Free Republic

President Bush had to twist a lot of arms to squeak his Central American Free Trade Agreement through Congress this week [as] Members prepared for the August recess by throwing themselves a giant spending party. Speaker Dennis Hastert... directed the House to pass a $286.4 billion highway bill. He expects Mr. Bush to sign this because it is "only" $2.4 billion more than the President's 2005 veto limit, which is "only" $28 billion more than his 2004 veto limit of $256 billion, which was "only" a 17% increase over the previous six-year highway spending level.... The bill is all about...

"Exponential Enrons (not) ahead" - PUHCA ("Pooka") Hobgoblin Exorcised According to Irish folklore a "pooka" is a mischievous spirit, or hobgoblin, which takes the form of an animal. The irrational fear of a new hobgoblin of sorts has recently arisen with resistance against reform of the law enacted in 1935 with the acronym PUHCA for Public Utility Holding Company Act (pronounced "pooka"). Syndicated columnist Molly Ivins, Ralph Nader, and a number of so-called consumer advocacy organizations have all come out against the recent Congressional reform of PUHCA (http://www.pasadenastarnews.com/Stories/0,1413,206~11851~2969511,00.html#). One website, Truthout.org, warns that there will be "exponential Enrons ahead." Truthout.org...

We conclude that Enron has failed to establish that it meets the statutory criteria for an exemption under Section 3(a)(3) and 3(a)(5) of the Act and, therefore, we deny Enron's application for an exemption pursuant to those sections of the Act. IV. Based on this record, we find that Enron fails to meet the statutory requirements for an exemption pursuant to Sections 3(a)(1), 3(a)(3), or 3(a)(5) of the Act. 84 Accordingly, we deny Enron's application filed on April 12, 2000, for an exemption under Sections 3(a)(3) and 3(a)(5) of the Act, and we deny its application filed on February 28,...

http://www.citizen.org/cmep/energy_enviro_nuclear/electricity/deregulation/puhca/articles.cfm?ID=4257