Posted on 07/12/2004 8:01:48 AM PDT by areafiftyone
AP) John Edwards, the newly-named Democratic vice presidential candidate, suggested that President Bush's administration dragged its feet in prosecuting alleged "corporate crooks" such as former Enron chief executive Kenneth Lay.
"It took three long years to see Ken Lay handcuffed and indicted for what he did," the North Carolina senator said Saturday in the weekly Democratic radio address. "In November, middle-class families will be able to rest assured that John Kerry will look out for their interests, restore corporate responsibility and put our economy back in line with our values."
He said Kerry understands that families are struggling to stay afloat.
"You can't save any money because it takes every dime you make to just to pay your bills. And if something goes wrong, a serious illness, or a layoff, you go right off the cliff," he said. "And to make things even worse, millions of Americans have lost their life's savings and pensions because of corporate crooks like Ken Lay."
Lay, a big political contributor whose largesse went mostly to Republicans, surrendered to authorities in Houston on Thursday and declared his innocence of charges he fraudulently hid losses and debt problems at Enron. He was indicted Thursday after a 2½-year investigation into the energy giant's collapse.
Lay and his wife contributed more than $790,000 to Republicans and slightly more than $86,000 to Democrats from 1989 to 2001, according to the nonpartisan Center for Responsive Politics. Lay, a friend and major fund-raising "Pioneer" for Mr. Bush, collected $100,000 for Mr. Bush in 2000. Enron donated $100,000 to Mr. Bush's inaugural gala.
The Bush campaign said Friday that Lay attended a dinner at Kerry's Georgetown home "10 months after Enron went under" and that Lay had been on a board, the Heinz Foundation, overseen by Kerry's wife, Teresa Heinz Kerry.
Kerry spokeswoman Stephanie Cutter said Kerry wasn't at the dinner, the foundation was philanthropic, and Lay is no longer on the board.
Edwards, named by Kerry to the Democratic ticket on Tuesday, gave a few more details about what transpired that morning when the Massachusetts senator called and offered him a spot on the ticket.
"After I said yes, I asked my 6-year-old, Emma Claire, and my 4-year-old, Jack, to tell their mom," Edwards said. "My daughter got on the phone and said, 'Mommy, Senator Kerry picked Daddy.' And then Jack got on the phone and said something that he thought was more important: 'Mommy, I can swim with my head above water!"'
Edwards continued: "As a father, I know that John Kerry will make this country stronger and more secure for my children and for your children."
Those who live in glass houses should not throw stones.
Exactly! The Bush team needs to start BIT#@$%# slapping this little brat!
"...and put our economy back in line with our values."
Now just what the heck is that supposed to mean? John Edwards sued doctors because there was money in it, not out of any belief in "values".
I'm surprised that he can even get the 'v' word past his lips after the recent "Raunchfest"
Edwards' values include picking the pockets of OB/GYN docs over a bogus cerebral palsy theory, sold to envious juries. How does $50 million sound to the last obstetrician to leave his state ?
John # 1 and his wife also served on a charity board WITH Lay, even AFTER the FRAUD CHARGES WERE BROUGHT.
Not true. Enron money went mostly to frontrunners, but both sides received plenty. In the House, the two largest recipients of Enron money are Shela Jackson (is this Mars) Lee, and Ken (little Lord) Benson, both democRATs.
LOL......the son of a mill MANAGER, complaining about the man who sat on the board of Terraaayyyzzaaa's foundation.
Inquiring minds want to know.
It's amazing what eight years of Clinton has brought us. These politicians basically calculate that the initial "zing" of the comment will outweight the rebuttal. I find it difficult to believe that I am smarter than the half of this country that does not see this.
Let us also not forget that ALL of Enron's misdealings took place during the Clinton administration as did Worldcom's and Adelphi's. All three company CEO's have been indicted under the Bush admin while ZERO were under Clinton's!
The Heinz-Kerrys appointed Lay as a member of the Heinz Center, which defended him even during after the fraud charges, according to that Boston Herald article.
Hope you won't be holding your breath waiting for the media to report it, however.
Want him arrested fast or convicted? Prosecutors had him under wraps. They just took their time and tied a nice tight noose. Nice work in my book.
Edwards could not have picked a less significant issue.
Ah, John...the Bush Justice Department, spearheaded by a U.S. Attorney appointed by Dubya, just got Ken Lay indicted. And meanwhile, our Democrat state attorney general, Bill Lockyer, who rather infamously broadcast his desire to make Kenny Boy somebody's prison wife, is apparently still trying to find the grand jury room. Talk is cheap.
Good point. I love how this article fails to mention that Ken Lay was one of the contributors paying for overnight stays in the Lincoln bedroom during the Clinton presidency.
First, he's opening up the Dems to questions regarding Lay's connections to the Clinton administration, and why it did nothing to halt the corporate corruption scandals before they got out of hand.
Secondly, anyone familiar with cases involving complicated issues such as Lay's would understand why investigations take so long. I guess scamming millions and bankrupting doctors based on channeling the spirit of brain-damaged children in front of a jury is a little quicker.
I'm interning at a law firm as a clerk, and John Edwards should certainly know better than this. I've been pulling files for panel orders all summer - 5 figure suits which will likely be settled - and even those cases take several months to a few years, simply because of all the paperwork. Preparing an airtight federal indictment case with 11 charges is certainly going to take a while, John - implying that Bush is dragging his heels for a former contributor is ludicrous, slanderous, and an outright lie.
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