Democrats won't question Rubin

Washington Times ^ | 7/25/02 | Dave Boyer

[kattracks]

Senate Democrats investigating the collapse of Enron Corp. said yesterday that they have no plans to question former Clinton Treasury Secretary Robert Rubin, a top official at Citigroup Inc., over its role in hiding Enron's debt from investors.

"I don't," said Sen. Joseph I. Lieberman, chairman of the Governmental Affairs Committee, when asked whether he intended to call Mr. Rubin as a witness.

[antivenom]

Exempting Enron

Exemption Won in 1997 Set Stage for Enron Woes: on an broad exemption to the Investment Company Act which allowed Enron to setup the numerous foreign affiliated companies which have played a part in muddying their finances.

Enron's initial efforts in 1996 to persuade Congress to change the law were thwarted by opposition from a powerful trade group and some federal regulators. The company responded by hiring the former boss of a leading staff official at the Securities and Exchange Commission to represent it in negotiations with the agency. In an unheralded five-paragraph order in March 1997, the S.E.C. official, Barry P. Barbash, gave Enron's foreign operations a broad exemption from the law -- the Investment Company Act of 1940.

to refresh your memory...http://www.nytimes.com/2002/01/23/business/23EXEM.html

[cyncooper]

You know, I think a fair campaign commercial is one which asks why the Committee is avoiding questioning Mr. Rubin. In fact, I think EVERY Republican who is on ANY talk show should ask this question whenever corporate crime is brought up. I think that would shut the Rats up pretty quick.

I would wish for this to happen. But Rubin is the one clinton official everybody pointed to as "the ethical one" and I'm afraid the republicans will be afraid to besmirch his good (thanks to media propaganda) reputation.

It will need to be out of the hands of politicians in congress and let a criminal investigation turn up the goods on him.

[Canadian Outrage]

Mo if the Bush administration pass up this opportunity they will have failed miserably in showing the people where this entire corruption scandal thrived first!! If the Repubs don't jump on this it will just be another major disappointment.

[alrea]

Both Congressman Traficant and Condit said today that Rubin had nothing to do with the Enron mess, the NY Times has learned.

[Kay Soze]

And the Spine and balls were in mint condition as they had never been used! LOL

Clinton and Treasury Secty knew during their admin that econmoy was a sham.

Elections 2000 come and are ULTRA ULTRA important that a Democrat win to help Cliton and Rubin hide the extent of the sham.

The Dems loose 2000 now have to beg Bush to help cover sham.

He does not play and Enron imlpodes!

Mr Rubin- when you learned of the sham and that it would not get covered you did NADA to help the poor litlle people to get out!

You only perpuated the Myth and made the fall larger for the poor Enron employees.

the DNC and Citicorp should cover the lost 401's and stocks of the poor litlle people at Enron.

[Mo1]

Lynn they are not going to take Rubin down until they have enough evidence to do so

They aren't going to go after Rubin until all the i's are dotted and the t's are cross

Otherwise it will just look like a political attack against the left

[rdb3]

Going through the 47 posts (at this point) of this thread about why Clintoon's and Citibank's own Rubin won't be questioned about his dealings and coverings for Enron, I want you all to do something for me.

Traverse this thread thoroughly.

Question: What's conspicuously absent here?

[terilyn]

We need to get Imus on this story. He wasn't afraid to take Joe to task before.

I just looked and can't find a link to e-mail him. Any suggestions?

[terilyn]

"Well, maybe it's time FReepers and anyone else we can influence make telephone calls and send emails to this group of worthless politicians."

I'm in. I'll help spread the word, make calls, etc.

Maybe we need an official FReep of our congress critters, (especially the Republicans), to get them to wake up.

[Dales]

Mention of the campaign cash that Troubled Joe got from Citibank?

[terilyn]

Can I play?

The Bush-bashers?

Have the true colors been exposed. Those claiming to be "conservatives" are actually dems in Libertarian clothing?

[Dales]

Top Contributors - Joe Lieberman

2002

1	Citigroup Inc	$112,546
2	United Technologies	$62,000
3	Hartford Financial Services	$49,700
4	New Democrat Network	$48,398
5	Pfizer Inc	$40,300
6	Richman Group	$32,000
7	Aetna Inc	$30,000
8	MacAndrews & Forbes	$28,000
9	National Jewish Democratic Council	$27,800
10	Apollo Management	$26,000
10	Starwood Capital Group	$26,000
12	Northeast Utilities	$25,800
13	Purdue Frederick	$25,000
14	Rite Aid Corp	$24,000
15	National Westminster Bank	$23,000
16	Paloma Partners	$22,000
17	American International Group	$20,000
17	Chase Enterprises	$20,000
17	O&G Industries	$20,000
17	Tomasso Brothers	$20,000

For more

[Dales]

If it is that, then that isn't any surprise. I pretty much assumed everyone realized where 90% of that claptrap was coming from.

[terilyn]

TOM DASCHLE (D-SD)

Top Contributors

1 Citigroup Inc $45,000
2 Northwest Airlines $44,150
3 Qwest Communications $33,000
4 Vivendi Universal $30,000
5 HealthSouth Corp $29,300
6 Bear Stearns $24,500
7 AT&T $22,720
8 Time Warner $22,500
9 Gateway Inc $22,000
10 Bank of America $20,000
11 SBC Communications $18,500
12 Verizon Communications $17,500
13 DreamWorks SKG $16,500
14 Verner, Liipfert et al $16,350
15 Natl Assn Insurance & Financial Advisors $15,000
16 Loral Spacecom $14,500
17 Occidental Petroleum $14,000
17 Prudential Insurance $14,000
19 AFL-CIO $13,000
19 Invacare Corp $13,000

Sorry, I don't know how to post tables.

[terilyn]

Hillary Rodham Clinton (D)

Kushner Companies $82,000
Citigroup Inc $78,480
Goldman Sachs $73,250
Walt Disney Co $62,550
Intl Brotherhood of Electrical Workers $59,825
Emily's List $52,275
Skadden, Arps et al $47,350
Credit Suisse First Boston $47,200
Time Warner $44,750
PaineWebber $39,450
Kirkland & Ellis $38,000
Patton Boggs LLP $37,250
Cablevision Systems Corp $36,950
Deloitte & Touche $34,750
Viacom Inc $32,450
General Electric $30,550
Bear Stearns $30,150
Ernst & Young $28,950
Wasserstein, Perella & Co $27,000
US Dept of State $26,750

Hillary got money from the State Dept.? What the...

[Dales]

It just shocks me, SHOCKS ME I tell you, that the mainstream media isn't all over this.

The question I have though is why isn't Fox all over it? Why isn't the Washington Times making a bigger deal out of this blatent conflict of interest and apparent influence peddling?

What did Lieberman and Daschle know, and when did they know it?

You know, we should start a letters to the editor campaign about this.

[rdb3]

You're close, terilyn. Dales, let me rephrase the question: Who is conspicuously absent?

[Dales]

Can't say I have a clue. I must have whoever you are talking about on mental ignore.

[terilyn]

I just send a couple of stories to Fox News. I have been trying to send them at least one a day. Brit's usually pretty good about at least mentioning something. Too bad the NYT isn't as "Fair & Balanced".