for 25 FEB 08: DON'S NO JUAN

Sunday seemed to be Alabama Day on CBS. The network showed the Alabama-Auburn men's basketball's game in the afternoon -- then a story about a former governor during the evening on "60 Minutes." The Wisconsin-Ohio State game must have been a concession to all the Yankees, at network headquarters in New York.

We're focusing on the 60 Minutes telecast, because of a strange new allegation made there. Jill Simpson claimed former White House aide Karl Rove asked her to catch former Alabama Governor Don Siegelman cheating on his wife "if I could." C'mon, Mr. Rove - not all Democrats followed Bill Clinton's example.

Jill Simpson says she spent five years with the Republican Party in Alabama, doing "opposition research." I think this is what New England Patriots coach Bill Belicheck also called it for years....

Jill Simpson says she met with Karl Rove in 2001, and Rove asked her to do some spying on then-Governor Don Siegelman. She reports she watched for months, but found NO evidence of Siegelman cheating on his wife. OK - but did Simpson spot him sneaking into Georgia to buy lottery tickets?

Then came a discussion about the 2002 Alabama Governor's race. Jill Simpson says Karl Rove told her: "My girls can take care of Siegelman" - referring to two female federal prosecutors. For a moment, Simpson must have thought the attorneys were going to use that OTHER type of "bar association."

We should note that Karl Rove denies ever saying these things to Jill Simpson. But White House officials such as Rove have refused to tell their side of the story to a Congressional committee, while Simpson did. After looking at her, I don't think lawmakers are going to confuse her with O.J. Simpson.

The point of the 60 Minutes report was to suggest that Don Siegelman's conviction on bribery charges two years ago was based on Republican political scheming, more than actual evidence. More than 50 former Attorneys General from across the country have called for Congress to review the case -- and we hope they enjoyed their rounds on the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail.

Former Arizona Attorney General Grant Woods (a Republican) told 60 Minutes the prosecution of Don Siegelman was a "personal" matter. He says that explains why Siegelman was hustled off to prison immediately after he was sentenced last summer. But hold on here - didn't he have 13 months after his conviction to pack?

The 60 Minutes report also included videotape of Don Siegelman's current "home." He was shown working with a mop, at a federal prison in Louisiana. If Siegelman ever serves in an elected office again, maybe he'll suggest other politicians do that in government buildings to save money.

Oh yes, that basketball game - Auburn outlasted Alabama 88-76. CBS's Ian Eagle declared the game at Beard-Eaves Memorial Coliseum was "on the road to the Final Four." If that's true, some driver for the network took a very wrong turn at Knoxville or Memphis.

There wasn't much else going on this weekend worth joking about - but here's what we found:

+ Tommy Lee Jones failed to win the Best Actor Oscar for "In the Valley of Elah," which was based on the Richard Davis murder case. Daniel Day-Lewis won for his role in "There Will Be Blood" - a title which could have been placed on the Richard Davis movie, or a Red Cross appeal for donors.

(Speaking of the Oscars: did you see Tilda Swinton, the Best Supporting Actress? I never saw Deborah Singer right after she woke up in the morning - but I think Swinton was imitating that.)

+ The Columbus Civic Center rink was opened to the public, for Sunday ice skating. I think there's a way to attract a bigger crowd for this - mention some budding figure skaters will practice "death spirals."

+ A convenience store in Portal, Georgia claimed to have sold a winning Mega Millions ticket, worth 270 million dollars. Portal is located near Statesboro, and has a population of about 600 people. If the winner lives there, he or she might become the first owner of a Georgia town since Kim Basinger.

+ ESPN Radio reported Atlanta Falcons tight end Alge Crumpler plans to meet with the Tennessee Titans this week. It's enough to make the new coaching staff break out in song and ask: "What's it all about, Alge?"

+ Instant Message to all the NASCAR fans who complained about severe weather interruptions on TV during the Daytona 500: I think what happened Sunday with the race in California is called karma.

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