Enron's Kenny Boy

A good policy is difficult unless you have good quality input. One of the problems with Cheney's energy task force in 2001 is that it focused merely on the needs of energy insiders in the oil business. Enron was one of the corporations Cheney called on for advice. At the time, Enron was one of several companies manipulating the home energy market in California; the motive was pure greed.

There's more to it than that. Enron represented American arrogance at its finest. While building gas-powered generating plants in India that India didn't need, Enron executives were busy helping themselves to the company till; even company-related purchases were extravagent, including major art works, interior design that would be the envy of Hollywood and even unnecessary remodeling of Enron's corporate headquarters to satisfy executive egos.

Arianna Huffington has more to say on the connection between the Bush administration and Kenneth Lay:

...as a reminder, here's what we must not forget:

Lay didn't become "Kenny Boy" and an intimate FOG (Friend of George) because of his folksy charm. Enron and its executives doled out $2.4 million to federal candidates and parties in the 2000 election -- including $113,000 to the Bush/Cheney campaign. Lay and his wife also gave $100,000 to Bush's 2000 inaugural fund (Skilling chipped in $100,000 of his own), and another $5,000 each to the Bush-Cheney 2000 Recount Fund to help assure there'd be an inauguration. What's more, Lay even gave W's folks a ride to their son's 2000 inauguration on an Enron plane.

It was money well spent, buying Lay and his company what Rep. Henry Waxman has called "extensive access" to the epicenter of American political power. Access and influence.

For instance, in the early days of the Bush administration, while Enron was still flying very high, Lay and his company were given unprecedented input on the makeup of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), the agency charged with regulating Enron's core business. Lay was allowed to personally put the screws to FERC chair Curtis Hebert in an effort to change his views on electricity deregulation. Hebert resisted, and was soon replaced by Pat Wood, Lay's handpicked choice.

There's more. There's always more.

Bush's failures over the last five years are many. Even now, it's obvious that our former oil executive is useless even in his one area of expertise. He has wasted five years without a energy policy worthy of the name.