[cricket]

"He was particularly critical of Mr Cheney's efforts to prevent the release of the minutes of meetings he and his staff held with Mr Lay and other Enron executives in the process of formulating the administration's energy policy." . . .Conservatives are uncomfortable with this Administration's relationship with Enron?.

Were all the people at JW thrown from the same horse?

Way to many quick-on-the-draw judgements from JW. . .too bad.

[Scott from the Left Coast]

"He was particularly critical of Mr Cheney's efforts to prevent the release of the minutes of meetings he and his staff held with Mr Lay and other Enron executives in the process of formulating the administration's energy policy."

The administration's energy policy has done wonders for Mr. Lay, who will now never be in the business again. How opining on long-term policy options equals insider action to prop up a company going bankrupt in the short term escapes me entirely. Particularly when the company in question never got propped up.

Had something been going on behind the scenes, Enron would never have collapsed and Mr. Lay's name in the business world would not now be the equivalent of Medusa's gaze.

If we are at the place where it becomes too inherently dangerous to utilize the opinions of people in the business in long-term policy deliberations (because they might be bad businessmen), then time has arrived where only bureaucrats can have input on such decisions. And the five year plans will be so glorious.