Ken may be Layed to rest, but some propaganda won't die

I learned a long time ago to simply ignore (or try my best to) most of the idiotic Internet rumors that show up in my Inbox from time to time, because a vast majority of them contains lies, half truths and outright bullshit. However, I got one a few weeks back from someone I respect and admire - a Republican in my family - about Enron. With the passing of former CEO Ken Lay, I figured it was apropos enough to write about.

The e-mail forward was a ham-handed attempt to deflect attention away from the fact that Lay was a Bush chum and HUGE political benefactor before the fall of Enron, after which Bush all of a sudden bumped his head, developed amnesia, and couldn't remember if he even knew Lay.

To be clear, Enron (along with Lay and other Enron execs) contributed millions to both political parties, but it's pretty clear where most of the cash went. Let me spell it out for you: G-O-P.

A simple half hour of research revealed some pretty interesting findings about Enron's giving before the company collapsed.

In 2001, right up until the company collapsed in December of that year, Enron contributed nearly $173,000 to candidates and parties, almost 90 percent to Republicans. From the 1989-90 election cycle to November 2001, Enron made nearly $5.8 million in campaign contributions, 73 percent of which went to Republicans. Oops.

Then-candidate Bush raised nearly $114,000 in Political Action Committee and individual contributions from Enron in 1999-2000, making the company one of his biggest donors. Enron also donated $100,000 to the Bush/Cheney inaugural gala in January 2001, a contribution that was matched by then-Enron CEO Kenneth Lay and his wife. The Lays contributed a total of almost $883,000 to candidates and parties between 1989 and November 2001, of which 90 percent went to Republicans.

Lay was a longtime friend of the Bushes and was one of the president's top contributors during the 2000 presidential election and Bush's two gubernatorial campaigns. Lay was listed by the Bush/Cheney campaign as a Pioneer who raised at least $100,000 for the 2000 election, reportedly was one of the president's closest advisors between Jan '01 and Enron's fall late that year.

Anyone other than me remember Lay meeting with VP Dick Cheney in the White House to discuss energy policy? When the press wanted to know what topics were discussed, it was private. In so many words, the public and press were told, "None of your business."

I also clearly remember in November 2001, the economic stimulus package that was rammed through Congress, which included a whole buffet of tax breaks for big business, including oil and gas interests.

Yes, the Democrats controlled the Senate at the time, but the GOP had a better PR effort, and the Dems didn't want to be portrayed as pussies, so they simply passed whatever was proposed. After all, in December of that year, VP Dick Cheney accused dissenters leading up to the vote on the Patriot Act of "siding with the terrorists," if they didn't vote for the bill. So, remember the political and social climate of the time. In so many words, it was pass something, do something, show people we are busy doing something to secure American and to keep people safe.

Anyway, big business, realizing the political climate and the public's eagerness to see Congress do something, unleashed an army of lobbyists on Washington to have some favors paid back. Take a look at these figures:

$1.4 billion for IBM; $833 million for General Motors; $2 billion for Ford Motor Co.; $671 million for General Electric; $572 million for Chevron/Texaco; $254 million for energy giant Enron. Oops again.

And I don't feel like it, but do the research on which party gets the lion's share of campaign contributions from the above corporations, and tell me how ya make out. I don't even need to look - you'd find Republicans awash in campaign cash. And those are favors that need to be repaid when these candidates (and president) reach office. ...


Bush and Lay at an economic conference in January 2001, shortly before Bush took office.

I've blogged about it before, but during the phony energy crisis in California, Enron completely and totally manipulated the energy market, creating a shortfall when there was none. Bush did not lift one fingernail to intervene, not wanting to help out Democratic Governor Gray Davis. If it weren't for Enron, and to a much lesser extent, Bush not helping out Californians by capping energy costs during the crisis, there would be no Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. But, who gave a shit about Californians getting screwed? It was Bush's chance to help his buddies (Enron), and fuck a Democratic governor. Bush succeeded on both counts.

To be clear, Enron did contribute to Democrats, too. That would be called covering your bases, which any smart corporation will do with the campaign finance laws as they exist now. That way, whoever gets elected, the company will be owed favors. But, Enron (along with Lay and other Enron executives) clearly wished for Republicans to win every damn race, since the GOP is so much friendlier to oil and gas interests.

Rest in hell, Mr. Lay. Even better, to the recycle bin those bullshit anti-Democrat e-mails go. It's easy to try to rewrite history when no one paid attention at the time during things like the Enron collapse, etc. But, I did and do pay attention.

Oh, and I didn't just invent the figures in this story. Many were pulled from these sources: The Orlando Weekly, Mother Jones Blog, opensecrets.org and the Federal Election Commission. And the research didn't take long.