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

[NormsRevenge]

I hear what yur saying but in today's dog eat dog world, there ain't a lot of originality left these days

[reflecting]

that's a nice trick.....some one else said it eariler therefore I am not a racist when I say it....too bad you are not honest about your own motives.