Brad DeLong's Semi-Daily Journal (2004)

Any inkling on what Bush might have done that is somehow wrong, improper, unethical, illegal in reference to his relationship with Lay?

Here's an archive of many, many handwritten notes between Bush and Ken Lay:

http://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive/bushlay1.html

"Any inkling on what Bush might have done that is somehow wrong, improper, unethical, illegal in reference to his relationship with Lay?"

You mean, apart from lying to your face about it?

Kerry needs to make Kenneth Lay Bush's running mate in 2004, the same way Rove made Willie Horton Dukakis' running mate.

Bush Enron Corporate Corruption
Bush Enron Corporate Corruption
Bush Enron Corporate Corruption
Bush Enron Corporate Corruption

"In his earliest known tie to the Enron Corporation, President Bush, then an oil man in West Texas, joined an energy drilling venture organized in 1986 by a subsidiary of Enron [Chairman: Ken Lay]."

Which doesn't contradict Bush at all. And Enron was small potatoes in 1986.

I think Kosh is onto something. Have a series of "Enron/Halliburton"-sponsored ads that appear pro-Bush at first...

ANNOUNCER: George W. Bush... a man of compassion... a man of principle

(cut to Ken Lay)

LAY: But I was very close to George W. and had a lot of respect for him, had watched him over the years, particularly with reference to dealing with his father when his father was in the White House and some of the things he did to work for his father, and so did support him.

(cut to Halliburton executive)

HALLIBURTON EXEC: Normally, the process of applying for a government contract is a nightmare, full of paperwork and bureaucratic in-fighting. Dick and George cut through all that nonsense and got us that contract with minimal effort. They're just great guys to work with.

ANNOUNCER: President Bush is so humble that he's the last person in the world to flaunt his famous friends.

(Cut to Bush)

BUSH: I got to know Ken Lay when he was the head of the -- what they call the Governor's Business Council in Texas. He was a supporter of Ann Richards in my run in 1994. And she had named him the head of the Governor's Business Council. And I decided to leave him in place, just for the sake of continuity. And that's when I first got to know Ken, and worked with Ken, and he supported my candidacy.

ANNOUNCER: Humility. Compassion. Rewarding loyalty. George W. Bush.

Bush Enron Corporate Corruption
Bush Enron Corporate Corruption
Bush Enron Corporate Corruption
Bush Enron Corporate Corruption

"Which doesn't contradict Bush at all."

Interesting. I wonder if any sane people would agree with this.

What Patrick R. Sullivan is trying to say is that Enron invested with George Bush because of his uncanny ability to find oil, not because of his uncanny ability to be the son of the then Vice-President. This brilliant investment decision was the forerunner of the Enron we know and love today.

Please, pointing out that Bush is a liar only impedes understanding.

Patrick, haven't explained away the second and third quotes. Do you need more time on that?

How about this question for the presidential debates:

President Bush, if your good friend Kenneth Lay is convicted of criminal charges, would you pardon him if you have the opportunity?

Did the Lays really give money to both sides in the Texas governor's race? If so, is that common behavior?

One thing that was noted about Joseph Wilson & Valerie Plame was that they'd both donated to both parties. I've seen anecdotal evidence of it being fairly frequent in passing elsewhere. So, I don't know if it's common, but it's not particularly uncommon, at least.

JRossi wrote, "Did the Lays really give money to both sides in the Texas governor's race? If so, is that common behavior?"

It's the *norm* for much of the corporate world. Only question is the balance of the two contributions. That balance has been shifting more towards the Republicans (IIRC ever since they took over the House in 1994).

liberal is half right. Yes, it is the norm for corporate America to contribute to both parties.

liberal is, however, incorrect about the balance having shifted any time lately toward the Republcans. Business has always contributed overwhelmingly to the Republicans, even when Democrats are in power.

Bush ad:

"When I entered office in January, 2001, Enron and Kenneth lay were busy defrauding their employees and customers alike, John Rigas and friends were using Adelphia as their "personal piggy bank", and Sam Waksal was busy using his insider information to make himself, his friends, and his loved ones rich." Today, Enron is bankrupt, Kenneth Lay and many of his cronies are under indictment, John Rigas is on trial for fraud, and Sam Waksal is serving time in a federal prison. And my opponents accuse me of being in the pocket of these people? Some friend of corporate criminals I turned out to be."

"Enron invested with George Bush because of his uncanny ability to find oil"

Which is exactly what Bush's company did. You guys really think there is something odd about an oil and gas exploration company contracting with a company that sells the same?

Btw, the correspondence between Bush and Lay all dates from Bush's governorship, thus verifying HIS version and not Lay's claim to having been "close" to him during his father's presidency. Not to mention that during most of his father's presidency W was in Texas running the Texas Rangers.

Patrick - Please devulge how the existance of correspondence from 1997 proves the lack of any relationship prior to 1994. Then, please explain how one can go into business with a family friend who describes his personal relationship to you as "close" without ever working with or getting to know this person, and how one can neglect to mention this financial relationship in response to a question about your financial dealings with this person and/or his company. Bonus points if you can explain how someone who gives overwhelming finacial support for your candidacy for governor can be truthfully described as supporting your opponent.

"explain how one can go into business with a family friend who describes his personal relationship to you as 'close'"

The Editors have the same problem with elementary logic that I've come to suspect is a prerequisite for usual suspectness. Bush never "went into business" with Lay.

Bush is quoted as saying he "got to know" Ken Lay after he was elected Governor of Texas. Someone produces correspondence between the two men, which doesn't contradict that in the least.

Also, a business relationship between Spectrum 7 and "a subsidiary of Enron" in 1986 is produced (presumably) as evidence that Bush's story is untrue. Which it clearly doesn't. There is no reason to conclude Lay and Bush even met back then, much less that Bush "got to know" (that's a colloquialism, fellas) Lay. And, Bush sold Spectrum in 1986 anyway, moving to Washington to work with his father in politics.

To spell it out for the business-illiterate; businesses contract with each other every day at levels below the CEO, and Spectrum 7 WASN'T dealing directly with Enron, but with a SUBSIDIARY. And, Bush lived in Midland then, not in Houston.

Finally--and this is highly amusing considering the prejudices always in evidence here--you people are believing the story of a guy who presided over a company that was marinated in deceit, and who was last seen in handcuffs being led away bry Federal marshalls. (Not, btw, that that is evidence Ken Lay actually did anything illegal. I'm just a lover of irony.)

Lay's story about knowing W during his father's presidency (while having some plausibility) collides with the timeline of W's career. Bush got out of Washington early in 1990 and devoted his next several years to the Texas Rangers based in the Dallas area (not Lay's hometown Astros).

The evidence all supports Bush's story, not Lay's.

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