Just When You Thought Enron was All Duby a's Fault

“Senate Probes Clinton Loans
For Enron Deals
By Paul Sperry
Washington Bureau Chief
WorldNetDaily.com
2-21-2

WASHINGTON - Under the Clinton administration, the Overseas Private Investment Corp. "gave hundreds of millions of dollars" in loans and other government support to risky Enron-related projects overseas, according to a Senate Finance Committee audit released today.

As WorldNetDaily first reported Jan. 22, Enron became one of OPIC's biggest customers during the Clinton years.

From fiscal year 1993 to fiscal 2000, OPIC gave at least $544 million in loans to Enron-related projects, the agency reported in a letter to the Senate panel. It provided another $204 million in political-risk insurance. OPIC listed only currently supported projects.

The Export-Import Bank, another federal overseas economic-development agency, gave more than $650 million in loans to Enron-related projects, confirming WorldNetDaily's earlier reporting.

The Senate panel asked for data back to 1985. "It appears the agency made no loans to Enron-related businesses from 1985 to 1992," said Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, ranking committee member.

Current outstanding balance on all the federal loans is $965 million, according to the audit. With the insurance liability, the federal agencies' indirect exposure to Enron-related projects totals nearly $1.2 billion.

"These loans obviously were a tremendous benefit to Enron's operation," Grassley said, particularly since commercial banks rarely finance such long-term projects in unstable foreign markets.

A committee investigator told WorldNetDaily that the panel is reviewing confidential memos written or received by OPIC and Ex-Im Bank officials regarding the Enron transactions.

Former OPIC head Ruth Harkin was appointed by Clinton after her husband, Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, campaigned vigorously for Clinton in '92 and '96. The senator was one of the ex-president's biggest boosters during his impeachment trial.

Prior to joining the Clinton administration, Ruth Harkin was a top corporate lawyer at Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld, a Washington firm that includes Clinton pal Vernon Jordan and Democratic power broker Robert Strauss.

Ex-Im Bank board members during the Clinton years include Jackie Clegg, wife of Sen. Chris Dodd, D-Conn., and Maria Haley, a former aide to Clinton in Little Rock and ex-wife of John Haley, who was convicted in the Whitewater investigation.

Dodd served as co-chairman of the Democratic National Committee during the '96 Clinton-Gore campaign. Clinton appointed Clegg vice chair of the Ex-Im Bank board in June 1997.

Haley has ties to the crooked Riady family who operate the Lippo Group out of Jakarta, Indonesia. The Riadys ran afoul of federal bank regulators after they took control of the Worthen Bank in Little Rock in the 1980s. Haley's long-time law partner, Mark Grobmyer, a Clinton golfing buddy, is a Lippo lobbyist.

While at Ex-Im Bank, documents show Haley OK'd tens of billions of dollars in federal loans for Indonesian projects, including many involving Lippo and its subsidiaries.

Clinton replaced her on the board with Vanessa Weaver, who was forced by the Senate Banking Committee to recuse herself from Lippo transactions after a 1999 Investor's Business Daily story exposed her close ties to Lippo executive John Huang.

Both Huang and James Riady have since been convicted of fraud relating to Clinton-Gore fund-raising.

Two Enron executives -- Joseph Sutton and Rebecca McDonald -- have served on the Ex-Im Bank's advisory committee.

Enron, which usually backs Republicans, gave more than $150,000 to Clinton's party during the 1996 election cycle.

Yet another federal agency, the Trade and Development Agency kicked in more than $1.1 million from 1992 to 2001 for foreign projects involving Enron or its subsidiaries. It also sponsored 11 visits to the U.S. by foreign officials who participated in Enron-related projects.

© 2002 WorldNetDaily

Paul Sperry is Washington bureau chief for WorldNetDaily.
http://www.worldnetdaily.com”

“What? You mean Republican AND Democratic power brokers are crooks?

I'm like stunned.”

“Wow! I must say that this peice is probably the best thing I've read of yours (theirs). Thanks for a different view.”

“Wow, irrefutable facts. Imagine that.”

“Dubya is Enron’s fault.”

“It was also disclosed that Enron looked to the Clinton administration for a board member. Former Enron Chairman Kenneth Lay sent departing Treasury Secretary Robert Rubin a letter on May 14, 1999, offering Rubin a seat on the company's board, which Rubin declined for a top post at Citigroup.

Every time you hear, "It's not a political scandal, it's a business scandal" from the Republicans, rest assured it's a republican scandal. The more that Republicans try to blame others, the more apparent it is that they are trying to hide their own evildoing. First they say it's just a business scandal, now they want to blame Clinton. Die evildoers.”

“How in the F---is Enron W's fault? They asked him for a favor and he didn't help. If he had you'd have screamed scandal. He didn't and you scream scandal. Dems want to hang something..anything on the guy before election time. Its disgusting and makes me sick. This board seems to be home to a lot of political crap. If you want to post lots of political debates try freerepublic.com.”

“Yeah, quit polluting the purity of this site! NOW!”

“Impossible theories and illogical arguments are all you get from liberals.”

“Since when did you become a liberal, bacpac?”

“is that all you righties still can't let Clinton go...a year after he leaves office and you are still trying to find something that will stick on the slick one...

Talk about impossible theories...”

“It's just more stuff to flush down the big Goverment toilet!”

“What about the money sierra club received from the Environmental Grantmaker Association that originally came from an Al Quaida front in Germany?

Why is the liberal media quiet on that one?”

“That damn Sierra Club they should give every last penny back to the terrorists. I'm sure they could use it now that their camps have been bombed into dust.”

“MOM... Gordo's been smokin' Rabbit Tobacco again!”

“clinton didnt help enron rip off california energy consumers of billions o dollars.GW did.Big favor in firing FERC head and refusing to place price caps.And now GW is lying about the extent of his friendship with Lay...doesnt it remind u of when clinton said he didnt have sex with that woman?Let the impeachment begin.”

“davex, I suggest you do a little research on how and when California deregulated energy. If you look at the facts you can not claim Bush had any responsibility. I know how you hate those facts.

What lies has Bush told about his relationship with Ken Lay?

bongo, I think that impeachment stuck.”

“I let 'em go bongo. I couldn't wait to let him go. I have a t shirt that says "I survived the Clinton years" on it though.”

“Nothing spells Enron Republican scandal more than Bush's refusal to turn over documents to the GAO.

"I got nothin' to hide, I'm PURE, quit bothering me while I'm fighting evildoers."”

“sorry bacpac but you are in serious DENIAL-as are most gw supporters/clinton haters.Its funny how you guys keep avoiding the FERC issue when i bring it up.What does dereg have to di with gw and lays scandalous friendship.You just brought it up in a feeble attempt to deflect the IMPEACHABLE facts of GWs shady biz(sidebar-are you suggesting that there is something wrong with deregulation?!!!).
And Bush has said that his friendship wasnt that close but yet they have now found letters that suggest quite the contrary(the liberal media hasnt been pounding on this one much)
Anyway lets use some basic logic here.How can Lay land a job being gw's top energy adviser,almost get the job for energy secretary(gasp),contribute millions to GW over the last few years and lend GW his Lear Jet for his 2000 campaign and not be his very close friend?Those are the facts and only ignorance will deny that basic simple conclusion.
But GW's biggest screw up and the one that will have him and cheney ImPEACHED is his firing of the FERC head and replace him with one that was a friend of Lays.Those are the FACTS and what will cook GW at his impeachment trial.
Its funny how repubs screamed bloody murder over Monica and now that the tables have turned they cant handle their own medecine...hahaha.”

“Why do you people insist on crying foul on one political party or the other? The fact is that both the Democrat and Republican Parties are corrupt. The corruption is deep and entrenched. There is no way either party can be reformed.
Therefore it's time to for a change. And the sooner the better.”

“I agree with you that both parties are corrupt and they can't be changed. When I vote I usually vote for my favorite crook since they all are crooks.”

“i agree also. i am not registered as a republican but do lean that way.”

“Solitary Hiker, Lets get something perfectly straight:

Rebublicans are EVIL.

Democrats are INEPT.

Evil is not something to be forgiven.”

“Rebublicans are EVIL.

George Dubya Evildoer
09:19:11 PM
02/25/02

Now it all makes sense.”

“bacpac is a Rebublican?


I read in the Baltimore Sun about the government backed loans for foreign energy related projects.
It seems that at least some of the loans are being paid on schedule.

So its all Clinton's fault, huh?

Boy schit, that sure takes the heat off G W Butch!

What a surprise that members of both parties are hip-deep in Enron schit!

The ReBUBlicans(I like that!) had their turn at impeachment.
Its only fair that the Democrats give it a shot.”

“The Rebublican Party as defined by Webster's NewWorld Dictionary is "one of two major political parties in the US organized in 1854 to oppose the extension of slavery". The party has come to stand for much more than just the abolition of slavery. The Republican Party is now a group of people who believe that America still stands for freedom and justice for all who have money. Republicans believe that we all have a responsibility to serve and protect the freedoms of our country as long as there's money in it. Character, morals and hypocritical values create the foundation of a Republican's beliefs. Republicans believe that success is earned, not given out. We believe that our country gives everybody the same opportunity to succeed. (Barf!) Rebublicans stand behind the laws and people that made our country great. A Republican believes and trusts in our Constitution so long as it favors our ideas. A Rebublican is an American that believes in equality for all who have money. A Republican is one who believes America is the greatest country in the world in which to scam the poor and steal elections.”

“...success is earned".Not really gw inherited his money and im not sure if he's been successful in any business that he started.Clinton on the other hand wasnt born with a silver spoon in his mouth and had to work and study hard to escape poverty and get where he is.”

“ANd the chicks really dug him!”

“Tom. That reBUBlican thing is good. You gotta use it more often.
Oh, and it's all Clinton's fault!!”

“No..not there,

HERE!”

“davex,
You must be $hitting me? Bill Clinton escaped poverty but I doubt it was through employment in the private sector. He's been in an elected position almost his entire life (after college). Before that he was kissing that Commie Arkansas Senator's butt to get into Oxford. He's been living high off the sweat of taxpayers for years. The rest of the time Hillary was probably paying his way with sweet cattle future deals and fraudulent attorney fees.”

“Solitary is correct. The Clinton's never owned a house until they bought the one in New York. They lived in government housing for over 20 years.”

“BFD. Most politicians live in taxpayer purchased homes.”

“Big Bush bought a run-down hotel in Texas he never lived in and claimed it as his residence to escape state income tax. Who cares?”

“ReBUBlican......from typo to common usage!

Oh yeah, Cheney fudged HIS residency from Texas to Wyoming to get around the prohibition on running mates residing in the same state........bringing integrity to the White House!........after Klinton totally fragged it!

adventurist-
That is cool!”

“adventurist, that is really funny!

Ya like DUMBacryts to, don't ya Tom, don't ya?”

“Did Clinton even buy the house in NY? Seems to me I remember him getting a sweet deal of a "loan" from one of cronies. Didn't all his friends buy the furniture? I mean for the rooms that weren't furnished by stuff Hillary stole from the White House?”

“Apparently that's common practice for outgoing an outgoing pres. I think Reagan's friends bought him a whole house.”

“ReBuBlican.

Check Google... lots of entries.”

“didnt clinton get a rhodes scholarship-wasnt that his oxford ticket?”

“Sheeeee-it, Reagan's friends bought him a 600 acre ranch!

I think they bought him a tractor-trailer full of "wet-backs" to work the fields too.

Or was it a container full of Chinese stow-aways?

It was the least they could do for him handing out all that corporate welfare.”

“Silly me, I thought Eron was Eron's fault.”

“No, no, it was Klinton's fault!”

“NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO! You can't take this one away from me! [sticking fingers in my ears] LALALALALALA! I can't hear you!”