Posted on 01/11/2002 5:48:43 AM PST by JohnHuang2
WASHINGTON -- President Bush sought to distance himself Thursday from the collapse of energy giant Enron Corp. even as the White House revealed that the company asked for help from two Cabinet officers while it was on the brink of collapse.To continue, point and click here.
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Democrats, who still bear the scars from the Clinton scandal machine, believe they've (finally) hit pay-dirt with the Enron debacle.And so does the media.
The 'Grey Lady' of yellow journalism, predictably, was on the warpath yesterday. In a piece ominously titled, "White House Moves to Contain Political Damage From Enron Turmoil", "reporter" Jack Lynch wrote in his opening paragraph that Enron chief Kenneth Lay "had contacted two Cabinet members a few weeks before the giant energy company's collapse to warn of it's growing difficulties".
Clearly, the writer's implicit aim was not to inform so much as to cast aspersions on the Bush administration with derogatory innuendo and smear. The reader is beckoned to assume the worst -- ergo, some malfeasance had taken place -- sans a smidgen of evidence. By artfully lifting these calls wholly out of context, Mr. Lynch ipso facto maliciously insinuates guilt -- guilt on Bush's part, as much as the two Cabinet officers Mr. Lay contacted.
Indeed, only well into his article (paragraph 7) does Mr. Lynch, after weaving his mudslinging web of innuendo, finally divulge the actual mission behind these calls, one to Treasury Secretary Paul O'Neill, the other to Commerce Secretary Don Evans. Both calls were reportedly made last October, prior to Enron's spectacular collapse in early December.
The reason for Lynch's beguiling foot-dragging? Simply this: Far from snarling Bush administration officials in wrongdoing, the calls were inherently exculpatory. Yes, you heard right -- exculpatory. After warning Secretaries O'Neill and Evans of Enron's precarious financial position, Mr. Lay beseeched them for a bailout. Absent massive government assistance, the troubled company would slide into bankruptcy, the officials were told. Their answer, according to White House spokesman Ari Fleischer, was flat-out no. No bailout.
Agree or disagree with the decision, the refusal is inconsistent with the notion of Mr. Lay having undue influence over this administration. In fact, the bailout denial is the opposite of what one would expect if campaign money and friendship were what they are cracked up to be.
Imagine the outcry had the bailout request been granted. The raging firestorm among frothing Bush critics would rival Nixon's Watergate.
"Quid-Pro-Quo! Quid-Pro-Quo!", they would shriek. As far as punishment, the haters would be divided, however: Some would demand impeachment, others a public hanging.
Instead, the erstwhile oil trading colossus, with 20,000 employees, and marketing business in everything from pulp to bandwidth, was allowed to go belly-up. It's high-flying stock tumbled from $90 per share to under a dollar today.
So much for the 'Ken Lay-controls-George W. Bush' urban legend.
Moreover, the Justice department's decision to convene a national task force to probe Enron's demise -- an unprecedented maneuver -- only further debunks the nitpickers' swill. But the department went even further yesterday. To avoid even the appearance of 'conflict-of-interests', Attorney General John Ashcroft (who had received Enron contributions during his Senate campaign) announced his recusal from all matters pertaining to the Enron investigation. The recusal includes his chief-of-staff, David Ayers.
To get even further ahead of the curve, President Bush yesterday directed the Treasury, Labor and Commerce departments to comb the plethora of rules governing 401 (k) and other pension plans with a fine tooth comb. His goal is to ferret out the flaws in a system which allowed Enron employees to lose their life's saving when the company went under.
The President wants reform in corporate disclosure rules, as well. To this end, he's ordered the formation of a 'working group', consisting of Sec. O'Neill, the Federal Reserve, the S.E.C. among other agencies.
Bottom line? The President has grabbed this bull by the horns and, for all the prattle about political "damage", he's handled this teapot-sized tempest with aplomb, to the chargin of all of the Bush-haters and bashers.
Another thing: If the vengeful Democrats, gung-ho on exacting revenge over Clinton's impeachment, see Enron as Bush's Waterloo, they're in for a crushing disappointment.
Their Enron obsession is understandable, of course: Bush's rock-solid popularity is holding steady, even as their party wallows in disarray and dysfunction. On the other hand, one thing does unite the beltway Democrats like nothing eles: Hate. Their shared hatred of Bush. It's ugly, it's spiteful, it's vile. And it's unseemly. For Bush-haters, it's not enough to disagree with the President: Policy differences must be criminalized.
This is the root of their Enron fixation. But unfortunately for them, Enron won't save them either. Their fanatical putsch will not only fail, it will backfire. The reason is simple: This President has forged a powerful bond with the people, especially in the wake of September 11. There's a chemistry there, one which Democrats, blinded in their hatred, have yet to fathom. This rapport, this wonderful chemistry, this mighty solidarity transcends race, ethnicity, party, religion, gender; Americans of all walks of life see in this humble man, this down-to-earth, straight-talker from Midland someone whom they can trust, someone they can believe in again. His persona embodies the optimism, the idealism, the cheerful self-assurance and confidence which makes us Americans.
America can not -- and will not ever -- say die.
So let the Democrats flail away in their smoldering anger; let them scour, let them probe, let them hound, let them stalk, let them rummage, let them shake their fists at this President: They will only hoist themselves on their own petard.
For America loves George W. Bush -- and nothing's going to change that.
God bless our President, God bless our troops and God bless the United States of America!
My two cents..
"JohnHuang2"
A Chronology of Enron Corp.(AP leaves an 11 year gap in the chronology)
The spin machine by the media is in high gear. The one good thing that comes out of this is that Tommy D. is forced to lay low so that the party can get the most mileage out of Enron. That fact proves that Tommy D. doesn't really care about the economic situation - he only cares about his first priority - tearing down the President. I wonder if Americans will notice that this President isn't about tearing down the lib/dems, but instead about doing what he thinks is right for the country?
Let this show the left for what it really is, to those who up to now haven't been able to see it (like my very liberal mother-in-law). I do hope that they are digging themselves a hole.
I think that President Bush is an excellent president, and so does my m-i-l. This is quite shocking coming from a woman who has never voted for someone who didn't have a "D" after his name.
Anybody wonder why the shredders are running? Lack of criminal prosecution will be the scandal here.
Unlike Clinton's bail-out of Robert Rubin's NY financial type buddies with his bail-out of Mexico.
I really think that the owners of Netscape (AOL last time I checked?) has an axe to grind against the Bush adminstration.
Good thing I use Konqueror at home for a web browser!
AND
-Lloyd Bensten, Clintons first treasury secretary was a recipient of Enrons largesse. At the time of his campaign for Senate, he received the second largest donation from Enron according to the Center for Responsive Politics.
-Robert Rubin, Benstens successor, was involved with Enron while he worked as an investment banker Goldman & Sachs. Clinton first hired Rubin to head his National Economic Council. Soon afterwards, Rubin wrote on Goldman Sachs stationery to former clients, including Enron, in which he ''looked forward to continuing to work with you in my new capacity.''
-In Aug. 1993, McLarty arranged an invitation for Lay to play golf with Clinton in Vail, Colorado. This date irritated Oscar White, chief executive of Coastal, another natural gas company that had helped the Clinton election campaign raise funding. These connections to the Democratic administration have helped Enron considerably -Ken Silverstein Counterpunch
-Clinton officials publicly helped Enron win the contract in India as well as in Indonesia. Enron had received U.S. government funds to build power plants in China, the Philippines and Turkey. Enron also won contracts in Pakistan and Russia while accompanying senior U.S. government officials on state trips. In June 1996, four days before India granted final approval to Enron's project, Lay's company gave $100,000 to the DNC.
-According to the Houston Chronicle, Enron got permission to build a pipeline from Mozambique to South Africa after National Security Adviser Anthony Lake threatened to withhold aid to Mozambique if it didnt approve the project.
-The bulk of Enron's alleged chicanery had to have happened during the Clinton administration.
- Lee. P Brown (D) of Houston received $250,000 just before Enron filed Chapter 11. Enron campaigned against the conservative candidate for mayor.
-Kenneth Lay hired the firm of Clinton's former chief of staff Mack McLarty.
-The Center for Responsive Politics lists Democratic Senators Chuck Schumer of New York, John Breaux of Louisiana, and Jeff Bingaman of New Mexico--chair of the Senate Energy Committee--among the top beneficiaries of Enron's political donations
-Kenneth Lay retained as his top D.C. lobbyist Linda Robertson, a Democrat who worked for the Clinton Treasury Department.
-Dynegy greased Henry Waxman's palms with thousands of dollars.
-Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee received three checks from the Houston-based energy and trading giant totaling $100,000. Karen Denne, an Enron spokeswoman, said the company had a record of two checks written to the committee -- dated Sept. 24 and Nov. 2
- No. 20 on the Enron money list since 1989 is the Senate's leading Democrat, Tom Daschle of South Dakota.
-Enron was apparently a big backer of the Kyoto Treaty .
It's already partly dug. The Enron trail leads to the debauched one and his pals.
The people of America have now seen enough of the President to have a real sense of his honesty and integrity. They have seen his character, and this 'smoke and mirrors' attempt to make him look like a criminal is going to come back and bite the dims.
Thanks for this, John!
With apologies to Jackie Gleason, how sweet it is.
Great 2-Cents JH2.
Bull's-eye
Bump!
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