Date published: 12/29/2001

It is official. Enron's financial collapse is the largest bankruptcy in American history ["Enron files for bankruptcy, sues Dynegy," Dec. 3]. The company's failure has cost 21,000 people their jobs and many their pensions. Top Enron executives have fled the country after taking huge bonuses during the last year.

Over the last several years, Enron and its president and founder, Kenneth Lay, have been the single largest contributor to the gubernatorial and presidential campaigns of George W. Bush. Enron executives enjoyed unfettered access to the highest levels of the administration, and Mr. Lay was the only individual
to have a private meeting with Vice President Dick Cheney to offer advice as the administration secretly crafted its energy policy.

My question is: Where is the outrage? Why aren't conservatives like Bill Bennett huffing and puffing all over Fox News about the corruption at the highest levels of the administration? Why aren't there congressional investigations issuing subpoenas to the administration demanding to know details about the Bush-Lay relationship?

Why hasn't Gail Sheehy written a 10,000-word psycho-babble expose for Vanity Fair about Bush's deep personality flaws and why he is drawn to consort with criminals? Why isn't a partisan special prosecutor rummaging through Mrs. Bush's underwear drawer looking for evidence of the Bush-Enron relationship? Why hasn't the press written dozens of above-the-fold stories decrying Mr. Bush as a "serial liar"?

Where are the hundreds of FBI agents descending upon Texas talking to every kook with an ax to grind against Bush and his staff? Where are the special reports on CNN with animated computerized logos: "American Corruption: Bush and Enron"?

A few short years ago, we were told that we needed to know all of the details that could possibly be found about a failed land deal 18 years ago that cost the Clintons $20,000. It was called Whitewater. After a $50,000,000 investigation, nothing was found against the Clintons. No indictments, no criminality, no civil liability. Nothing. Compared to the Enron-Bush debacle, Whitewater is a walk in the park.

It is an absolute outrage that the pit bulls who investigated every aspect of Whitewater have been absolutely silent on the Bush-Enron connection.

Date published: 12/29/2001