In the series that the Post is doing on $$$ and the 1600 Crew and influence, they have a really nice graphic up of Preznit 2-Buck Ho's "Spheres of Influence". If you put your mouse over the various subtitles in the circles it gives you a little summary. If you roll your mouse over with the "Bush Oil Ventures" or "Friends and Family" subtitles, guess who never shows up?
PALAST: Does the Bush family also have to worry about political blow-back? The younger Bush made his first million 20 years ago with an oil company partly funded by Salem Bin Laden's chief US representative. Young George also received fees as director of a subsidiary of Carlyle Corporation, a little known private company which has, in just a few years of its founding, become one of Americas biggest defence contractors. His father, Bush Senior, is also a paid advisor. And what became embarrassing was the revelation that the Bin Ladens held a stake in Carlyle, sold just after September 11.
Who purchased the Saudis' shares in Carlyle? Was this an "insider" deal? Was there a bargain price element involved? Was there some quid pro quo that urged the Saudis to sell, such as permission to fly when others could not? Sy Hersch, get going on this.
posted by: Shag from Brookline on 05.17.04 at 06:56 AM [permalink]
Isn't it interesting that the Media, other than the still hapless and helpless NY Times, is starting to find their spines? There's been a spate of this sort of anti-Bush commentary lately. And coming from the WaPo, which used to be the Fax Center for the WH and RNC, it's a bit eye opening.
Perhaps they smell the blood and want to get out in front of the curve.
You know, if wee had an honest and uncorrupted government, we could change things: make campaigns last only 60 days and require media to carry free campaign advertising to a certain threshold. This would eliminate a lot of the corruption in the form of legal bribery that now exists in the form of campaign contributions. If candidates weren't paying incredible prices for TV advertising, there might not be such pressure to solicit these bribes year round.
Come to think of it, since the people own the airwaves, and our government handles the licensing, if we had an honest government it would be a pretty simple matter to effect these changes, in theory.
posted by: Lurch on 05.17.04 at 11:52 AM [permalink]
