Green's November 2004 piece is the definitive report of Rove's tactics in Alabama. And remember, Rove made his national reputation in Alabama, not Texas. And he made his reputation on state court races in Alabama.
Keep in mind that federal judges are appointed, nominated by the administration in charge with oversight from the Senate. That process certainly is political. But politics of the justice system really kicks into high gear at the state level, especially in states like Alabama where judges are elected.
How did Rove go about politicizing Alabama state courts? Green recently provided more insight. In the April 2007 Atlantic, Green had a followup article about Rove's tactics in his first big Alabama race--the 1994 battle for chief justice of the Alabama Supreme Court. Rove's candidate won in a scenario that is strikingly similar to Bush/Gore 2000.
Note the words Rove's own staffer uses to describe Rove's tactics: The other side is to be portrayed as "liars, cheaters, stealers, immoral."Does that sound underhanded to you? It's interesting to read Green's pieces and ask yourself this question: If Rove and company would go to these lengths to put Republican judges in office, how would Republican judges conduct themselves once they had control in Alabama? Would they favor people with ties to the Alabama Republican hierarchy? And just how far will Republican judges go to favor and protect certain parties?
I had the misfortune of discovering the answer to those questions in a highly personal way. The purpose of this blog is to lay out the story for you.
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