Enron - What's Going On? Neil Boortz's 60-sec. version.

Newsmax ^ | Jan. 11, 2002 | Neil Boortz

[Ragtime Cowgirl]

Do you want a 60-second rendition of just what this Enron stuff is all about?

OK ... here you go.

Enron was the nation's seventh-largest corporation in terms of revenue. Enron would buy natural gas and electrical energy from producers and re-sell those commodities to distributors and consumers.

Enron was apparently cooking the books. Enron was heavily in debt, but the debt was hidden in various partnerships. Eventually the house of cards caved in and Enron tanked. Many Enron employees and investors literally lost most of their life savings.

Enron's connection to President Bush? The corporation and its top official contributed heavily to Bush's various political campaigns. Also – when the financial cave-in began at Enron, some Enron officials had meetings with Bush administration officials seeking help.

That's just about it. This is the synopsis for the "scandal" that many in our wonderful news media say could be "as big as Whitewater."

So, you want to compare Bush/Enron with Clinton/Madison Guaranty and the Whitewater scandal? Fine! Let's go for it. For starters:

-Can you show me any evidence, anecdotal or otherwise, that George W. Bush or anyone working for George W. Bush did anything to help Enron hide its financial misdeeds?

-Can you name one Bush family member who received money from Enron for professional services – as an attorney, for instance?

-Can you show any loans to George W. Bush or any of his family members from Enron or from any of Enron's principals?

-Can you show that George W. Bush invested in Enron and that that investment was subsequently protected by Enron officials when the financial picture started to fall apart?

-Can you provide me with any evidence that any administration official, from Bush's years as governor of Texas or since he became president, has taken any action whatsoever to prevent, stall or impede an investigation by any government regulatory agency, either state or federal, into the financial affairs of Enron?

-Can you provide any evidence, anecdotal or otherwise, of any sexual relations between George W. Bush and any officer or the wife of any officer of Enron?

-Can you produce evidence that either Enron or any Enron official ever made payments on any promissory obligation of George W. Bush or any member of his family?

-Can you introduce any evidence that George W. Bush, or any member of his immediate family, ever participated in the preparation of any legal documents drawn for the sole purpose of defrauding the federal government?

-Can you show that either George W. Bush or any member of his administration or his immediate family has lied, whether under oath or not, about any aspect of his relationship with Enron or any Enron officials?

-Can you provide me the name of any Enron official who is presently serving time in jail for contempt of court for his or her refusal to answer questions under oath about the role of George W. Bush or any member of his family or administration in dealings with Enron?

-Can you show me that any pertinent documents relating to Enron, which documents were once in the possession of George W. Bush, any member of his immediately family or any administration official, have been destroyed, lost, shredded or otherwise disposed of?

Explain just why there is so much criticism of George W. Bush over the Enron debacle while Enron is being represented in Washington by Bill Clinton's former attorney.

But, you say, Enron talked to Bush officials when they knew they were in trouble. So? Didn't airline representatives talk to both Republican and Democratic officials in Washington when they found themselves in trouble? Didn't Chrysler make a trip to Washington decades ago when it hit some rough roads?

It's pretty much standard practice for huge corporation to go to Washington when the going gets rough. Sometimes you see a bailout, as you did with the airlines and Chrysler. Sometimes the corporate officials learn that they are going to have to go it on their own.

Democrats and Clinton lovers are just salivating on this one. They are trying to convince the myrmidons that Enron is Bush's Whitewater. As you can see from the list above, this is a tough play to run.

It doesn't matter, though, because the vast majority of people in this country – including most Democratic voters – don't have the intellectual curiosity to delve into the situation. They'll believe what their favorite politician says – or what they hear from their favorite news anchors – and that will pretty much be it.

If there's any fraud, criminal conduct or ethical violations here … show me the proof. I'll be right there with you demanding appropriate action.

[doug from upland]

FReepers, begin getting this article into the hands of the press and other talk shows. We have to help fight the battle. The RATS still control the press and the battle will be fierce.

[sauropod]

Excellent article.

Doug, I will do so. 'Pod.

[jackbill]

some Enron officials had meetings with Bush administration officials seeking help.

Not to be too picky, but I haven't seen any evidence - or even a charge - that "Enron officials had meetings with Bush administration officials seeking help." They made phone calls, but so did former Clinton Sec. of the Treasury Robert Rubin.

[cricket]

Thanks for posting Neil's synopsis RC; think I will make copies; carry them and share when I can, with a Liberal. . .

. . .and when I see a Gore sticker on a car. . .will leave it on their windshield. . .maybe forget and leave a copy on the table at Starbucks. . .or their symbiotic partner. . .tuck a copy in Nation's magazine; or just a book on the NYT's best seller list.

There are things we can do. . .to help inform; may not help; but it might, and it cannot hurt.

[goldstategop]

Yep. It was a former CLINTON Administration official that called the Bush Administration for help on behalf of Enron. Funny how the liberal media missed that one. And the campaign finance reform angle bombs here since not one of the President's critics has managed to establish a quid pro quo in exchange for the company's donations and alleged close ties to the former Bush campaign. Where's the beef here? Sure Enron went bankrupt but companies go bankrupt across the U.S every year and no one in the media gives it front-page attention. Maybe with enough digging something damaging will turn up but for all the press tongues aflap NO evidence of smoke let alone fire has yet surfaced. This could be the political dud story of the year.

[Jorge]

It's good to see somebody cut through all the convoluted crap being spun by Democrats and the liberal media.
Well written!

[Ragtime Cowgirl]

The RATS still control the press and the battle will be fierce.

On a happier note, look at the sales of conservative books....the American people in ever-growing numbers are no longer trusting the press to tell the truth about issues in America. They can try to rewrite history 'til the Clinton Legal Defense Fund finally closes, but they cannot destroy evidence they do not hold, or control the many witnesses here.

Doug, is there a Republican equivalent to Waxman who will make sure that all the facts are included in the hearings? I know that when Fla. AG Bob Butterworth and Mary Frances Berry held hearings post election 2000 and called for "any and all evidence of fraud or abuse" they did not include the reported allegations of Dem. fraud in the final report.
Waxman Enron tip line. Happy hunting. (^:

[Rightly Biased]

I have copied and sent it to every Lib I know most of them can't read but at least I tried.

[Ragtime Cowgirl]

Not to be too picky, but I haven't seen any evidence - or even a charge - that "Enron officials had meetings with Bush administration officials seeking help." They made phone calls, but so did former Clinton Sec. of the Treasury Robert Rubin.

Not picky at all....accuracy is important (what do they teach in Journalism School?).

[stryker]

The way Boortz explains it, Enron bought energy from suppliers and sold it to consumers and became the sixth largest energy company doing so. This begs the question of how Enron lost all that money in such a simple series of transactions, if we are to believe this post. So far I don't see a problem with the Bush administration, but I can hardly herald this post as a clear and convincing explanation as to what has transpired.

[jackbill]

what do they teach in Journalism School?

How to be a good little liberal and how to hate the "right wing" whackos.

Recent experience shows that they have learned their lesson well.

[Ragtime Cowgirl]

You're very welcome, cricket. I like your gentle activism. My style's a bit too similar to the immature RATS over at DU. I'm trying to emulate Donald Rumsfeld...the truth with tact and no flourishes. The way he confuses the press corp is priceless. (^:

[facedown]

About sums it up.

[Ragtime Cowgirl]

I have copied and sent it to every Lib I know most of them can't read but at least I tried.

LOL! The truth does confuse them.

[jackbill]

This begs the question of how Enron lost all that money in such a simple series of transactions

Don't feel too bad. If Arthur Andersen couldn't figure it out, why should we? But then, maybe Andersen did figure it out and went along with it.

Seriously, this one is going to be very difficult to understand, even when it is figured out. Somehow, Enron was able to run up very large debt, but they apparently hid that debt through subsidiary "partnerships", the existence of which they were able to hide.

You can't know how glad I am that my son left Arthur Andersen about five years ago. I don't think that company will be around a year from now. And some in the company may just be behind bars.

[Waco]

Xlinton surfaces again? Yes, shxt floats, Moica.

[Waco]

Xlinton surfaces again? Yes, shxt floats, Monica.

[Ragtime Cowgirl]

This is the Boortz condensed version. Check out one of the other many FR Enron threads for more details. This isn't a Freep thread, but I think it explains a little about the Calper/Chewco divestiture that somehow escaped the notice of the accountants back in the mid 90's and, when discovered, changed the bottom line a lot. Do you think more than a handful of journalists or pols know what they're talking about here? It's a sham, IMHO, and if not traitorous, it's cowardly behavior during war time when our troops depend on a focused effort fighting real enemies in the real world who really want us dead. Our enemies want us divided. Daschle and the DNC/press are giving aid and comfort to the enemy.
Auditor, Enron trade blame, Houston Chronicle, Dec. 13, '01.

[cricket]

"I'm trying to emulate Donald Rumsfeld...the truth with tact and no flourishes."

. . .no easy act to follow RC; but, definitely a good one. . .