The White House mired in numerous scandals
How the European press views current events:
The former responsibilities exerted by the president George W Bush and the
vice-president Dick Cheney as the heads for companies that today are under the
magnifying glass of American justice feed an increasingly political scrutiny,
just four months from the mid-term elections.
TEXT:
The scene is rather unusual. Wednesday July 17, at the time of the reception of
Polish president Alexandre Kwasniewski, George W Bush was constrained to
vehemently defend Dick Cheney’s past history. The Halliburton company, which the
vice-president of the United States was the chairman of 1995 to 2000, is
suspected of having falsified its accounts. The SEC (Securities Exchange
Commission), the market’s regulator, opened an investigation at the end of May.
A complaint was filed on July 10 against Mr. Cheney by Judicial Watch, an
anticorruption organization.
In spite of the efforts of the White House, the criminality of corporations
became the principal political subject with the passing days, eclipsing the
war against terrorism and homeland defense. "There is no business... I have a
great confidence in the vice-president. When I chose him, I knew that he was an
excellent executive and a man with much experience ", affirmed the president,
causing the anger of the Democrats. "Which kind of message does the President
send when he declares in effect that there is no reason for an SEC inquiry?",
questioned Jennifer Palmieri, a Democratic Party spokesperson.
Since the bankruptcy of Enron at the end of the year 2001, the most
significant of the history of the United States, the administration has been on
the defensive. It was obliged to permanently minimize its close and
privileged links with the Texas corporation. The president and founder of Enron,
Kenneth Lay, was the principal financier of George W. Bush’s political
campaigns. Terrorist alarms and an undeniable skill as regards communication
made it possible until the summer to contain the scandal. This receipe appears
insufficient today with the multiplication of scandals, the tumble of Wall
Street, the suspicions of unfair kid glove treatment and the personal friendship
being called into question. The Americans lost confidence in their corporations,
the CEOs and the Stock Exchange.
The economic revival is threatened by it. The past business practices of
George W Bush and Dick Cheney are being exposed. They are practices not very
distant from those unanimously condemned today.
An Avalanche of Questions
After the revelation, one month ago, of the 4 billion dollar fraud of WorldCom,
George Bush had, constrained and forced, to defend himself. The political debate
suddenly changed tone, was declared "scandalized". But, in this role, the
president was forced to begin to defend his credibility. July 8, for the first
time at the time of a press conference, it was driven back, broken into
fragments by an avalanche of questions about his past as the director of an oil
company, Harken Energy Corporation, and his sale of stock under suspicious
conditions just before the announcement of bad results.
The Wall Street speech the following day in front of a floor of broker/dealers
was much anticipated. It was hoped to be, like the sentiment expressed by
Theodore Roosevelt, at the beginning of the 20th century, a speech denouncing
"rich malefactors". George Bush preached "a new ethic of responsibility in
the world of business". But the speech was unconvincing. In the room, the
applause was particularly timid, and Wall Street continued to tumble.
George Bush’s speech was preceded this day by those of the Democrats. Less than
one hour before Bush’s speech, the two principal leaders of the opposition,
Senator Tom Daschle and Representative Richard Gephardt, held a press conference
accompanied by former employees of WorldCom and Enron proclaiming to be for
"true" reforms. "the problem is not to know if the president shares the anger
felt by the workers and the shareholders of these companies. The question is to
know up to what point (Bush) will really will act and promote the legislation
which will help to solve the problem ", declared Tom Daschle.
Democratic Offensive
Incapable, since September 11, to find a basis for dissent which was favorable
for them, fearing to be seen to be disloyal in a time of war, the Democrats
seized this chance to take the offensive with joy. They hope to convince the
voters before the mid-term elections, in November, that George Bush and Dick
Cheney behaved as the corporate chieftains whom they denounce today.
"There is a thing which they cannot hide, it is their past as businessmen",
affirms a democratic spokesman. The Democratic party prepares to broadcast, with
the return of partisan politics, televised campaigns where its candidates will
undertake "to protect employment and the retirements" and to be on the side "of
the people which work hard and comply with the rules". Approximately 80 million
Americans hold a stock exchange account, primarily as retirement savings, and
most lost a lot of money in the last few months.
The malaise is is even perceptible in the Republican camp, considered in
public opinion to be the party of the "big business" and which fears to make go
against the wishes of business. Now the Congress, Democrats, in the majority in
the Senate, and the Republicans, in the majority in the House of
Representatives, has launched out into competitive legislation agendas , to see
which is to become the law most severely punishing the criminality of
corporations and officers.
The damage to the Administration now starts to be perceptible in the surveys.
Admittedly, the popularity of George Bush remains very high. 72% of the
Americans approve his policy, according to a public opinion poll carried out for
Washington Post and ABC, between the 11 and July 15, near 1 500 people. A number
are equivalent people consider it honest "and deserving confidence". Another
survey, carried out for the New York Times near 1 000 people, between the 13 and
July 16, gives similar results. Approximately 70 % of the questioned people
support the president.
The doubts grow on the other hand about Bush’s ability to put a end to the
numerous scandals. Two thirds of the people questioned by the New York Times
estimate that the administration is more concerned about the interests of the
corporations than of those of the ordinary citizens. The explanations of Mr.
Bush concerning his past of administrator of Harken are far from convincing. 49%
say Bush is hiding something and 9 % say he is lying. Only 17 % think that
he said the truth.
lemonde.fr
[xlation by the aforementioned] |
