Ford: Probe Bush Harken Deal, Not Hillary Cattle Scam

Newsmax ^ | 7/9/02 | Carl Limbacher and NewsMax.com Staff

[NormsRevenge]

Tuesday July 9, 2002; 10:35 a.m. EDT

Ford: Probe Bush Harken Deal, Not Hillary Cattle Scam

Rising Democratic Party political star Rep. Harold Ford said Tuesday that the Securities and Exchange Commission should consider reopening its insider trading probe into President Bush's 1990 sale of Harken Energy stock.

But when asked about allegations that New York Sen. Hillary Clinton had engaged in insider trading in 1980 to reap her $100,000 cattle futures windfall, Ford responded, "That was a good deal, wasn't it."

During an interview with nationally syndicated radio host Don Imus, Ford complained, "When Bill Clinton was in office the Whitewater issue was investigated with $50 million of public money and the president was found to do nothing wrong - at least (he) was not convicted of anything."

But, said the Tennessee congressman, with Bush, "the situation is a little different. I mean, the SEC I think would have to make that decision" to reinvestigate the Harken sale.

Ford said he would have opposed a new Harken probe up until yesterday. But he became concerned when he heard Bush defend his stock sale at a Monday press conference by saying, "All I can tell you is that in the corporate world sometimes things aren't exactly black and white when it comes to accounting procedures."

Ford told Imus, "For the president to suggest that it's not black and white when it comes to accounting..... I think he's raised some other questions this morning with his comments. For him to have said that raises some concern on my part and it might require him to answer further questions."

The Tennessee Democrat complained that Bush's words sounded "awfully similar to what some of the Enron executives said as they came before the committee. It sounds almost Jeffrey Skilling-like."

"So, as a result, I think the president may have to answer a few more questions than obviously he wants to," Ford added.

The Tennessee Democrat described Mrs. Clinton's cattle futures windfall as "a good deal" after Imus compared the episode to the Bush Harken imbroglio.

Read more on this subject in related Hot Topics:

Bush Administration
Clinton Scandals
DNC
Sen. Hillary Clinton

[carton253]

And the documents have been released. The press at the press conference yesterday had them in his hands. This is another case of "getting my face on t.v."

[Howlin]

"For the president to suggest that it's not black and white when it comes to accounting.....

Daschle used thos exact words this morning.

[Howlin]

and if Bush would release the documents, all would be over.

What the heck is he talking about? Every reporter in D.C. has a copy of those documents, which were first released when Bush first entered politics, in their fat little hands. What documents is he talking about?

[AAABEST]

Ford is a senile, old, liberal, blue blooded fool. He was such when he was president by accident, so he's even more so now.

[jackbill]

Well... and you can't take one comment and rip it out of its context either. That's what Ford has done here. The dispute came over which "rule" to apply to a complicated transacation. The Auditor told Harkin to apply this rule, and Harkin did. The SEC later said it was the wrong rule. Harkin applied the other rule, earnings had to be re-adjusted.

I wonder if Ford believes that all of the IRS "rules" are black and white? Give 20 tax experts a tax return and they'll come up with 20 results.

[Non-Sequitur]

In the first place it wouldn't be the Security and Exchange Commission that would investigate Mrs. Clinton, it would be the Commodity Futures Trading Commission. In the second place the concept of insider trading is different for the two markets. For options and futures there is, for all practical purposes, no such thing. That's why she got off in the first place.

[VRWC_minion]

Give 20 tax experts a tax return and they'll come up with 20 results.

Correction. Each could come up with 20 results.

[GodBlessRonaldReagan]

Ahhh...wrong Ford, dude!

[reflecting]

you use the words of a racist.

[AAABEST]

Ahhh...wrong Ford, dude!

Hehe. I've been wanting to flame Gerald for a while now and this Harold guy just happened to get in the way.

[Alberta's Child]

I'm not questioning Imus at all. What I am saying is that Newsmax is not engaging in real journalism. Carl Limbacher simply wrote an article about what he heard on the radio this morning.

If I write an article about this thread, which is about an article on Newsmax, which is about an interview on the radio this morning, would I be a journalist?

[Howlin]

ROFLMAO. Next time start a thread. You'll have plenty of company!

[SerpentDove]

>>"All I can tell you is that in the corporate world sometimes things aren't exactly black and white when it comes to accounting procedures."<<

While I don't accuse President Bush of any wrongdoing, I do question how much common sense he was employing when he gave the liberals this soundbite which they will probably use over and over, like "I am not a crook."

Not smart at all, IMHO.

[GodBlessRonaldReagan]

Ahhh...wrong Ford, dude!

Hehe. I've been wanting to flame Gerald for a while now and this Harold guy just happened to get in the way.

I know the feeling!

[hmc48]

This slap at President Bush comes from a member of one of the most corrupt "political" families in Tennessee. This punk is the next generation of Ford politician. Just read the following article on his daddy. His uncle, TN state senator John Ford, is another beaut'.


http://www.gomemphis.com/mca/local_news/article/0,1426,MCA_437_1006192,00.html

[FryingPan101]

It appears that all you have to do is say the word "documents" and everyone goes "ooooh, documents."
What a bunch of dummies.

[FRlurker]

I sort of cringed a bit myself when he said this. I can see the Dems using this statement to bite him in the bottom in '04.

[an amused spectator]

If I write an article about this thread, which is about an article on Newsmax, which is about an interview on the radio this morning, would I be a journalist?

No. To qualify as a "journalist", you have to contribute 1000 hours of on-the-job time yearly to the DNC. ;-)

[ladtx]

I thought that was 2080 hours per year.

[RooRoobird14]

Actually it was AFRICAN AMERICANS of the 19th century who invented the term "high yaller" over 100 years ago. Are they 'racists'?

Too bad you don't like to read about history, but I'm not surprised. LOLOLOL!!!!