On my afterwood walk amoung the bloggy fields, I came across this. It may be old news for all I know, but my pain addled brain doesn't know better. Link are mine. as are the comments.
Robert Scheer, over at Truthdig has this to say, which edited to save to precious save electrons. You can read the full article here.
Enron Kenny Boy Lay couldn't have fleeced California without Bush help
The Bush family consistently acted to put Enron and its longtime CEO, Ken Lay, into a position to rip off investors and taxpayers. Why are the mass media ignoring that fact now that Lay has been convicted in arguably the most egregious example of white-collar fraud in U.S. history? Until he hooked up with the Bushes, Lay was just
another mid-level energy trader complaining endlessly about being hemmed in by onerous government regulations and those terrible consumer lawyers who prevent free market hustlers from doing their thing. But after he and his company became top supporters of the Bushes -- eventually giving $3 million combined to various Bush electoral campaigns and the Republican Party -- doors opened fothem in a big way.
I'm reminded on Robin Hood right now. While the good King Albert, wrongfully rousted, has gone off to fight for for the glory of home and hearth, some Robber Barrons by the name of Bush have conspired with minor Robbers and Highwaymen to rape and pillage the land all in the name of freedom. To keep the serfs happy, handouts are tossed and troublemakers and sent away with a hardy "fie-on-thee, thou wretched leftist scoundrel!"
In particular, once Bush the father got rid of key energy industry regulations, Lay was a made man and Enron's fortunes soared. This program of corporate welfare led Lay to dub the first President Bush "the energy president" in a column supporting his re-election because "just six months after George Bush became president, he directed ... the development of a new energy strategy," which, in effect, compelled local utility companies to carry Enron electricity on their wires. It was, Lay crowed, "the most ambitious and sweeping energy plan ever proposed." Another huge gift from the first Bush regime came in the form of a ruling by k, head of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, that permitted Enron to trade in energy derivatives, making possible the company's exponential growth.Hm..41 does all the work, 43 gets all the credit. If you ask me this presidential legacy appointment thing goes a little to far.
Five weeks after that ruling, Gramm resigned and joined the Enron board of directors, serving on its subsequently much criticized audit committee. Six years later, Gramm's husband, U.S. Sen. Phil Gramm, R-Texas, further enabled Enron greed by pushing through additional anti-regulation legislation.
When will people learn - it's not good to be an enabler!
Are You an Enabler? Do You Know Why? Do You Know How to Stop? Please, get help now!
A long list of George H.W. Bush's Cabinet and inner circle, including Secretary of State James A. Baker III and Commerce Secretary Robert A. Mosbacher, went to work for Enron after Bush's 1992 defeat. An even greater number of Enron officials returned the favor by joining the George W. Bush administration in 2001, shortly before the Enron scandal exploded.Please, for the love of God....NO MORE FAVORS!
The close connections between President Bush and Lay began when they both worked on the 1992 Bush pere presidential re-election campaign. In fact, a long paper trail of their friendly and collaborative correspondence has been made public through Freedom of Information Act requests.
"Dear Ken, one of the sad things about old friends is that they seem to be getting older -- just like you!" wrote then-Texas Gov. Bush in April 1997. "Thank goodness you have such a young beautiful wife."
Because having a beautiful young wife makes it all ok.
After the Enron crash, Bush attempted to distance himself from the "Bush Pioneer" who had sent more than $2 million in Enron funds George W.'s way, as well as supplying him with the Enron company jet on at least eight occasions.
(photo from Paxtonland.com)"I have not met with him personally," Bush said after the scandal broke. What Bush left out was not only his hundreds of personal encounters with Lay before he assumed the presidency but, more important, Lay's key role in drafting the Bush administration's energy policy, meeting with energy task force chairman Dick Cheney at least six times.
So far, California has recouped some of the billions in taxpayer andpension funds it lost, and several of Enron's top dogs are looking at hard time. Perhaps, after this November, if the opposition party can retake at least one branch of government, the connections between these corporate criminals and their buddy in the White House can be more fully investigated, as well.
And now let's have a sing-a-long to celebrate!
From the Life of Brian:
Some things in life are bad
They can really make you mad
Other things just make you swear and curse
When you're chewing on life's gristle
Don't grumble, give a whistle
And this'll help things turn out for the best...
And...
...always look on the bright side
of life...
(Whistle)
Always look on the light side
of life...
(Whistle)
If life seems jolly rotten
There's something you've forgotten
And that's to laugh and smile and dance and sing
When you're feeling in the dumps
Don't be silly chumps
Just purse your lips and whistle
- that's the thing.
And...always look on the bright
side of life...
(Whistle)
Come on.
Always look on the right side
of life...
(Whistle)
For life is quite absurd
And death's the final word
You must always face the curtain
with a bow
Forget about your sin - give the
audience a grin
Enjoy it - it's your last chance
anyhow.
So always look on the bright side
of death...
(Whistle)
a-Just before you draw your terminal breath...
(Whistle)
Life's a piece of shit, when you look at it
Life's a laugh and death's a joke, it's true
You'll see its all a show, keep 'em laughin as you go
Just remember that the last laugh is on you
And...
Always look on the bright side
of life...
(Whistle)
Always look on the right side
of life...
C'mon Brian, cheer up
Always look on the bright side
of life...
Always look on the bright side
of life...
Worse things happen at sea you know.
I mean - what have you got to lose?
You know, you come from nothing
- you're going back to nothing.
What have you lost? Nothing.
Always look on the right side
(I mean) of life...
what have you got to lose?
You know, you come from nothing
- you're going back to nothing.
What have you lost?
Always (Nothing.) look on the right side of life...
Nothing will come from nothing ya know what they say?
Cheer up ya old bugga c'mon give us a grin!
There ya go, see!
Always look on the right side of life...
(Cheer up ya old bugga c'mon give us a grin! At same time)
There ya go, see!
