Author Radio Interview

Siegelman's worst character trait?

 The story behind the stories that unearthed the secret,  concealed second life of the "lottery foundation?"

"Mikey" from the Life cereal commercials as a member of Siegelman's cabinet?

That and more in this radio interview I gave in March.

     In mid-March I taped the following radio interview with Doc Kirby for his, "On the Bookshelf" program on Troy-based WTBF. I was visiting to participate in Troy University journalism department's annual "M. Stanton Evans Symposium on Money, Politics and the Media."

    Kirby came to the interview knowing the subject, prepared to ask informed questions, and ready for fun. 

   Kirby, shown at bottom, is also a lecturer at the university.

   The interview was quite long, and Kirby edited it down to about 30 minutes.      Below is a rough guide to the subject matters we discussed and when, during the interview, they came up. I think the interview presents a pretty good synopsis of, "The Governor of Goat Hill." For the interview, click here.

   Start: Explaining how and why I first started looking into the Siegelman administration.

   4 minute mark: The G.H. ("Goat Hill") Construction story, and its role in starting the investigation into Siegelman.

   5:45 minute mark: On Nick Bailey, and what I believe to be Siegelman's greatest personal flaw.

   7:50 minute mark: How I stumbled upon the hidden, secret second life of the "Alabama Education Lottery Foundation."

   This was the series of stories that led to Richard Scrushy becoming part of the investigation into various matters regarding the Siegelman administration. 

    This section leads into an analysis of Siegelman and his fiercely aggressive fund-raising techniques.

  14:00 minute mark: Here, I discuss stories about the at least $1.4 million paid to Siegelman in legal fees while he was governor.

  18:30 minute mark: In which we talk about the odd entrance into the Siegelman case of north Alabama lawyer Jill Simpson, and the manner in which Siegelman and his public relations people managed to sell Simpson as a legitimate source linking Karl Rove to the Siegelman prosecution. Related issues are also discussed, including: The silliness of the premise that Karl Rove would or could order the Justice Department to prosecute Siegelman; and the failings of the national media, especially as contrasted to the reporting

on the same matter by the Alabama media.

  23 minute mark: On the coverage, or rather, mis-coverage, of the Siegelman case by the New York Times and others after they were given an affidavit by Simpson. I also touch upon a theme I bring up in some of my talks: That the Times, it would seem almost as a whole (news side and editorial), fails to understand Alabama politics.

  

Doc Kirby, of WTBF, Troy, AL