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Amid scandals, Bush White House takes a risky path, placing loyalty over public duty.
Philadelphia Inquirer ^ | 7/17/2002 | Jonathan Turley

Posted on 07/17/2002 12:47:25 PM PDT by dirtboy

The White House is reeling from allegations that both President Bush and Vice President Cheney engaged in business practices that are disturbingly similar to those of executives at Enron and WorldCom. Like administrations before it, this White House now must choose between serving the greater interests of the office of the presidency or the narrower goals of the current officeholder. If last week was any indication, Bush officials have chosen a dangerous path of personal devotion over public duty, a path that has led previous administrations to disaster.

The recent allegations - which may prove overblown under closer scrutiny - center on transactions by Bush and Cheney when they were executives at Harken Energy Corp. and Halliburton Co., respectively. Among the unproven allegations are insider trading, questionable personal loans and fraudulent dealings. The White House staff has put on a full-court press to refute these allegations of private misconduct. In doing so, the administration is drifting into the troubled waters in which the Clinton administration found itself...

Click here for the rest of the article, as this was originally published in the LA Slimes...


TOPICS: Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: albertogonzales; arifleischer; bush; cheney; halliburton
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To: Fred Mertz
Good remarks there, dirtboy. Good to see you on the boards. Maybe I'll see you in Vegas?

Naw, I've recently come down with AIDS - Acquired Income Deficiency Syndrome, so sadly I cannot make it. But thanks for asking.

21 posted on 07/17/2002 1:15:49 PM PDT by dirtboy
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To: Howlin
Yeah, they've got a legacy alright. I do my best to smudge that sucker every chance I get. Clinton spent more than eight years trashing every witness against him. Nixon has been dead for over five years and we still don't even know the name of the one person who was the most important witness against him. This is only reasonable to the left.
22 posted on 07/17/2002 1:16:58 PM PDT by DoughtyOne
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To: dirtboy
Among the unproven allegations are insider trading, questionable personal loans and fraudulent dealings.

You can read "unproven" here as being a whispering campagin. I have seen NO charges concerning either one of these guys, have you?

The White House staff has put on a full-court press to refute these allegations of private misconduct.

And what, pray tell, are they suppose to do, sit back and let the press, the Democrats, and apparently people in our own party run wild with speculation and unproven, not even credible charges?

Dick Gephardt thanks you for the work you're doing for the DNC. You and Larry Klayman are doing a bang up job of spreading rumors and false allegations -- talk about the politics of personal destruction.

23 posted on 07/17/2002 1:17:15 PM PDT by Howlin
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To: dirtboy
but I first of all get upset when the Bush Administration starts to emulate the methods of the Clintonistas, and I get even more upset when freepers parade in to engage in Clintonista-style attacks upon someone with valid criticisms of what the Bush Administration is doing...

C'mon dirt! Turley's got to keep getting his name in the paper so he can continue to get those appearance fees on the chat shows.

No serious human being actually believes that Harken, which has been vetted in no less than FIVE elections, has one whiff of scandal to it.

As for Cheney, the fact that the only lawsuit filed so far against Halliburtion is from Judicial Watch ought to tell you something.

24 posted on 07/17/2002 1:17:19 PM PDT by sinkspur
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To: dirtboy
Turley didn't get this kind of coverage in the mainstream media when he was issuing similar condemnations against the methods of the Clinton Administration.

You cannot possibly be serious. He was ALL over the place. How the heck do you think WE knew who he was?

25 posted on 07/17/2002 1:19:41 PM PDT by Howlin
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To: sinkspur
Sink, Turley's comments are not about the merits of the Harken and Halliburton matters (I will not dignify them with the scandal label at this point), but instead is about the way the White House is handling these matters, and IMO he is making some valid points. Any time the Bush Administration starts to emulate the Clintonistas, it should give us all a moment of pause. And just because I support Bush, it doesn't mean he should get a free pass or that I should ignore someone like Turley, who was straight-on quite often during Monicagate...
26 posted on 07/17/2002 1:20:50 PM PDT by dirtboy
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To: dirtboy
I'm writing to your level....My personal attacks?

You say people don't like to hear bad things about Bush on a conservative board like it's some sort of insight. Well, it isn't.

I've come to expect much better quality than that tripe you just posted.... Unfortunately, I don't expect that much from you.

27 posted on 07/17/2002 1:21:50 PM PDT by Bigoleelephant
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To: sinkspur
If there was anything to Harken, Ma would have found it and wiped the floor with it.
28 posted on 07/17/2002 1:21:56 PM PDT by Howlin
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To: Howlin
You can read "unproven" here as being a whispering campagin. I have seen NO charges concerning either one of these guys, have you?

Uh, Howlin, that is why Turley used the word "unproven" in the first place - unlike the libs, who have already convicted Bush and Cheney.

Dick Gephardt thanks you for the work you're doing for the DNC.

Ah, the classic method of questioning motives. It's a sad day when freepers resort to these kind of ad hominem attacks.

You and Larry Klayman are doing a bang up job of spreading rumors and false allegations -- talk about the politics of personal destruction.

You just engaged in such.

29 posted on 07/17/2002 1:23:51 PM PDT by dirtboy
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To: dirtboy
is about the way the White House is handling these matters, and IMO he is making some valid points

How, by Ari saying the charges are "without merit?" Tell us EXACTLY what the White House is doing that is like Clinton?

BTW, that answer was in response to a reporter's question. Should Ari have said, "No comment?"

I suspect, if he had, you'd be right on this forum, whining about that, too!

30 posted on 07/17/2002 1:24:28 PM PDT by Howlin
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To: dirtboy
I am no fan of Bush, but this "Harkin and Halliburton" stuff doesn't appear to have traction, at least as far as i can see. I used to respect Turley. Now, he is just like that other Jonathan that appeared on FR to enlist FReeper help for writing his book (Tooley?) that turned out to be a Clinton Rumpkisser tome.

'Pod

31 posted on 07/17/2002 1:24:52 PM PDT by sauropod
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To: dirtboy
By the way, If either Cheney or Bush are guilty of crimes, get them the heck out. I don't back criminals just because they're Republican criminals.
32 posted on 07/17/2002 1:25:08 PM PDT by Bigoleelephant
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To: dirtboy
I still like Turley, he makes a valid point, but just as an unneccessary IMO warning: just that public WH staff shouldn't be involved in the response to questions about the personal allegations.
I think he's going a little far in the way he thinks this rule should be applied (gagging Fleischer for example!).

Clinton administration public officials did much more.

"press secretary Ari Fleischer and others defended the President's actions as a citizen and stated that the White House was consulting with "private accountants and private counsels" as part of its response. The White House staff coordinated the response to the allegations, even sending allies fax answer sheets (À la Clinton) titled "If You Get Asked About Harken." "

"consulting with "private accountants and private counsels" " boy, this would never have occured to either of the Clintons.

33 posted on 07/17/2002 1:25:37 PM PDT by mrsmith
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To: dirtboy
You posted this article and chose to add your two cents worth, not me.

You ARE doing the work of the DNC when you whine about "what the White House is doing" WITHOUT PROVIDING THE BACK UP for what you're talking about.

34 posted on 07/17/2002 1:25:51 PM PDT by Howlin
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To: FreeTally
"Yeh, we know what kind of "investigating" goes on when the government is in charge of the investigation. "

Yep, there seems to be tugs on the Bush gonads from time to time to keep his policies pointing where the rider wants him to go. Too many changed positions.

If there is some dirt - business, governor or personal, the GOP better surface a replacement soon before the country drowns in Gore or McCain.

35 posted on 07/17/2002 1:26:06 PM PDT by ex-snook
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To: Bigoleelephant
Absolutely. But the writer and the poster are trying to imply that we all WILL back Bush no matter what.
36 posted on 07/17/2002 1:26:37 PM PDT by Howlin
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To: Howlin
Right. That's why, to refute his argument, I stated I would not back Bush.
37 posted on 07/17/2002 1:28:41 PM PDT by Bigoleelephant
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To: dirtboy
but instead is about the way the White House is handling these matters, and IMO he is making some valid points.

Call me back when the Bush White House hires james carville and sidney blumenthal, until then you have no case, IMHO.

38 posted on 07/17/2002 1:29:03 PM PDT by Dane
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To: sauropod
Hi, 'Pod. I agree entirely about Harken, as far as Halliburton goes, it's too early to tell, so I'm withholding judgement, but I haven't seen enough yet to call it a scandal. And the charge that Turley is simply trying to stay in the media by attacking the Bush Administration is quite possible. However, these matters happened BEFORE Bush and Cheney were public officials, and his criticisms of Gonzales and Fleischer are, IMO, worth considering.

Instead, we see folks come barging into the thread, many of whom seem to not have bothered reading the article, and immediately commence the ad hominem attacks against Turley because he has left the reservation.

39 posted on 07/17/2002 1:29:15 PM PDT by dirtboy
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To: dirtboy
Turley's overblown rhetoric over two "allegations" that even he admits may have no merit (they don't) is astounding.

What the hell kind of question is this?

Whether to decline to assist an embattled and much-loved president may be the most difficult test of principle for any public official.

How is Bush "embattled" by two phony "scandals."

I'm sorry. I don't think Turley has ANY valid points, including his criticism of Ari Fleischer for sending out talking points. He does this, of course, to counter the talking points that the DNC sends out.

Politics is war, dirt, and you either fight or get killed.

40 posted on 07/17/2002 1:29:49 PM PDT by sinkspur
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