Posted on 07/06/2006 10:11:14 PM PDT by NormsRevenge
WASHINGTON - President Bush said Thursday he hopes Enron Corp. founder Kenneth Lay's "heart was right with the Lord" when he died before he could be sentenced on fraud and conspiracy charges.
Bush called Lay, who was a friend of the Bush family and a large donor to the president's campaign, "a good guy." He said he was shocked to hear both about the Enron scandal and Lay's death this week from a heart attack at age 64.
"I was really surprised," Bush said on CNN's "Larry King Live." "You know, my hope is that his heart was right with the Lord and I feel real sorry for his wife. She's had a rough go and she's now here on earth to bear the burdens of losing her husband, a man she loved."
The president said he planned to write Linda Lay a letter expressing his condolences.
Lay faced life in prison after his convictions May 25 that ended a blockbuster trial stemming from one of the biggest business debacles in U.S. history.
Bush had nicknamed Lay "Kenny Boy" but pointed out they weren't always allied. He said Lay supported his opponent in his first Texas gubernatorial race, Democrat Ann Richards. When host King pointed out that Richards had told him earlier that she liked Lay, Bush responded, "Yes, he's a good guy."
"One of the things I respected him for was he was such a contributor to Houston's civil society," Bush said. "He was a generous person. I'm disappointed that he betrayed the trust of shareholders."
First lady Laura Bush, who joined her husband for the interview on his 60th birthday, said she didn't know Lay well. But she said she was acquainted with him and knew his wife and was sorry for her.
All these stories and no mention of all the meetings and donations to Billy Clinton.
Got any links for that? I'd like to wave that in front of someone's face who's happy that he died.
I guess this was the important part of an hour long interview with the President regarding the issues of the world.
His statement also came after Bush talked about Lay's contributions to Houston. The AP is full of fools and crackheads.
ugh... be prepared to hear that clip over and over again this fall.
Once again, Bush sounds like a dolt. He calls Lay "a good guy" and has nothing to say on behalf of Calderon. He sounded like he didn't care who won the Mexican election. He does care, but he's scared of his shadow -- afraid that Mexican leftists won't like him, I guess. Sheesh.
While I disagree with him (as I would with virtually any politician) on some issues, I admire the President for not speaking ill of someone that he could have trashed for political gain.
Is there any doubt what Clinton would have done?
Bush called Lay, who was a friend of the Bush family and a large donor to the president's campaign, "a good guy." He said he was shocked to hear both about the Enron scandal and Lay's death this week from a heart attack at age 64.
"I was really surprised," Bush said on CNN's "Larry King Live." "You know, my hope is that his heart was right with the Lord and I feel real sorry for his wife. She's had a rough go and she's now here on earth to bear the burdens of losing her husband, a man she loved."
I just knew - out of the entire hourlong interview with LK - that this little "tidbit" is what the MSM would pick up and run with... *sigh*
"AP is full of fools and crackheads." Fools maybe, but Bush was a fool for saying this about Ken Lay. He was careless where he should have been very careful, then, on the Lieberman and Mexican election questions, he fearfully took pains to say nothing, where it would have been more appropriate to 1) attack the Rats' extremism and 2) put in a good word for Calderon.
President Bush hasn't said anything about the candidates running for election in Mexico because it is not his place to stick his nose into their election.
Bush should have known too. Instead, he was pissing in his pants about other questions that he should have had the guts to address (Lieberman and the Mexican election).
Sharon Watkins, the first and most promenent whistleblower in the enron fiasco said in an interview with O'reilly, that lay was most probably a stooge, an idiot who was like the character "chauncy gardner" (from the movie "being there").
Lay was probably not "a good guy" (too dumb for that) but probably innocent of a crime unless being stupid is a crime.
And it will absolutely have zero effect.
You really are a dolt. Bush commenting on the mexican or lieberman elections is about like Osama commenting on the US elections.
He rarely speaks ill of anyone and never about the dead.
" ... I'm disappointed that he betrayed the trust of shareholders. ..."
Thanks!
The problem with this is that Bush says that he was a good guy and yet admits that he betrayed all of those shareholders. The average Joe is going to think that something just isn't right about that. The "right with the Lord" comment was fine, but this is one instance where I wish the President really was a great speaker and interviewee.
Time for the posting!
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