

I became aware of Eddie Curran some two years ago and closely read his articles in The Press-Register during the Siegelman-Scrushy trial.  And compared them to the reports in The Birmingham News. His account of the trial was always negative toward Siegelman and his attorneys.  Now Curran is showing just how biased he was...and is.  He can no longer pose as a reporter with even an ounce of objectivity.  His response to Scott Horton has been crafted with the help of the Riley camp and is so full of holes that even an informed fifth-grader could debunk it.  I'm sure he's pissed that Scott Stantis (another GOP operative) won a Pulitzer and despite Louis Franklin's accolades, he is being bypassed for major recognition for his role in the Siegelman hit.  But rest assured that his former Press-Register colleague who's now editor of The American Spectator is assisting him in finding a publisher for his book.  Maybe he can join Ann Coulter and Sean Hannity and Bill O'Reilly....all those on the extreme right who make a great living selling drivel to their adoring followers.

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by: urbanrover @ Sun Feb 24, 2008 at 11:45:36 AM CST

This is a little tangential but... (4.00 / 1)

Martin just lost a case against an Iranian-descended defense contractor, Alex Latifi, in Huntsville but not before she destroyed his life. Her main witness was a former disgruntled employee convicted of forgery. Martin contended Latifi sent state secrets (helicopter plans) to China. Ooooo, the Iranian-Chinese nexus right here in the heart-of-dixie. Wouldn’t Bush have loved to trumpet that in his next you’re all gonna die speech?

Turned out the helicopter plans are available on the internet…public domain.

 

http://www.al.com/news/birminghamnews/index.ssf?/base/news/1203844572280480.xml&coll=2 

"The age of reason will be reborn!"

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by: Melissa @ Sun Feb 24, 2008 at 12:04:18 PM CST

Fuller's Record (4.00 / 1)

Backloading an investigators salary and then falsely testifying under oath before the RSA board seems to be a sure sign of corruption and only 9 days after his appointment.  If you haven't read the Paul Weeks affidavit then here is a link to it.  Read it and see what you think after that. (Note is an 8+ meg file.)

I was under the impression that Siegelman attorneys did ask that Fuller recuse himself.  I will try to find the documentation on the motions.  But, Fuller should have recused himself without a motion after stating that the investigation of the DA's office by Siegelman appointee McAiley was a political agenda. 

Voting for the lesser of two evils is still better than voting for the most evil.

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by: jonwil @ Sun Feb 24, 2008 at 19:22:53 PM CST

Roy (4.00 / 1)

Sorry, but you are going to find that ALL of the parties accepted Fuller's presiding in this case (even praising him in the press) despite knowing everything that they know now, until the verdict went the wrong way.  Only AFTER the verdict, did Scrushy raise the alleged conflicts of interest in a motion, but Gov. Siegelman never joined the recusal request.  I would make a sizable wager that Fuller's alleged disqualification won't even make it into Gov. Siegelman's appellate brief.  Gov. Siegelman has real and valid claims to raise on appeal, but Fuller's alleged vendetta and purported professional misconduct is not among them. 

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by: Roy @ Sun Feb 24, 2008 at 19:37:14 PM CST

Recusal (4.00 / 1)

You didn't comment on the RSA matter.  I also mentioned that Fuller should have recused himself because of the appearance of impropriety.  All of these things about Fuller start stacking up and start to make you wonder.  Don't you think Fuller would have been far better served by recusing himself.  There is also the matter of still no transcript.  That is inexcusable.  Even if the court reporter died it should still be done by now.

Voting for the lesser of two evils is still better than voting for the most evil.

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by: jonwil @ Mon Feb 25, 2008 at 21:38:02 PM CST

[ Parent ]

Email asking why I would cancel over the Curran story (4.00 / 1)

Here is my reply-

The other side gets plenty of play in the Newhouse rags.  The GOP doesn't need another mouthpiece in Alabama.  Why didn't Curran submit his story to the Press-Register? I am tired of biased hack reporters telling me I am a crazy conspiracy theorist.  I am not going to support a publication that front pages an opinion piece that offers only the pissed off rantings of a questionable journalist with a book to sell.

I never saw Scott Horton's opinion pieces on the front page.  And the timing of this attack, right before the 60 Minutes segment is just playing into the ALGOP spin.  Why not print the Larisa Alexandrovna stories about Siegelman from the Raw Story.  Why this piece in this paper at this time?

Are you willing to print a Scott Horton rebuttal to Curran on your front page for a couple of weeks?
If you do I will subscribe for 3 years, payment in advance.

Voting for the lesser of two evils is still better than voting for the most evil.

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by: jonwil @ Mon Feb 25, 2008 at 21:23:45 PM CST

The front page position for Curran's piece was over the top (0.00 / 0)

Frankly, I don't think you've lost much by cancelling your subscription.

Work harder and work smarter!

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by: mooncat @ Mon Feb 25, 2008 at 22:38:09 PM CST

[ Parent ]