Siegelman appeals to Colorado Dems and asks to contact their reps on his behalf.

DENVER - Former Gov. Don Siegelman, speaking Monday on the sidelines of the Democratic National Convention, urged Colorado Democrats to rally behind his appeal of a 2006 conviction for bribery and mail fraud, saying his public campaign "is not about me. It's about the future of our country."

Siegelman was received warmly by the audience of about 250 at a downtown hotel.

But Alabama Democrats steered clear of the breakfast event. The state's 300-member delegation gathered across town to hear U.S. Rep. Heath Shuler, D-N.C., a former University of Tennessee football star.

The former governor offered the audience a recap of his case and asked them to contact their elected representatives on his behalf.

Congress, he said, should vote to hold Rove in contempt for failing to respond to a subpoena issued by the House Judiciary Committee.

Rove "will walk off into the sunset unless we hold him accountable for his role in this," Siegelman said in the 10-minute speech. "I'm here today to ask you to talk to your members of Congress and ask them to support a contempt resolution against him."

Audience members gave Siegelman a hearty round of applause. U.S. Rep. Ed Perlmutter, D-Colo., said Siegelman should be exonerated.

"This was a political witch hunt led by Karl Rove, and he will have to answer for his crimes," Perlmutter said.

In an interview after his speech, Siegelman said he did not want to divert attention from Obama this week and that he planned to keep a low profile at the convention. He said he believed that the country was eager to move past the Bush administration, and that some members of Congress may be just as ready to put his case behind them.

"People are ready to turn the page. Look, I've been around a long time, and I know, as Democrats, we've got a positive agenda, and we don't want to get bogged down in this negative stuff," said Siegelman, who served in Alabama politics for nearly three decades. "That's why the timing is so critical. It's important we reach out to as many congressmen as we can because I know the window may be closing."

U.S. Rep. Artur Davis, D-Birmingham, a member of the House Judiciary Committee, said he supports a congressional review of Siegelman's prosecution. But Davis said he preferred to not to take up the case in Denver.

"It merits an investigation, along with other activities inside the Bush Department of Justice. But, frankly, our focus this week needs to stay on where we want to take this country" in the upcoming election, said Davis, who has been one of Siegelman's leading advocates on Capitol Hill.

http://blog.al.com/live/2008/08/siegelman_appeals_to_colorado.html