Posted on 01/11/2002 7:46:13 AM PST by Jean S
It didn't take very long for reporters to get over the scandal fatigue they claimed they were all suffering after covering the most ethical administration is history for eight years.
But now that there's a Republican in the White House, the investigative juices are flowing once again.
During a radio interview Friday morning ABC newsman Sam Donaldson explained that he was ready to go after the Enron scandal hammer and tong.
How does the energy giant's financial collapse stack up against Bill and Hillary Clinton's Whitewater and Sexgate imbroglios?
"I think this scandal is going to dwarf the the two of them," Donaldson told WABC Radio morning hosts Curtis & Kuby.
"Nobody could understand Whitewater," the newsman explained. And while Americans could understand the Clinton-Lewinsky White House sexcapades, nobody cared, Donaldson insisted.
Ironically, the former White House correspondent was the only reporter who managed to rise above the feigned ennui of his colleagues long enough to ask President Clinton about Juanita Broaddrick's rape accusation, to which Clinton replied, see my lawyer.
Still, the senior ABC newsman sounded on Friday as if he really believed the Enron bankruptcy would be far more intruiging to the public than presidential rape charges and Whitewater lawyers found shot to death in out-of-the-way parks.
Meanwhile on ABC's "Good Morning America," Donaldson's colleague, former Clinton scandal spinmeister George Stephanopoulos, confirmed that their Sunday show "This Week" would be devoted entirely to Enron.
Enron made plenty of Donations to influental House/Senate Democrats. We'll see how far they will actually go with a "with hunt" when inevitably everyone will be forced to look at the donations to their own party.
Top Senate Recipients, 1989-2001
1. Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-Texas) $99,500
2. Phil Gramm (R-Texas) $97,350
3. Conrad Burns (R-Mont) $23,200
4. Charles E. Schumer (D-NY) $21,933
5. Michael D. Crapo (R-Idaho) $18,689
6. Christopher S. Bond (R-Mo) $18,500
7. Gordon Smith (R-Ore) $18,000
8. Jeff Bingaman (D-NM) $14,124
9. Chuck Hagel (R-Neb) $13,331
10. Pete V. Domenici (R-NM) $12,000
Top House Recipients, 1989-2001
1. Ken Bentsen (D-Texas) $42,750
2. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-Texas) $38,000
3. Joe L. Barton (R-Texas) $28,909
4. Tom DeLay (R-Texas) $28,900
5. Martin Frost (D-Texas) $24,250
6. Charles W. Stenholm (D-Texas) $14,439
7. Chet Edwards (D-Texas) $10,000
8. Doug Bereuter (R-Neb) $10,000
9. Larry Combest (R-Texas) $9,820
10. John D. Dingell (D-Mich) $9,000
There are plenty of Democrats on this list so we will see how far they are willing to go with this. I doubt the damage will be confined to one party.
Funny, at any other time I would probably have reprimanded him for drawing in a book!!
To George's credit, he also made it very clear that as of now all indications are that Enron had no influence with the Bush administration -- if anything, the actions of the Bush administration were the exact opposite of what one would expect from an administration that was being illegally influenced by a corporate interest.
In fact, Stephanopoulos almost sounded like he got his talking points from the intelligent posts here on FreeRepublic.
No, he's dead on. This definitely dwarfs the Monica and Whitewater scandals. It ties Ron Brown and the sale of trade commission seats, the Chinese campaign donations, the Lippo group and some other little known commerce scandals, all up in a neat package. Janet Reno blocked all those investigations, now the left is crying for them to be re-opened. <p.The partisan press just have the wrong president. Let's give them what they want, an in-depth investigation. Heck, maybe we can even tie in the technology transfers and Vince Foster.
Today's WSJ has an extensive article on Enron and their political contributions. During the 1999-2000 campaign cycle they contributed $1,139,000 to the Republicans; Arthur Andersen contributed $1,013,469. They both contributed to the democrats ... but only about half as much.
Contributions to the Bush campaign by Enron $113,800; by A/A $145,650. During the 90's Enron contributed money nearly equally between democrats and Republicans in the Congress.
Then, they'll take a poll. If that poll shows even as little as a 3 or 5% drop in Bush's approval, Jennings will release it saying that the poll reflects a SIGNIFICANT drop in approval for Bush. This is part of the strategy to systematically undermine Bush's approval ratings. It's all based on theories of perception and manipulation of public opinion. The libs are well versed in propaganda techniques.
........the USUAL suspects.
And they are going to understand a hedge strategy using derivatives?
I heard kookie interviewed on WLS this morning, and she said the entire program would be "All Enron, All the Time."
She also mentioned that it had been planned since LAST MONDAY. Interesting, huh?
Enrons Campaign Contributions, 1989-2001- Senate & House
Related Article...
FLASHBACK: CLINTON OFFICIAL MET WITH ENRON CHAIRMAN; $100,000 CASH DONATION TO DEMOCRATS TIMED TO PL
Source:Drudge Report; Published:01/11/02; Matt DrudgeClinton-Gore sales team eased Enron's path to success
Source: Pittsburgh Tribune-Review; Published: Dec. 9, 2001
Dateline D.C.
Tough call, but I think a Romulan would be more emotional at times. 'Ol Sam seems too...composed, most of the time.
Either way...still a weenie.
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