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Non-Tech : The ENRON Scandal -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Skywatcher who wrote (4362)	8/13/2002 11:43:46 PM
From: Mephisto	Respond to of 5185

"They first must be crushed." That might be difficult because Bush and Harvey Pitt, the head of the SEC, backtrack on accounting reforms. They refuse to write off options as expenses, for one thing. When I think of Bush though, what comes to mind is a huge cockroach. Like Bush, those nasty insects run for cover when you flip on the switch in the bathroom of a hotel room. Bush and the roaches never want you to see what they are up to! But as far as the economy goes, Bush is probably as useful as a squashed and flattened cock roach. There is the Cheney problem. And then there are Bush's own problems when he was a member of the Board of Directors and Audit Committee at Harken Energy. Bush has refused to turn over additional documents about the Harken problem. So, if you can crush the CEOs, you may be able to crush Bush and Cheney.

To: Skywatcher who wrote (4362)	8/13/2002 11:50:16 PM
From: Mephisto	Respond to of 5185

The Cheney Factor Editorial The New York Times August 13, 2002 As President Bush and his economic team interrupt their vacations today to gather in Texas for an economic conference, Vice President Dick Cheney may have trouble playing his customary role as elder statesman The problem is not primarily Mr. Cheney's weak heart, though that has impeded him, or his disappearances to unidentified secure locations, which have been the subject of much mirth on late-night television shows. Mr. Cheney's big problem is that he's associated with a company, Halliburton, that is under investigation for possibly improper accounting practices. That makes him less than the ideal front man for an administration trying to restore confidence in a sputtering economy spooked by corporate malfeasance. Mr. Cheney has rationed his public appearances of late, showing up mostly at lobbying sessions on Capitol Hill or Republican fund-raisers. When he takes questions from the public on Iraq or Halliburton, the troubled energy services company he once headed, Mr. Cheney demurs. He may be an insider asset to Mr. Bush, but outside his value is tipping from positive to negative. On the economic issues to be discussed today, Mr. Cheney brings formidable experience and expertise. He served as President Gerald Ford's chief of staff, working closely with two other staffers who, like him, went to positions of greater prominence: Treasury Secretary Paul O'Neill and Alan Greenspan, the chairman of the Federal Reserve Board. Before the wave of corporate scandals, Mr. Cheney might have been the reassuring figure the markets are looking for in this administration. But he has been severely hampered in recent weeks by a reticence to talk about his own record at Halliburton. Last week at the Commonwealth Club in San Francisco, he blandly referred questions about the S.E.C. investigation to the company's Web site - hardly the forthright discussion the public deserves. Mr. Cheney says his service as vice president is the most rewarding experience of his professional life and he would be happy to run for a second term if Mr. Bush wishes. But Mr. Cheney does not serve Mr. Bush well by dodging questions about Halliburton, or repeatedly declining to identify the people who were consulted by his energy task force last year. At a moment when Americans are looking to the government to help remedy the nation's economic ills, Mr. Cheney looks more like part of the problem than the solution. Copyright 2002 The New York Times Company Page A 20, The National Edition

To: Skywatcher who wrote (4362)	8/14/2002 2:22:13 AM
From: Mephisto	Respond to of 5185

Frittering away time, money in Waco "If you think the White House is going to share its bully pulpit or media spotlight, you're crazier than a hopping toad on a flat rock at high noon in Crawford. Besides, Fleischer argued, anytime a Democratic leader crosses the White House threshold for talks with Bush, it's a "mini-summit." It's no mystery why Democratic leaders are being cut out. They might want to talk about Bush's lop-sided tax cut, which the president not only continues to defend but wants to make permanent." Aug. 9, 2002, 9:06PM chron.com By CRAGG HINES Copyright 2002 Houston Chronicle