Ken Lay was a member of Bush's* transition team....

[Liberal Veteran]

Don't let the cons try to steer this as Clinton thing.


"As Bush assumed the presidency, Enron had unusual access to the new administration's deliberations about energy policy and appointments to important posts. Lay served on the Bush transition team and helped interview candidates for the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, which oversees the gas pipelines and electricity grids that are key to Enron's business. Earlier this year, the commission's chairman, Curtis Hebert, who was being considered for reappointment by the White House, declared himself "offended" by Lay's lobbying efforts. Hebert later quit the panel."

According to ABC news...

http://abcnews.go.com/sections/politics/DailyNews/enron011210.html

[enough]

1. Thank you, l_v

That's a very useful article right now.

snip>

The Houston-based company was among the first to back Bush when he ran for governor of Texas. Enron and its executives went on to become the largest source of financial support for Bush's gubernatorial campaigns, giving more than $500,000, according to a study by the Center for Public Integrity.

"Enron was the number one career patron for George W. Bush," said center director Charles Lewis. "There was no company in America closer to George W. Bush than Enron." Lewis says the company's goal in backing Bush and other politicians was to encourage further deregulation of the energy industry.

"Enron made a decision that they needed government to go their way and they put the money out to make sure that happened," he said.

snip>

When Vice President Dick Cheney drafted a new energy policy, he met with Lay and other Enron executives. Enron was reportedly the only company to be granted such a meeting.

more>

[Octafish]

2. Lay is a solid-gold plated turd of the BFEE

Bush and Ken Lay: Slip Slidin' Away

By Sam Parry
February 6, 2002

George W. Bush is trying to rewrite the history of his and his family’s relationship with Enron Corp.’s disgraced former Chairman Kenneth Lay. So far, Bush has enjoyed fairly good success as the U.S. news media has largely accepted the White House spin.

But the reality, as established by a wealth of historical record and recent disclosures, is that Lay and Enron were instrumental in Bush’s rise to power – and Bush played an important behind-the-scenes role in advancing Enron’s aggressive deregulation agenda, which helped the energy trader ascend to its lofty perch as the seventh-biggest U.S. company.

SNIP...

The Bush-Lay relationship helped Enron extend its reach across the globe, with the appearance of a successful company, as it pulled in billions of dollars in investment money from tens of thousands of unwary investors.

SNIP...

Last year, Vice President Dick Cheney and his energy task force held six secret meetings with Lay and other Enron officials while developing an administration program that contained special favors for Enron. Bush named Lay’s allies to key regulatory positions, such as the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, which pushed for other pet Enron projects.

Under the direction of Bush’s National Security Council staff, the U.S. government also strong-armed India to acquiesce to Enron’s demands over its troubled Dabhol power plant, which Enron was hoping to sell for $2.3 billion. The NSC’s extraordinary pressure on India continued even after Sept. 11 when Washington needed New Delhi’s support in the war on terrorism and wanted the Indians to quiet their border dispute with neighboring Pakistan.

CONTINUED TREASON...

http://www.consortiumnews.com/Print/020602.html

[Trajan]

3. Time to kick this one ....

and vote it for the frontpage: because it is relevent to NOW ...

[Zorra]

4. Bu$h and Ken Lay are known to be close personal friends.

What's the saying? "Birds of a feather, flock together"?

[aquart]

5. Transition? He was part of the election planning.

And Enron jets were ever ready for George's convenience.

[Liberal Veteran]

6. True, but I think this as much if not MORE damning for the wingnuts...

...who are trying to spin Ken Lay as a good buddy of Clinton.

[Media_Lies_Daily]

7. I wonder if he's willing to trade what he knows about Cheney's energy....

....meetings and what was discussed to stay out of prison? After all, he must have been one of the participants in those meetings.

[Liberal Veteran]

8. According to the article, he was....

"When Vice President Dick Cheney drafted a new energy policy, he met with Lay and other Enron executives. Enron was reportedly the only company to be granted such a meeting."