You guys wouldn't smack me around for being considerate, would you? I mean, it's not a tradition, is it?? I don't think I much care for it. ;-p
Thanks for the invite. Sincere or not! *G* At least, you didn't knife me in the gut while I was bending over backwards to be accommodating!! ;-}
Take care.
The calls he got were hilarious. (The looney left must consider this Carlyle-Osama-Bush Connection to be their version of Clinton's Black Baby....I mean, they know it's not true, but it's just soooo much fun to stoke it.
One woman claimed this war was all about oil... that George Jr. started it because he wants a personal pipeline from JerkeyTurkeystan to a open ocean port, and needs Afganistan to get there.
Thank goodness another caller promptly reminded the goober that this war was about 6,000 dead Americans..not oil...not big business...and not about The Carlyle Group. But some of the callers, anxious to attack President Bush, must think going through George Senior is the way to do it.
The reporter who wrote this was challenged by callers. When they asked if he was implying that the Bush family was somehow connected subversively to Osama bin Laden, he denied it, and in fact said, he found no evidence of wrong doing on the part of Bush, Sr., Bush, Jr., or any other American businessman or past government official connected to them. He said he just thought it was an interesting story. HAHAHH...he said he didn't know why this story was getting such attention this long after it was first printed...the man was disingenuous to the max!
The looney left is after Jim Baker as much as they are the Bush family. They hold him responsible for their loss in Florida last November. They hate him.
This author is doing a down and dirty rehash of the bs put out by other looney lefties in the media. Slate called Jim Baker, "The Bush Family Janitor"
http://slate.msn.com/Assessment/00-11-17/Assessment.asp
Another Bush - Baker hit piece is here:
This is Nina Burleigh for TomPaine.com.
http://www.tompaine.com/news/2001/10/11/
Remember Nina? She wanted Bill Clinton to rub his big, strong hands up her naked legs on Air Force One.
And perhaps the best Bash Bush-bin Laden Connection hit piece comes here:
http://www.austinchronicle.com/issues/dispatch/2001-03-23/pols_hightower.html
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The WSJ reporter,Daniel Golden, (based in Boston, not DC), Daniel Golden, "Wall Street Journal", looked sort of shell-shocked at some of the calls....I took notes as he responded...Here's a sample:
Bin Laden Group was worried about their family name.....they want to be identified as legitimate business, totally unrelated to Osama, that's why they disowned him. They are very close to the Saudi royal family, and more than anything, they must avoid allegations of corruption, certainly, terrorism. ...that's one reason they seek out partnerships with government leaders in other countries.
The Bin Laden Group is and always has been, very very supportive of the United States. I believe he said they paid to have the Kobar Towers rebuilt...for certain, he said the bin Laden family had personally paid for American military interests in the kingdom.
The author said he uncovered "No evidence to suggest a conspiracy" between American officials and the family. He affirmed the family completey disowned Osama. He said the bin Laden investment in Carlyle Group was pretty small.
He said President Carter met with 10 bin Laden brothers in Jetta, looking for contributions, that President Carter and Rosalyn met with bin ladens in NY eventually got a200,000 dontation to the Carter Center.
Author says: Clearly brothers who head the family are not in contact with Osama, have disowned him.
James Baker,, Carlucchi denied comment on bin Laden family..they are embarrassed by their connection to the family. The author, obviously tried to make this reluctance to discuss their Saudi business connections seem sinister, but when questioned directly, he admitted it was natural.
The author finally said flat out, the Carlyle Group did not want to answer his questions, but top executive talked to him on a background, and were pretty forthcoming.
The author said: "About 20 years ago, one of the older bin Laden brothers, Salime spent a lot of time in Texas. His American partner Jim Bath, invested in a couple of bonds GW was connected to, but we found no evidence of any connection to bin Laden money. Bath was investing his own money."
Golden says he is not implying guilt by association.
hahahah.....caller points out the Clinton bin Laden connection during Bosnian war, how Clinton built him airports, provided secret arms, etc.
Golden says Carter solicited gift from Bin Laden grouop....both parties link up to big money like Bin laden. Author explained the bin Laden business is reseller of telecommunications, food beverages, all sorts of American based companies.
Golden reminds viewers what good friends bin Laden family business has been to American interests....that they've been strong allies to America when we've been in need...including building new barracks.... to repudiate a brother in Saudi is pretty tough..they did it for us.
Caller accuses Golden of making an implication against the Carlyle Group. The author said Jim Baker visited bin Laden family in 1999. (I guess this was supposed to be criminal activity...at least this is something the looney left is excited about. They aren't going to let go this bone...it's all they got to bash Bush with.) Caller says war in Afganistan is about 6,000 victims, accuses author of insinuating it's about oil. Golden denies he is implying this is about oil He denies it. He says, Bin Laden family doesn't want publicity, trapped between two worlds. they have to pass muster with fundamentalists... they have jobs building mosques, and taking care of holy sites, etc, they might lose contracts at home. On the other hand they have children who were born in the US, go to school here, , they have business contracts and contacts here, and they need to stay on good terms with both sides.
Golden really back tracks.....caller asked if all that explanatory information was in story, and Golden says some of it he didn't know at the time, some of it there wasn't room for, might have gotten edited out.
Golden denies his story is nefarious....
"guilt by association" is intent of the article....author denies that. says he's just trying "to add to the conversation."
Perhaps Golden's lamest moment came when he was wondering aloud whether or not all of Osama's family ties had been broken by the family when they disowned him. He reminded viewers that Osama had called his mother right before Sept 11....as if him calling his mother might have impact on the family business. (Yeah right...a female family member has real input in a Saudi business.)