"Patriotism is the last refuge of the scoundrel"--Samuel Johnson, English writer

It was just yesterday that we tied the Bush administration to the stealing of billions of dollars from Californian consumers by the Enron Corporation. We learn today that lawyers told Enron executives that their management practices in California were potentially criminal. We also know that when Kenneth Lay, former CEO of Enron, was blamed for the corrupt management of Enron, President George Bush distanced himself from Lay saying that he hardly knew Lay. There are gossips going around journalists that George Bush would friendly address Kenneth Lay as "Kenny Boy." We understand now the cozy and business relationship entertained between President Bush and his "Kenny Boy" Kenneth Lay; in fact, a disclosed letter dated April 3/1997 directed to then Governor George Bush from Kenneth Lay mentions how the oil business in Uzbekistan could bring Texas and Uzbekistan together.

This morning, May 16/2002, I watched the CNN news on TV as US Representative Richard Gephard, Minority House Leader, made the revelation that the White House withheld the important information that President George Bush knew of possible terrorist attacks prior to 9/11, yet President Bush kept this important information from Congress, while at the same time personally asking Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle to limit the congressional investigation into the events of 9/11 (Ensign first explained this situation April 22, 2002).

Gephard has stated that a congressional inquiry should be conducted into the intelligent information collected by the FBI and the CIA as there could have been potential intelligent failures to relate the following pre 9/11 events:

1. President Bush's knowledge of potential terrorist attacks by Osama Bin Laden and his Al Qaeda network;
2. the arrest of Zacarias Moussaoui, in August 2001 after he raised concerns by seeking flight training at a Minnesota flight school; and
3. a memo from the FBI office in Arizona mentioning the urgency to check all flight schools to identify possible terrorists among Middle Eastern students.

Just now, I learn the news that plans to topple Saddam Hussein in Iraq are in the "front burner." And my thoughts run wild as I speculate that the planned patriotic war against Iraq (and the world wide war on terror) is an attempt by the Bush administration to keep the public attention away from the enronization of the US government.

References

Pertinent articles published by Ensign

Bush and Lay Material, The Smoking Gun http://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive/bushlay1.shtml

Letter dated April 3/1997 directed to Governor George Bush (George) from Kenneth Lay (Ken) The Smoking Gun http://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive/bushlay12.shtml

Despite Doubters, Enron Waited to Stop Its Trades, Senate Is Told by Richard A. Oppel Jr. New Yrok Times, May 16, 2002 http://www.nytimes.com/2002/05/16/business/16ENRO.html?todaysheadlines

Bush told of threat before September 11, Staff and agencies, The Guardian, May 16, 2002 http://www.guardian.co.uk/september11/story/0,11209,716529,00.html

9/11: Did Bush Do Enough? CBC News, WASHINGTON, May 15, 2002. The White House revealed Wednesday night that President Bush was briefed on U.S. intelligence in August, while at his Crawford, Texas, ranch, that bin Laden's network might hijack U.S. passenger planes http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2002/05/15/attack/printable509096.shtml

Officials Told of 'Major Assault' Plans. Inquiry: U.S. authorities were advised in August that as many as 200 terrorists were coming to U.S. as part of plot. By RICHARD A. SERRANO and JOHN-THOR DAHLBURG, Los Angeles Times, September 20, 2001 http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-092001probe.story

Bush asks Daschle to limit Sept. 11 probes CNN January 29, 2002 http://www.cnn.com/2002/ALLPOLITICS/01/29/inv.terror.probe/

Bush blocked Bin Laden probes Greg Palast on BBC http://news.bbc.co.uk/olmedia/cta/progs/newsnight/attack22.ram