Page A-1 Boston Globe - "President defends '90 stock sale"

Boston Globe ^ | July 9, 2002 | Anne E. Kornblut

[Cincinatus' Wife]

WASHINGTON - On the eve of a speech rebuking corporate America, President Bush launched a vigorous defense of his own business practices yesterday, noting he had been cleared of wrongdoing years ago for selling almost $850,000 worth of stock in a Texas-based energy company just weeks before the stock price fell.

[Cincinatus' Wife]

Yesterday, more than a decade after the fact, Bush said he did not know what had caused the lengthy delay in the filing of his Form 4 documents with the SEC

From my understanding, this form is a follow-up document reporting the stock sale was done.

I'm reminded of something Lyndon Johnson said .- (paraphrased) "I know he didn't do anything wrong. I just want to hear him deny it."

''Today, President Bush offered his third and latest explanation over his role in Harken Energy's questionable business practices,'' Terry McAuliffe, the Democratic National Committee chairman, said in a statement. ''Every day more questions arise. President Bush should stop refusing to release his SEC files and let the American people, and not his lawyers, decide what is relevant.''

I suppose the reporter should have mentioned Terry McAuliffe's $18 Millon windfall from a $100,000 investment in Global Crossing.

[governsleastgovernsbest]

Looks like the Boston Globe forgot that the idea of "news" is that it's supposed to be "new". Once again, they resorted to a tried and true technique: have reporters ask questions about a story that's been flogged to death. But once the President is forced to respond, you can run a front page story portraying him on the defensive. Anything to rain on W's corporate responsibility speech.

[TomGuy]

Just think, some reporter had to stay up nites, working overtime, to dig up that piece of dirt.

It almost restores my faith in investigative journalism, to think one could find a 12-year-old stock sale to question.

Now, if this journalist would try using her talent in current events, she might really find a story. [Although there is significant danger in that--it might uncover too much of a story. Gotta be careful, tread softly, don't want to find the wrong flavor of dirt, now, do she.]

[Rodney King]

Terry McAuliffe, the Democratic National Committee chairman, said in a statement. ''Every day more questions arise. President Bush should stop refusing to release his SEC files and let the American people, and not his lawyers, decide what is relevant.''

SEC filings like W's form 4 are all public info, there is nothing to release.

[Right_in_Virginia]

"Yesterday, more than a decade after the fact, Bush said he did not know what had caused the lengthy delay in the filing of his Form 4 documents with the SEC. "

"Form 4" is the form confirming the sale of stocks,....notice how they omit Mr. Bush's timely filing of the requisite form advising the SEC of his intent to sell (which, IMHO, is the one that proves the transaction was above board).

I really dislike the media.

[kcvl]

I suppose the reporter should have mentioned Terry McAuliffe's $18 Millon windfall from a $100,000 investment in Global Crossing.

You WOULD THINK that SHOULD be MORE important wouldn't you? Sort of like the Hillary Cattle Futures...It happened while the CLINTONS WERE IN OFFICE!!!And NOT YEARS before with proof of Bush's explaination, investigation by SEC, at least two elections where this was ALREADY checked out(by Ann Richards, no less) and FOUND NOTHING.

[kcvl]

SEC filings like W's form 4 are all public info, there is nothing to release.

Do you expect them to be THAT SMART(/sarcasm)? If you missed the hearings and Bush's press conference yesterday you would know that our Congresscritters and "reporters" ARE STUPID, STUPID, STUPID...

[mystery-ak]

No one is going to mention Terry McAwful's *windfall* cause he is pulling the strings with this story....all DNC talking points....this is their issue for the fall elections, it's not going away...their goal is to make GW look guilty, keep asking GW the same questions over and over again, hopefully his poll numbers will drop.

[Moby Grape]

There is NO chance that the Boston Globe (Pravda), and the New York Times (The Peoples Socialist Daily), are going to run front page stories about McAluffie's mysterious stroke of luck (100K to 18 Million....then the company goes belly up), nor will they cover Rubin's great luck, nor remind the public of Hillary's wonderful skills with cattle futures.....I hope to see Ann Coulter on the tubes pointing out this OBVIOUS liberal bias by the media.

[RJCogburn]

I like Bush, who I believe is an honest and decent man even if I disagree with some of his actions as President.

Still, I ask myself how I would react if the name "Bush" were replaced with "Clinton" in this matter.

[Dahoser]

Like the DUI flap at the end of the campaign, the RATS have dredged up another incident from W's past that their willing henchmen in the media make front page and top of the newscast material. The same folks who spent 8 years dismissing everything and anything brought up about the Clintons as old news, the politics of personal destruction, or a foment of the VRWC, and admonished us to just move on, are moth-like in their attraction to the flame of a W story.

[Cincinatus' Wife]

Anything to rain on W's corporate responsibility speech.

Bump!

[Cincinatus' Wife]

Now, if this journalist would try using her talent in current events, she might really find a story.

Assignment America:Tales from the newsroom*** He describes newsrooms full of little Bolsheviks-in-training, who have party lines on all sorts of issues, from affirmative action to crime to AIDS, and who consciously manipulate stories, fail to cover stories, and belittle stories that run counter to their political views. After reading this book, it's difficult to take seriously The New York Times, Washington Post, Miami Herald or Los Angeles Times, just to name the more egregious examples.***

[Cincinatus' Wife]

SEC filings like W's form 4 are all public info, there is nothing to release.

The LIBERAL media should try hiring some investigative reporters and that will give column space and air time to McAuliffe's financial windfall from the market.

[Cincinatus' Wife]

Still, I ask myself how I would react if the name "Bush" were replaced with "Clinton" in this matter.

The difference is the coverage by networks and mainstream media. Free Republic, Rush Limbaugh and columnists are admittedly partisan but the supposed, vaunted, unbiased media should report the news not editorialize, highlight or bury. Did they have the same zeal in reporting on the Clintons? I say they did not.

[Cincinatus' Wife]

The same folks who spent 8 years dismissing everything and anything brought up about the Clintons as old news, the politics of personal destruction, or a foment of the VRWC, and admonished us to just move on, are moth-like in their attraction to the flame of a W story.

Exactly. Once it was reported they would say, "We've covered that."

[Woodman]

Funny how this article only dwells on one aspect of all of the followup questions and not one iota of the actual statement made by "W" on inaction by congress.

As an aside, I thought his response to the Osama question was much more interesting. I think we got him either in mid-December or late Jan 3 2002. BTW I had Jan 4th in the pool and was not sure if I won because of time zone changes?

[Cincinatus' Wife]

Bush's response to another question about his "promise" to get Osama was, "Either he's dead or we'll get him.

[carton253]

The papers were released. The reporters had them in their hands. One reporter said that Bush even waved client/lawyer priviledge and had his lawyers testify...

The President said that if any reporter didn't have the paperwork, then he would make sure they got it.

[Woodman]

Yes nice and Black and White. The way it should be. I fear that if we produce a body people will lose interest before the job is done. I would rather we never see a body and never hear from the bastard again.