"Coincidence" a recurring explanation in Rick
Perry's rhetoric
"Co * in' * ci * dence" n. 1. A remarkable occurrence of events
That's Webster's definition of a word that has become a recurring
explanation in Rick Perry's political lexicon.
News reports for the past month detail Perry's acceptance of a
$25,000 payment from Enron chief Ken Lay the day after his
appointment of former Enron executive Max Yzaguirre to head up
the powerful Public Utilities Commission.
"'It's totally coincidental,' Mr. Perry told reporters back in
December. 'Ken Lay contributed to me on previous occasions. I'd
like to see those noted in the paper.' (Dallas Morning News,
12-20-01).
Obliging him, the press reported that Enron and its top executives
have given Perry more than $212,000 since 1997.
Yet Perry has repeatedly invoked the coincidence factor during the
past month.
From the moment his PUC appointment began to meltdown:
"Perry, fielding questions on the qualifications of the man he
appointed head of the Public Utility Commission, former Enron de
Mexico chief Max Yzaguirre, said Wednesday that it was 'totally
coincidental' that he took a $25,000 contribution from Enron CEO
Ken Lay the day after appointing Yzaguirre to head the
commission." (San Antonio Express-News, 12-21-01).
To the moment he cut his nominee loose:
"Perry also described as 'totally coincidental' a $25,000 campaign
contribution he received from Enron chairman Kenneth Lay a day
after he appointed Yzaguirre." (Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 1-19-02)
"Coincidence" was also the explanation back in January 1996, when
Perry suddenly purchased shares in one of his major campaign
contributor's companies on the same day a friendly takeover bid of
the company began. Perry earned more than $38,000 on stock in
James Leininger's Kinetic Concepts, Inc. (KCI). Leininger, one of
Perry's biggest backers, and his San Antonio-based foundation
sponsored Perry's appearance for a speech the same day Perry
bought a big chunk of KCI stock, which also happened to be the
day a friendly take-over bid began.
The Perry explanation? "It was a coincidence" that he bought the
stock "on the same day a California investment group began buying
2.2 million shares in the company, boosting the stock's value."
(Dallas Morning News, 5/15/98).
Alert readers may also recall news stories three years ago revealing
that Perry turned a quick $330,000 profit on an Austin real estate
deal two days after having lunch with the landowner, computer
magnate Michael Dell.
"'I think that was truly a coincidence that we met at that particular
point in time,' Mr. Perry said." (Dallas Morning News, 1/31/98).
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