Don Siegelman Calls on House to Hold Karl Rove in Contempt

Editor's note: Former Alabama Democratic Gov. Don Siegelman has been fighting to clear his name after being convicted of bribery for appointing a campaign supporter to a non-paying position on a state board -- a practice that is commonplace in American politics. Siegelman believes Karl Rove, the president's former political strategist, was behind his prosecution by U.S. attorneys, just as Alabama Republicans stole his 2002 governor's race by revising the vote count in one county and sealing access to the ballots for a recount. Seigelman spoke about why Rove must be held accountable for failing to testify before Congress at an election integrity panel at the Denver Press Club on Sunday. The panel was a briefing for reporters attending the Democratic Convention. Here is an excerpt.

I am from Alabama. I know something about how votes are suppressed. I know how those in power seek to control elections.

The spirit of the civil rights movement was not deterred by police dogs. The spirit of the civil rights movement was not beaten back by billy clubs, or dampened by the water cannon. The spirit of that movement was built upon the belief that every person should have the right to vote, and that those votes should be counted.