Enron's Lay Sought Cabinet Officials' Help; Ashcroft Recuses Himself From Investigation

The Wall Street Journal ^ | Friday, January 11, 2002 | JEANNE CUMMINGS and MIKE SCHROEDER

[TroutStalker]

WASHINGTON -- President Bush called for a thorough government review of the Enron Corp. debacle, amid disclosures that the company's top executive unsuccessfully lobbied two cabinet secretaries for help as the energy-trading concern neared filing for bankruptcy-court protection.

Enron Chairman Kenneth Lay also called Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan around the same time that he was seeking assistance from the administration, a Fed spokesman confirmed.

[d14truth]

See 'link' in reply #20

[d14truth]

"And when will the media identify almost every Enron lobbyist as formerly associated with Clinton admin. or Gore election campaign?"

See reply #20---Richardson, McLarty, Rubin---lobbyists IN the Clinton Administration.

[d14truth]

The 'link' in reply #20 is great 'hindsight', and, on its face, seems to implicate only Enron and the auditors. Remember how Orange County, California was nearly bankrupted by the 'reverse derivatives' and 'off the books' entries of its 'County Treasurer'.

"Everything that goes up must come down."(or vanish) 'Timing is everything'. 'When the smoke clears, you see the mirrors.'

The Enron auditors(Arthur Andersen) would have seen the 'mirrors' if they were inclined to blow away the smoke. They weren't so inclined, little knowing that the 'smoke' also hid a smoldering fire which would 'burn them' BIGTime, IMHO.

[rface]

Thanks for that "Heads-Up". I should print this off and FAX it to someone involved in the Senate Hearings coming up.

Ashland, MIssouri

[marajade]

How could it be worse than watergate? Clinton played golf with the man. Bush did nothing wrong.

[marajade]

You can't put people in jail if they didn't do any illegal.

[d14truth]

The PBS Frontline interview with Ken Lay from last spring has some interesting insights. Things do change rather quickly sometimes.

[d14truth]

Missed your 'tag', so this is on the Enron list twice. Sorry. You might be interested in the PBS Frontline interview with Ken Lay 'linked' in reply #20.

[d14truth]

The PBS Frontline interview last spring with Ken Lay adds support to the Enron debacle as being apolitical as far as 'party politics' go, IMHO.

On an individual basis, Enron did appear, however, to be willing to dance with any person or persons who would say 'Yes' to her temptations.

Those who said 'Yes' in accepting campaign contributions did not necessarily say 'Yes' to the request for 'quid pro quo'.

[JohnHuang2]

Bump!

[Right_in_Virginia]

Bush had better be a terrific politician to dig out from under this mess

What mess does Bush have to dig out from under.

Are you confusing the president with Enron executives and Arthur Andersen?

[HENRYADAMS]

Ashcroft will be gone in 6 to 9 months. Cheney in about 18 months. Depending of course how well they can keep testimony suppressed, documents concealed/destroyed.

There is no politician(Federal, State or Local) without serious vice addiction.

[d14truth]

"There is no politician(Federal, State or Local) without serious vice addiction."

Why is that? We can't handle the truth, so we only elect liars?

Only honest people can elect an honest government. Maybe we should start looking in the mirror a little more. The bigger problem than government lies with us.

[HENRYADAMS]

It seems people do not care. They seem interested in their private concerns to the exclusion of concern about public affairs. Perhaps this type of thought is endemic to democracies?

[truthkeeper]

Big bump.

[RichardW]

"What mess does Bush have to dig out from under."

This is going to dog Bush as long as it is in the news and by all indications it will be in the news for a very long time. The Democrats will attempt to tar Bush by his association with Lay and the very large contributions. Bush should probably do what some have already done and that is to refund the contributions in full. What I said was that Bush, Cheney and any other of the cabinet need to put everything on the table; or as Ollie North said "the good, the bad and they ugly."

As everyone should know by now, the scandals never really take the politicians down; it is the cover-up. Having said that I don't necessarily believe Bush did anything wrong; in fact I don't think he did but as sure as the sun comes up tomorrow, the press/media will dig for any dirt they can find. Better to get it out then the story dies for lack of oxygen.

[RichardW]

"You can't put people in jail if they didn't do any illegal."

You don't believe that fraud is illegal?

[Hildy]

This is so great for ENRON, keep the story about political contributions instead of White Collar crimes.