Senate seeks White House, Enron contacts, lieberman

UPI ^ | 3/28/02 | Mitchell Prothero

[Tumbleweed_Connection]

A Senate Committee chaired by Sen. Joe Lieberman, D-Conn., has demanded access to all communications between the White House and bankrupt energy giant Enron Corp. since 1992. The requests were made in letters to White House Chief of Staff Andrew Card and to the U.S. Archivist and include all of the executive agencies.

The requests cover contacts between both the Clinton and current Bush administrations. So far, the Bush White House has resisted several other attempts by congressional investigators to release specific data about meetings between key administration officials and energy companies.

The collapse of Enron last fall -- considered the largest bankruptcy in history -- has underscored the relationship between government regulation and a powerful company that made huge campaign contributions to politicians of all stripes. Lieberman said the appearance that regulators failed to heed warning signs makes the investigation crucial.

"As our inquiry into the Enron debacle has unfolded, we've learned that too many watchdogs failed to bark," Lieberman said. 'I will not hesitate to ask for anything that helps us investigate as thoroughly as possible what the federal government might have done to prevent, or at least anticipate, Enron's demise, and whether there are steps we can take to avoid another corporate failure of this magnitude in the future. A broad inquiry of this sort demands that contacts between the White House and these agencies be reviewed."

The committee gave the White House until April 12 to deliver the documents, which include contacts and discussions between the White House and virtually every executive branch agency that could have had oversight of the energy trader. On March 22, the committee subpoenaed Enron and its accounting firm, Arthur Anderson for any contacts those firms might have had with the White House and the other agencies.

[Tumbleweed_Connection]

Senate seeks White House, Enron contacts

Wrong title posted.

[otterpond]

I will not hesitate to ask for anything that helps us investigate as thoroughly as possible what the federal government might have done to prevent, or at least anticipate, Enron's demise, and whether there are steps we can take to avoid another corporate failure of this magnitude in the future.

If the Enron folks broke the law, prosecute them and put them in jail. Otherwise, get the government out of trying to control business and industry. It's done enough damage to capitalism already.

[Let's Roll]

"Gone fishin' - la, da, da, da, da, da, da" - (can't remember the rest of the lyrics)

[Recovering_Democrat]

yawn. the clymers never do give up, do they? Look for a "bombshell" revelation about Enron/Bush in about 6 months...it'll be something horrid like:

BUSH & LAY HAD LUNCH IN '94 OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOH. THAT'LL be the Demon-rats big news.

[log_cabin_gop_boy]

Looks like they will finally dig into Clinton's dealings with Enron. Hopefully, the Senate will only look at White House Enron Contacts from 1/20/93 to 1/20/01

[H8klintoon]

This just may be exactly what "W" has been waiting for. BOOM in your f-ing face Loserman!

[Liz]

Holy Joe, hold the sanctimony. And tell us how you dare investigate Bush with all your questionable contacts with Enton. Has anyone asked Lieberman why his three aides met with Enron execs? Especially after the state of CT lost a couple hunderd million on the deal with Enron. Did the Senator's office grease the skids for the deal?

Mr. Lieberman must recuse himself from Congressional investigations of Enron because his former chief of staff, Michael Lewan, was a lobbyist for Enron.

Mr. Lieberman was asked by a legal watchdog group to recuse himself because a group he co-founded, the New Democrats Network, received $25,000 from Enron. Critics have also pointed out that Citigroup, Enron's largest lender, is Mr. Lieberman's top donor, giving his campaigns $112,000 since 1997, campaign records show. A longtime Republican strategist put it this way, "Lieberman's problem is simple — Enron's biggest creditor is his campaign's biggest contributor."

Sen Lieberman should stop using his Senate office to further his ambitions to run for President.

[Real Cynic No More]

I don't understand this Enron issue. Why doesn't the White House request all information from the Senate and the House on their Enron contacts?

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

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[Tumbleweed_Connection]

Mr. Lieberman must recuse himself from Congressional investigations of Enron because his former chief of staff, Michael Lewan, was a lobbyist for Enron.

Mr. Lieberman was asked by a legal watchdog group to recuse himself because a group he co-founded, the New Democrats Network, received $25,000 from Enron. Critics have also pointed out that Citigroup, Enron's largest lender, is Mr. Lieberman's top donor, giving his campaigns $112,000 since 1997, campaign records show. A longtime Republican strategist put it this way, "Lieberman's problem is simple — Enron's biggest creditor is his campaign's biggest contributor."

So what?

[Liz]

So what?

Yeah, so what is right. How unreasonable can we on FR get anyway?
To expect our legislators to act with a little thing like integrity?
Having high expectations is wrong. Anyhow, Enron was integrity personified.
All those connected with Enron including Arthur Andersen behaved impeccably.
(sarcasm off)