.........................................................................
- ........................................................................................................................................
William J. (Bill) Canary
Republican King Maker, Special Assistant to President George Bush,
Chief of Staff of the Republican National Committee and Riley
Advisor/Strategist
"Bill Canary is a political paratrooper." said former RNC
Chairman Rich Bond. "If you've got a problem that needs fixing,
you drop him in and it gets fixed."[4]
Bill Canary is a King-maker who hails from New York State, nick-
named the "carpet-bagger" in Alabama. His resume includes
being President of William J. Canary and Company, Inc., and
Chairman of the Board for the Capitol Group, L. L. C., and
former Special Assistant to President George Bush and Chief of
Staff of the Republican National Committee.[6]
Karl Rove and Bill Canary became pals during Canary’s days at
the White House in the 80's. They also worked closely in 1994 in
Alabama when as head of the the BCA (Business Council of
Alabama) Bill Canary brought Karl Rove from Texas
to help a Republican takeover of the Alabama statehouse. The
mission was to replace the traditionally Democrat-held state
Supreme Court with Republicans.[1]
Karl Rove was instrumental in endorsing Bill Canary to serve as
chief of staff for the Republican National Committee, as chief of
staff to the 2000 G.O.P. Convention chairman Andy Card, as
National Field Director for the Bush-Quayle campaign in 1992
and in 1989, President Bush appointed him to serve in the White
House as special assistant to the president for
intergovernmental affairs.[1]
In 1994, Mr. Canary and his mentor Karl Rove put together a
grand strategy to turn around the court system in Alabama,
putting the G.O.P.’s handpicked candidates in control of key
Alabama appellate court races. In a 1995 article, Time
Magazine’s Michael Kramer called Bill Canary a “legend in
Republican circles” and in the same article, former RNC
Chairman Rich Bond described Bill Canary as an “expert political
paratrooper” and “someone you dropped into a state where
something needed fixing and it got fixed.” Mr. Canary was the
architect of a special relationship between the Alabama
G.O.P. and the Business Council of Alabama that proved the
finance lifeline for many Alabama G.O.P. election campaigns. He
was widely described as the G.O.P.’s Alabama “kingpin.” [6]
- In Alabama, Canary prides himself on being a well-connected
Republican strategist. He sees himself as a Riley adviser, tightly
wired into Riley's policy making who has no patience with
Democrats at any level. He is also involved in Riley’s policy-
making.[3]
- Bill Canary apparently felt that one of Alabama's biggest
problems was Democratic Statesman Don Siegelman, and he
set out to "fix" that problem. Bill Canary received $40,000 from
Bill Pryor to be his political consultant in '98. Secure in a GOP
controlled judiciary, Pryor began investigating Siegelman almost
immediately after taking office .
In '01 Canary received $38,000 from Steve Windom to be his
consultant in the '02 Governor's race. Windom ran exclusively
on calling for an investigation of Siegelman. [5]
Steve Windom lost in the Republican primary to Bill Riley, but
during his campaign he continuously drew on the Leura Canary
investigation for political grist to support his “corruption”
accusations against Siegelman. The posturing, campaign
rhetoric, and advertising were arranged by William Canary. The
criminal investigations that fueled it were managed by his wife. [6]
This was an unorthodox strategy that led some to speculate that
Canary deliberately used Windom to help Riley. Campaign rule
of thumb is to attack your opponent - that would have been
Riley. In fact Windom did Riley's dirty work for him, helping Riley
appear to take the high road.
Rove and Canary maintained a friendly working relationship
when Karl Rove went to the White House, especially concerning
the "Siegelman problem". And in 2002 Karl Rove served as
Canary's white house connection to the DOJ, giving assurances
to Bill that Justice was pursuing Siegelman. And Canary gave
assurance to Rob Riley, son of Alabama Governor Bob Riley,
that "his girls" would "get Siegelman". His confidence was
grounded in the Bush appointment of Canary's "girls" (his wife,
Leura Canary and Alice Martin) to US Attorney positions in
Northern and Middle District Alabama; each began immediately
to pursue the Siegelman prosecution upon their appointment. [1]
Bill Canary resides in Montgomery with his wife Leura and their
children. Montgomery is Darby Rove's (Karl's second wife) home
town as well. [2]
[1]U.S. Attorney Scandal—Birmingham, Cont’d - Scott Horton's "No
Comment" for Harper's.org, June 2007
[2]Business Council of Alabama Website
[3]Business Alabama, Ford, August 2004
[4]TIME, Cramer, 3/27/95
[5] Southern trilogy: how Republicans captured governorships in Georgia,
South Carolina and Alabama
Case Studies Campaigns & Elections, June, 2003
by David Beile
[6] Alabama Congressional Resolution (HJR454)
CONGRATULATING WILLIAM J. AND LEURA GARRETT CANARY ON THE
BIRTH OF A DAUGHTER. 1998
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
| __________________________________________________________________________________________ Sponsored by Friends of Don Siegelman 2007 <feedback> __________________________________________________________________________________________ |
GOP OPERATIVES
BILL CANARY
BILL CANARY
 |  |  |  |  |  |
 |  |  |  |  |  |  |
| photo: BCA website William J. Canary is an Alabama GOP King maker who has no patience with Democrats at any level. He promised Rob Riley that "his girls" would "take care of Siegelman." |
 |  |  |  |  |  |