Snow On Lay’s Death: ‘I Don’t Know, What Do You Think Would Be The Appropriate Thing To Say?’
Snow On Lay’s Death: ‘I Don’t Know, What Do You Think Would Be The Appropriate Thing To Say?’
At today’s press briefing, Press Secretary Tony Snow was asked about the death of Ken Lay, the convicted former Enron CEO whom President Bush nicknamed “Kenny Boy.”
First, Snow dodged the question, asking the reporter: “I don’t know, what do you think would be the appropriate thing to say?” Later, he played down the relationship between the two, refusing to let Bush be described as a “friend” of Lay’s. “[T]he President has described Ken Lay as an acquaintance, and many of the President’s acquaintances have passed on during his time in office,” he said.
Full transcript below:
Q: What has been the President’s reaction to the death of Ken Lay?
SNOW: I really have not talked to him about it. I will give you my own personal reaction, which is that when somebody dies, you leave behind those that grieve, and I think that they deserve our compassion. But — I don’t know, what do you think would be the appropriate thing to say?
Q: I do not know. I don’t know him. The President was his friend, not me.
SNOW: No, the President has described Ken Lay as an acquaintance, and many of the President’s acquaintances have passed on during his time in office. Again, I think that it is sort of an interesting question but not answerable by me.
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Does being in on divying up Iraqi oil fields pre-war count as “aquaintance”?
July 5th, 2006 at 3:17 pmSNOW: I really have not talked to him about it. I will give you my own personal reaction, which is that when somebody dies, you leave behind those that grieve, and I think that they deserve our compassion.
That is unless he was a friend of yours and he broke the law and it would be bad for you politically to acknowledge your friendship with him. Then you can snub his memory and family and be okay with that. All clear to everyone. Good.
July 5th, 2006 at 3:17 pmSNOW: I really have not talked to him about it. I will give you my own personal reaction, which is that when somebody dies, you leave behind those that grieve, and I think that they deserve our compassion. But — I don’t know, what do you think would be the appropriate thing to say?
For someone who broke the law, created financial hardship for millions, and showed no remorse, the thing to say is “good riddance.”
July 5th, 2006 at 3:21 pm“I Don’t Know, What Do You Think Would Be The Appropriate Thing To Say?”Translation: Someone advise me on how to pretend to be a compassionate human being.
July 5th, 2006 at 3:21 pmThere are two thoughts about Ken Lay that give me warm fuzzies:
1) The first is another poster’s conspiracy theory that Ken Lay has been relocated to Brazil by the Feds, where he can get authentic Mojitos imported from Venezuela.
2) God has welcomed Ken Lay into heaven for helping expose the inept governance of Gray Davis, so that Arnold can assume the rightful place of a Republican, in the executive chair.
July 5th, 2006 at 3:28 pmKen, Kenny,Kenneth, Kennmeister,………..Kenny-boy who?
July 5th, 2006 at 3:32 pm#5
July 5th, 2006 at 3:32 pmWow god is a conservative republican…..who woulda thunk it.
I ken lay odds that he’s still alive, thus no comment
July 5th, 2006 at 3:35 pmThere are two thoughts about Ken Lay that give me warm fuzzies……
Comment by Jason M. Hendler
Here are two other warm fuzzys for you to think about, pal:
1. If you ever get charged with crimes involving hundreds of millions of dollars, your ass will go straight to jail to await trial and the court will move immediately to freeze all your illgotten assets.
2. And once you are convicted and awaiting sentencing and facing life in prison, you will be handcuffed, shackled, and will go straight into a lockup.
The justice system in this country makes all the Ken Lay types feel warm and fuzzy, too.
July 5th, 2006 at 3:43 pm#5 - Jason,
Hate to burst your wildy ridiculous bubble their chief but, perhaps, you should brush up on the US Constitution with specific concentration on Article 2:
” No Person except a natural born Citizen, or a Citizen of the United States, at the time of the Adoption of this Constitution, shall be eligible to the Office of President;”
Arnold isn’t allowed to attain the office of the President genius!
July 5th, 2006 at 3:43 pmHow about this: (What W would say.)(Try to figure this in that Bushie Texas hick accent)
“I want to express what Ken Lay has meant to me as both a friend and a human being, Barbara and I both have been afforded the best in friednship and parntership with Kenny boy. He gave us so much…”
My thinking is that shortly before 12:00am this morning, Ken Lay was on a plane in Colorado, on his way to some remote but luxioruios island in Bora Bora or Fiji and is getting ready to live the hi-life AGAIN….
After all, he was the smartest guy in the room. Why not “Lay” the blame and the bulk of the sentence on Skilling? That is unless Skilling’s getting ready to also have a “fatal heart attack.”
Kidding aside, I hope he burns in Hell. Burn baby BURN!
July 5th, 2006 at 3:50 pmHow about, “He’s just the first person to die today, He’s just a number”
RIP
SGT Stephen R Sherman
C CO 1-5 Inf
KIA 03 Feb 05
Mosul, Iraq
Or as Tony Snow and the rest of the Repuppetcan’s would say
#1462
July 5th, 2006 at 3:50 pmumm..he was talking about arnold being in the CA governor’s chair …u know the executive of the state.
July 5th, 2006 at 3:52 pmBut will Bush eulogize and acknowledge his friendship with Ken Lay?
Past history suggests not. During the height of the Enron meltdown in January 2002, Bush denied his well-documented relationship with Lay:
“I got to know Ken Lay when he was the head of the-what they call the Governor’s Business Council in Texas. He was a supporter of Ann Richards in my run in 1994. And she had named him the head of the Governor’s Business Council. And I decided to leave him in place, just for the sake of continuity. And that’s when I first got to know Ken.”
For the history, see:
July 5th, 2006 at 3:52 pm“Bush Lies About Ken Lay.”
#10. The governor of California (or any other state) is also head of the EXECUTIVE branch, dumbass…
July 5th, 2006 at 3:54 pmDon’t believe this hype. Kenny Boy, with his new face, is getting “Layed” someplace in the Caribbean right now.
July 5th, 2006 at 3:54 pm#10, green917
Um, the governor of a state is also an executive seat ….
#9, Joe Sixpack
Kozlowski appears to have been excessive in his uses of loans and corporate funds for personal parties and items, so his sentence is perhaps understandable. The causes of the collapse of Enron was suggested and approved by the CFO, the bankers, the outside accounting firm Auther Anderson, external analysts and business magazines. Given that type of approval and support, I don’t hold Ken Lay accountable for the collapse of ENRON, just those I’ve listed above.
It is your envy of executives and their success that causes your warm fuzzies when they fall, not any selfless indignation of corporate malfeasance.
July 5th, 2006 at 3:55 pm†No Person except a natural born Citizen, or a Citizen of the United States, at the time of the Adoption of this Constitution, shall be eligible to the Office of President;â€
Arnold isn’t allowed to attain the office of the President genius!
Perhaps that explains the talk lately of an amendment.
If the rules don’t suit them, and they can’t ignore the rules, they’ll change them.
July 5th, 2006 at 3:55 pm#5 jason - you posted that same crap about Gray Davis on another thread. It was dumb that time also. It’s dumb because the Energy deregulation you are blaming Gray Davis with was actually signed into law by Gov Wilson, a republican who pushed throught the deregulation bill.
It’s dumb because you don’t know your ass from your elbow, & go out of your way to post the fact everywhere you can. Christ dude, you elbow in on your arm, your ass is where you hid your brains.
Get it right guy.
July 5th, 2006 at 3:58 pm#17
July 5th, 2006 at 4:03 pmI don’t know where you ot yor Enron scandal info from but it’s a little misleading. Lay and Skilling were willingly and knowingly giving false information about Enron’s financial situation to better themselves. That others used this info is ultimately Lay’s and Skilling’s fault including the accounting firms that helped them do this. But giving liars and people who knowingly misinform others a free ride is a moral defect in most Conservatives these days so we understand.
God has welcomed Ken Lay into heaven for helping expose the inept governance of Gray Davis, so that Arnold can assume the rightful place of a Republican, in the executive chair.
Comment by Jason M. Hendler — July 5, 2006 @
Please, I just ate.
Did you know who instigated this scheme? Wasn’t that dispicable Gray Davis. It was Pete prop.187 Wilson, republican.
The causes of the collapse of Enron was suggested and approved by the CFO, the bankers, the outside accounting firm Auther Anderson, external analysts and business magazines. Given that type of approval and support, I don’t hold Ken Lay accountable for the collapse of ENRON, just those I’ve listed above.
It is your envy of executives and their success that causes your warm fuzzies when they fall, not any selfless indignation of corporate malfeasance.
Comment by Jason M. Hendler — July 5, 2006
Gee, what ever happened to Arthur Anderson, Jason?
External analysts and business magazines expressed confusion at Enron’s business practices at the time.
July 5th, 2006 at 4:04 pm#17 - “It is your envy of executives and their success that causes your warm fuzzies when they fall, not any selfless indignation of corporate malfeasance.”
Let me guess, you looked deep into Joe Sixpack’s eyes and got a feeling for his soul, therefore you feel more than qualified to judge him and his reasons concerning Mr. Lay’s death.
Wow! If only everyone was as assured in their rightness and righteousness as you are, then everyone could engage in hubris as well!
July 5th, 2006 at 4:04 pm“An acquaintance”…
Think Progress reports that Press Secretary Tony Snow was asked during today’s press briefing about George W. Bush’s reaction to the death of his friend, Ken Lay…
July 5th, 2006 at 4:05 pmQ: What has been the President’s reaction to the death of Ken Lay?
SN…
#19, kindness,
Deregulation is the right way to handle ANY commodity, energy or otherwise. It was foolish for the California legislature to pass such tough environmental standards that NO electric power plants were built for decades, causing demand to outstrip supply, and force the governor to address the situation. The dipshit Grey (boring) Davis, could have waved parts of the excessive environmental legislation, and fast tracked the building of new plants, while conceding to high market prices until new plants could be put online. Instead, HE CUT POWER TO SILICON VALLEY! Can anyone be MORE stupid than to hit the single most important stategically and economicly important area in the state, if not the nation? The people of California told Grey (boring) Davis his response to that situation was NOT acceptable.
Again, thank God there wasn’t a REAL problem in California that he had to address, or they would have been in REAL trouble.
July 5th, 2006 at 4:06 pmSnow jobs last line…many of bush’s aquaintences have died. Is that with or with out bush’s help.?…..Then we have the hundreds of thousands of our’s and theirs in Iraq who were not aquaintences that he has caused the death of…..I guess knowing bush is less likely to cause a death……Ya think.?
July 5th, 2006 at 4:08 pmsnow should’ve been asked,is the w.h. motorcade motoring mr bush and the lay family to the fumeral.. bet that would’ve choke him :)
July 5th, 2006 at 4:10 pmHow many of your acquaintances would let you have carte blanche use of the corporate jet while you were overturning an election?
July 5th, 2006 at 4:14 pm#21, barfly,
Oh, I agree that ENRON board members and executives, Arthur Anderson and all the rest should be held to account financially, but NOT criminally, unless there was an obvious premeditated scheme in place to pump money out of the stock market and into their bank accounts, which may or may not have happened.
ENRON’s hammering California for bad energy policy (Democratic legislation that prohibited the building of power plants for decades) is perfectly legitimate, and necessary to prevent tree huggers from killing economies.
July 5th, 2006 at 4:14 pmQ: I do not know. I don’t know him. The President was his friend, not me.
SNOW: No, the President has described Ken Lay as an acquaintance
From an April 17, 1997 letter to Ken Lay:
Dear Ken:
One of the sad things about old friends is that they seem to be getting older - just like you!
July 5th, 2006 at 4:15 pm…
Laura and I value our friendship with you.
…
Your younger friend,
George W. Bush
With acquaintances like George W. Bush, who needs enemies?
July 5th, 2006 at 4:17 pman “aquaintance” who just happened to be GW Bush’s highest campaign contributor - also a person who GW met and talked with hundreds of times exchanged countless correspondence… ya, sure - ‘an aquaintance’.
with “aquaintances” like that, who needs “friends”?
July 5th, 2006 at 4:21 pmwasn’t both the heads of democrat and republican up the rear of Enron or was that just me forgeting the nuances of the debaucle? big bussiness is big money and both sides can’t seem to think about the people of this great country when they smell the green. just look at the pharmacuetical companies shooting our kids full of mercury with their so called life saving vaccines, (it sure ruined my sons life!!!!) for the 2008 elections maybe we be honest with the nation, the republicans can nominate Elli Lilly, the Dems can nominate Merck and for the indipendants let’s go with….phizer…yeah that’ll finally be an honest election!!!!!
July 5th, 2006 at 4:21 pmHendler,
July 5th, 2006 at 4:22 pmMan you really gotta get your info straight. Try looking up what Enron did exactly. And please go to reliable sources. I am suprised for someone that seems to really take this Enron subject to heart you really have things muddied up as to what is legal and what is not. Do some research.
Jason Hendler:
It doesn’t appear that Schwarzenegger has has been any improvement over Gray Davis as governor. It’s been awfully expensive for the people of CalifornEEa to pay for the on-the-job training of getting Arnold up to speed on running the State of California. All the millions of dollars he wasted on an unnecessary special election in which all of his pet measures were soundly defeated.
Republicans never seem to learn that ego-driven actors make terrible chief executives.
July 5th, 2006 at 4:22 pmJason M. Hendler
I was working in a auditing firm at the time. I read the story, I saw the flipping accounting magazine take on it. I am not going to go on ten pages about how it was structured and what made it illegal, but the fact is, it was fraud and it was willfull. The whole thing was way too thought out to be an accounting error. The fact is that Arthur Andersons had allowed their independence to get flushed down the toilet for a big client. When the whole thing came to a head, it changed accounting standards half way around the world. It took down Arthur Anderson’s South Africa. It isn’t like this fraud isn’t well known.
July 5th, 2006 at 4:23 pmBush has a memory issue. He didn’t know Jack Abramoff either even though he was one of the bush pioneers. The use of a nickname would indicate bush knew “Kennyboy”. How stupid can some of you people be? Bush is a neo-fascist and if you don’t know that by now, you never will.
July 5th, 2006 at 4:30 pmKen Lay isn’t dead, people, it is a convenient excuse as he flies to Brazil and gets plastic surgery. He has the money. Think about it, “his heart gives out” conveniently right before sentencing and not in the half-decade it took to get him in a courtroom? He just didn’t want to go to jail, even if it was rich-boy jail. In the future, keep your eyes out for a short man with a big forehead, screwing Americans out of their hard-earned money, it’ll be Kenny-Boy.
July 5th, 2006 at 4:31 pmZarkawi was an Iraqi/Jordanian terrorist with his dead body gleefully displayed like a trophy.
Ken Lay was an American terrorist. I expect to see Ken Lay’s dead body on the boob tube tonight & in the papers tomorrow.
July 5th, 2006 at 4:32 pm#35, Bruce,
IF it is as you say, then, repeating what I said before, ALL those who were complicit should be held to account, from the ENRON CFO, to the banks, to the accounting firms, to the outside analysts for business mags, etc. Again, IF what you say is true, then the CFO and all other financial experts had to know what was happening, but the CEO and BOD may have just acted on the assurances of all the other “experts”.
I could see being in Ken Lay’s position, in which, based on the word of the CFO, the banks, Arthur Anderson and outside financial analysts, etc., I too would have signed off on something they recommended, especially since the whole internet bubble thing was so new, and rapid growth of stocks had many precedents. It wouldn’t have been about greed, just following the trend of other dot coms’ meteoric rise with no knowledge that anything was amiss.
July 5th, 2006 at 4:34 pmJason - they committed premeditated fraud, not only on us here in CA but in many other states as well. And you continue to say it was our fault. dumbass.
dude, you don’t know shit! You’ve got an overactive ego & you go on posting here like you are meaningful or know something. Doesn’t it ever occur to you that EVERY SINGLE comment back to your posts is either an insult (insulting you) or telling you what an idiot you are, that maybe, just maybe, everyone else is on to something and that you may not have the chops you’d obviously like to think you do. That isn’t a question. That was a statement.
July 5th, 2006 at 4:41 pmTony Snow still thinks he is a talk show host and occasionally
July 5th, 2006 at 4:48 pma “liberal” gets past the telephone screener…..that’s the kind of answer he gave on this issue.
Jason
Depends on who was in the know. Arthur Anderson’s certainly, the heads of Enron, definitely, but the banks and the analysts? They only got to see the financial statements, not the actual books, and I get the feeling Arthur Anderson’s was doing more then just passing a blind eye. Experts can be fooled, and well, I don’t have to get onto my feelings as to what banker rhymes with. Lets just say in South Africa, if they send your auditor a bank confirmation (This is how much money is in the bank, how much available overdraft, any loans held through the bank, etc… and nothing really hard to understand) nine times out of ten they get it wrong, and charge both for the one that was wrong, and for the correction, which nine times out of ten is also wrong.
July 5th, 2006 at 4:51 pmHe’s a spokesperson & he doesn’t know what to say about a person’s death?! It’s simple: “I haven’t spoken with the President about this matter, but I believe he would most likely offer his sympathy to the family, as do I.”
Any normal functioning human being knows what to say in the event of a death.
Does Snow actually get a paycheck for this or is he a volunteer?
July 5th, 2006 at 4:51 pmYou freaks are really letting me down here. Wheres all the conspiracy theories. Surely Bush had him killed so he wouldn’t have to pardon him. I mean a guy has a heart attack in Colorado surely you weirdos can come up with some connection to Bush. It has to be his fault somehow. His press secretary fumbled a question about it…..that’s the best you have?
July 5th, 2006 at 4:59 pmjust back in from mowing… randi’s back!
July 5th, 2006 at 4:59 pmpointed me to this, at thesmokinggun.com:
lots of correspondence between the “acquaintances”…
Tony Snow, Presidential Press Secretary:
“I know you are, but what am I?”
“You and what army?”
“You can ask, but I don’t have to answer.”
“What would YOU say if YOU were the President?”
“La-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la I can’t hear you.”
“I’ll pretend I didn’t hear that.”
“I don’t respond to hypotheticals…OR interrogatives.”
“Please phrase your question in the form of an answer.”
“I’m rubber and you’re glue.”
“I wouldn’t presume to speak for this Administration.Why do you presume to challenge it?”
July 5th, 2006 at 5:01 pmaww… here’s a birthday greeting from dubya…
July 5th, 2006 at 5:02 pmalso, video message of such is included in the movie
“the smartest guys in the room”…
#40, kindness,
I now see the irony for which your psuedonym was intended. Again, the feel-good libs don’t debate, they grandstand and insult, in an attempt to appear right and feel right, so the behaviour of other posters here does not intimidate me.
IF the fraud was real, then all those with direct financial responsibilities and knowledge should be held to account - CFO, banks, Arthur Anderson and business analysts for mutual funds and business mags. The CEO and BOD could easily have been influenced by these experts to follow the trends during the internet bubble.
If you want to hand the CFO, those responsible at the banks, Arthur Anderson, mutual funds and business mags, you’ll get no argument from me.
#42, Bruce Gorton,
That’s not very comforting about the competance about banks, but at least you see what I mean. Those who were qualified and responsible for knowing should be held to account. I am just saying that the experts that should / could have known, didn’t do anything about it, and they are going after the CEO, instead of Arthur Anderson or the banks.
July 5th, 2006 at 5:08 pmYou freaks are really letting me down here. Wheres all the conspiracy theories. Surely Bush had him killed so he wouldn’t have to pardon him. I mean a guy has a heart attack in Colorado surely you weirdos can come up with some connection to Bush. It has to be his fault somehow. His press secretary fumbled a question about it…..that’s the best you have?
Comment by heatherfan
Of cours, Bush killed him. What’s your point?
We ALL wish Kenny had had the chance to spill his guts about the Bush41, Clinton, Bush43 and Ahnold nexus…maybe even the low-down on Bush Senior’s White House child sex ring.
However, for the sake of our fake nation, in the face of fake enemies, at a time when we as a country depend more than ever on the fake belief in our fake ideals, it’s better that Kenny took what he knew to the grave.
We have enough problems right now. Knowing the truth would be a brutal, senseless distraction.
Feel better, love-bumps?
July 5th, 2006 at 5:09 pmjust back in from mowing… randi’s back!
pointed me to this, at thesmokinggun.com:
lots of correspondence between the “acquaintancesâ€â€¦
Comment by katy — July 5, 2006 @ 4:59 pm
katy, do me a favor, OK? Rub Jason’s nose in this, spank him with the newspaper, and put him outside.
And thanks for the link. Its worth the read.
July 5th, 2006 at 5:14 pmYes, block us out, just like you block out facts. Good going. Keep up the good work!
July 5th, 2006 at 5:20 pmquery: is tony using grecian formula today or is he now hooked up to the cheney life reversal machine?
thanks
July 5th, 2006 at 5:21 pmDead? If ‘dead’ means on a private jet to an unidentified island where he will
July 5th, 2006 at 5:21 pmlive out his life like a king amongst the native slaves (similar to his tenure at
Enron)…………….
then yes, Ken Lay is dead.
Fox News thinks Ken Lay was defamed and maligned. Click Here for the screencap and details.
July 5th, 2006 at 5:27 pmWhat can we do if they refuse to listen, not to us but to themselves.
I was about to reply to today’s luddite but don’t really care to. Why bother? my time is way more valuable to me than some folks apparently. I mean, we can point out all the facts in the world, but if they aren’t going to acknowledge them, what does it amount to? Sorry, victory over the mindfully ignorant isn’t any kind of win I want to participate in. Why? Cause they will just go on spouting errors & lies what you’ve already called ‘em on. I have no need to bruise my psychie but such twits & lamebrains.
But god am I thankful I’m not related. I’d have to be kicking ass every damn holiday. And I like my family. I wouldn’t want get togethers to become a take off on a WWF or Jerry Springer show. No, life is too damn sweet to be wasting my time on that bullshit.
July 5th, 2006 at 5:31 pmkaty, do me a favor, OK? Rub Jason’s nose in this, spank him with the newspaper, and put him outside.
Comment by Joe Sixpack — July 5, 2006 @ 5:14 pm
aw, joe… i’ve learned new doggy training techniques - no spanking! but i’d be glad to put him outside - it works like this: i g n o r e i t.
and, you’re welcome for that link…
July 5th, 2006 at 5:32 pmWell some reporter should have told Tony Snow that Bush and Lay were good buddies! Does anyone ever tell the truth in Washington, DC, anymore?
July 5th, 2006 at 5:34 pmI want to see the body!!!!!
July 5th, 2006 at 5:36 pm#47
Katy,
Great find! Now, let’s print them out and mail them to the White House with the simple message “We’re on to you, George!”
July 5th, 2006 at 5:38 pmDon’t miss Ken Lay’s eerie letter still up today (july 5) on his official website. He thanks his “Christian” wife and “the Lord” of course. Give me a break. No, Ken, we thought your wife was practicing Wicca. And, of course, Christian wives are allowed to have all sorts of garish luxuries. Just look at the televangelists’ television sets.
July 5th, 2006 at 5:38 pm#51 Spudge_boy,
I loved it on that thread with the picture of Bush riding in the Border patrol car and you said (something like), “Cool. I’ll add this one to my colleciton of Bush in a blue shirt with the sleeves rolled up and sweat stains all over it.” (Something like that.)
Well, the news on July 4th showed the president visiting the troops at Ft Bragg and, you guessed it, blue shirt with the sleeves rolled up and sweat stains all over it. I thought, “Spudge will want a shot of that for his collection.”
Hope you enjoyed your holiday. And thanks for your service to our country that helped make it possible for all of us to enjoy the holiday.
July 5th, 2006 at 5:41 pmWayne,
Thanks for thinking of me. I will go get the latest Bush dress-up shot. I think that of all of his costumes, that is his favorite.
I had a great 4th of July. I BBQ’d some ribs and watch Independence Day. : )
July 5th, 2006 at 5:46 pmKen Lay is dead and Skilling better watch his ass. They were both up for sentencing in October and there are several parties who don’t want them spilling any beans trying to get sentence reductions. Antone who believes that Kenny Boy is still alive should immediately depart for the Elvis museum. Bush had him offed.
July 5th, 2006 at 5:53 pmHMMMM….Is it a open casket funeral,doubt it….
July 5th, 2006 at 5:54 pm“[T]he President has described Ken Lay as an acquaintance, and many of the President’s acquaintances have passed on during his time in office,â€
That’s the part I like, certainly doesn’t sound suspicious at all. the guy’s in office and his friends are dropping like flies, nope, nothing to worry about.
July 5th, 2006 at 5:54 pm“We believe that God in fact is in control, and indeed he does work all things for good for those who love the Lord,” Ken Lay said outside the courthouse in Houston after the verdict.
……I guess so…
July 5th, 2006 at 5:57 pmWe conservatives will miss you, Ken. We will miss your wit, your easy smile, and the way you could make numbers change into other numbers, as if by magic. We will mourn for the little people, who you helped so much. We will try to be like you, and teach the American worker self-sufficiency. We will stand up to the tyranny of liberal lawyers, and we will do business the way you taught us, and the way God intends. We will miss you Ken, but do not worry yourself in Heaven. We, your beloved Republican businessmen, will continue on, following your shining light.
We promise.
July 5th, 2006 at 6:02 pmhe aint dead.
he has pulled the old death to escape imprisonment ploy.
oldest trick in the book
he will turn up living the high life in the uae or some remote island
investigation? In Aspen?? Home of the New World Order troglodites?
HAHAHAHAHA
July 5th, 2006 at 6:02 pm.
Kenny Boy who?
.
July 5th, 2006 at 6:03 pm.
Kenny Boy who?
.
July 5th, 2006 at 6:03 pm.
I told hin not to eat anything from that gift basket Cheney’s office sent.
.
July 5th, 2006 at 6:07 pmHow many aquaintances do you give a nickname to. “Kennyboy” was one of his biggest contributors. He was also one of the members of Cheney’s Energy Task Force. They sure put him in the Katherine Harris category, or is it the other way around.
July 5th, 2006 at 6:15 pmSnow is such a snarky shit, and has been called out by Dan Froomkin any number of times for his bluster, sarcasms, and really poor Q&A skills…as evasive and slimy as Ari Fleischer was, at least he was a pro - Tony Snow is just another right-wing talkinghead clearly out of his element on a national stage, a pathetic amateur who will never grow into this job.
July 5th, 2006 at 6:16 pmSnow: Would you, please, define death?
July 5th, 2006 at 6:22 pmNever mind that Lay was one of Bush’s largest campaign contribitors–that just might have bumped Kenny-Boy up to Bush’s “Hey, I’ve seen you somewhere, haven’t I?” level when they met at social events. What great GOP loyalty. How many visits do you think the Dukester gets from fellow GOP lawmakers?
July 5th, 2006 at 6:27 pmShow us the body.
July 5th, 2006 at 6:31 pmHe screwed so many individuals. He’ll rot in hell. His family does not deserve any privacy. If they didn’t disown him, too bad. Many of those he screwed wont be privileged either. He was total scum.
[…] I’m sad to see that he died before he could be brought to justice for his monstrous actions as the head of Enron. From the White House perspective, it’s a shame that he denied the President the chance to pardon him next year like his father did for Weinberger, Clinton for the Rich, and Reagan for the Watergate burgulars. If you expected Bush to, at a bare minimum, honor Kenny-Boy’s legacy, you’re mistaken, as it’s denying its relationship with the Hussler of Houston. Funny, I thought he was a man who admired loyalty? […]
July 5th, 2006 at 6:38 pmHe died happy. He was out on bail awaiting sentencing. In his mind it was every one out to get him. He didn’t do all those nasty things, we just misunderstood what was happening. He should have been cast before the thousands of folks he screwed before he got a chance to get out of the situation so easily. We, the people he cheated and defrauded never got the chance to make him pay!
July 5th, 2006 at 6:53 pmI’d like to think that he’ll rot and burn in hell forever, but, there’s probaby no hell, or heaven for those of us who would like to beleive otherwise…
the motherf***er
They should bury him next to another one who ruins thier own peoples lives… Abu Musab al-Zarqawi. Prove he is dead.
July 5th, 2006 at 7:02 pmShow me the body. Nothing would surprise me. I want to see the body.
July 5th, 2006 at 7:05 pmI want to see the body. Nothing would surprise me with this crew. Show me the body and I will believe he is dead (and not faking his death, living in a third world country).
July 5th, 2006 at 7:07 pmJEEZE, HE CRIED LIKE A LITTLE GIRL WHEN HE WAS TALKING ABOUT HIS ILLNESS. OF COURSE, THAT WAS HIM. WHEN OTHER PEOPLE ACTUALLY DIE—JUST A NUMBER.
July 5th, 2006 at 7:08 pmWhat a bunch of dumb asses. South Korea is the one who will experience North Korea’s’ might. Anyone who has a brain knows there isn’t anything anyone can do about it. The US isn’t going to do shit about North Korea because it would be South Korea’s’ downfall. Hey media… Get a brain!!! Report North Korea’s’ real ace in the hole. Tell the history of this peninsula. Explain how North Korea became North Korea.
July 5th, 2006 at 7:15 pm…We will miss you Ken, but do not worry yourself in Heaven. We, your beloved Republican businessmen, will continue on, following your shining light.
We promise.
Comment by Herman B Hayes — July 5, 2006 @ 6:02 pm
hmmm… this Herman B. Hayes sounds alot like another Herman…
July 5th, 2006 at 7:19 pmif i remember correctly it’s Herman, Favored Pupil of Christ?
so confusing…
Arnold met with Kenny Boy in a hotel in S CA so that if Arnold becomes governor, the crooks who were ripping off Californians will only pay maybe 2, 3 percent of the $9B that they ripped off from us. Also, have you noticed that the Gropernator already made the deals with all the crooks (Enron, Dynergy, etc.)?
July 5th, 2006 at 7:21 pmI just want to know where the grave is, I’d like to leave a steaming token of my appreciation for all that kenny boy has done for the state of California. I’m sure there are thousands of others that feel the same way.
My guess is that he’s going to have to be buried behind a fence with 24-hour security if there’s going to be any hope at avoiding regular and messy incidents of richly deserved desecration.
July 5th, 2006 at 7:26 pm#56, katy,
Gee, just a few days ago, you were feeding me your personal information, now you are ignoring me? Did I not pay enough attention to you? I know how hard that can be to a woman’s self-esteem, so let me apologize, so that we can be friends again.
July 5th, 2006 at 7:30 pmI got a 100 bucks says he.s not dead. To collect that $100 you need to bring me the head of Ken Lay. My guess–you got to go to mexico to retrieve that head and get thru a lot of armed armani suits to get to it. good luck.
July 5th, 2006 at 7:35 pmFor the next twenty years the FBI can follow Mrs. Lay around and keep tabs on the $$$$$ in her accounts. Isn’t KennyBoy’s estate still liable for the money he screwed out of Enron?
July 5th, 2006 at 7:39 pmKaty, it is the same Herman and he is being his snarky, brilliant self.
July 5th, 2006 at 7:50 pmJason Hendler, regarding California energy policy, who pushed deregulation, how it works and how Enron gamed the California system, you don’t have the slightest idea what you’re talking about so why don’t you just crawl back into your hole and let adults discuss important matters.
July 5th, 2006 at 7:56 pmKen Lay isn’t any more dead than planes
July 5th, 2006 at 8:06 pmwith people in them hit the buildings. If a
governement want’s one to dissapear who
may sing Bush songs they don’t wanna hear
in jail, they ‘help him’. The plane he’s on is
probably landing in some foreign country as
we speak, and he’ll send Dick/Bush postcards.
#91, Bluedog,
Oh, please, educate me about CA energy policy, its backers and how Enron gamed it.
It’s pretty straight forward to me - CA regulations, written by Democratic legislatures, suppressed the construction of electric power plants, which environmentalists and their trial lawyers backed, causing a shortage in CA, which ENRON energy traders were able to LEGALLY exploit. ENRON execs are not being tried for the gains their traders made at CA’s expense, just on their accounting practices that hyper-inflated their stock price. Moreover, ENRON did not advise Grey (boring) Davis to use rolling brown-outs and black-outs to address the situation. That came straight from communist play-book - bread lines, gas rationing, etc. The voters in a capitalist state, CA, RECALLED Grey (boring) Davis for THAT very reason - NO COMMUNISM allowed, so they elected Arnold, who knew first hand how bad communist policies were, and swore not to do such a stupid thing.
July 5th, 2006 at 8:11 pmyes, jpark - i realize that…was trying to be snarky myself…
you can see how well that worked!
and, for the record - to whomever it may concern - i do not give out my personal information to trolls, or anyone else (except i do remember a game and listed my pet’s names)… correct me if i’m mistaken… don’t confuse me with another poster…
July 5th, 2006 at 8:12 pm#94, katy,
It’s OK to let yourself be vulnerable, don’t let internet friends deny you what you desire …
(Katy says: I never do that, although there was the time ….)
July 5th, 2006 at 8:19 pm#86, Mongo!…..thanks. That was a laugh I really needed, and the funniest thing I’ve read in a long time. I hear you….. move over Jim Morrison, there’s a new (Kenny) boy in town and they’ll be coming to “honor” his grave, too!
July 5th, 2006 at 8:32 pm“many of the President’s acquaintances have passed on during his time in office.” (Tony Snow)
Yes, it’s funny, isn’t it…Paul Wellstone… that guy who tied an anchor to his feet and then shot himself on his boat…that woman who charged Bush with rape and then committed suicide…the guy on whom Bush performed an unnatural act back in the eighties, as witnessed by Leona McConnel or whoever that lady is…many people have passed on during this guy’s time in office. Then there was Mel Carnahan, running against John Aschcroft, died in a plane crash.
July 5th, 2006 at 8:50 pmBush wasn’t president then, but Rove was managing Ashcroft’s campaign. He learned a lot from this–get the wife on the plane too, and as much of the family as you can.
Tony already had the friend/acquaintance talking point down.
July 5th, 2006 at 8:53 pmLyin’ is hard work.
bush
July 5th, 2006 at 9:00 pm‘well, ah kan’t go to kenny boys funeral…cause ah kan’t go to the funerals of ALL my sewer slime, orphan rapin’, pension fund stealing buddies’
#88. Yes its time for Bring Me the Head of Ken Lay as a sequel to the 1974 movie Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia
July 5th, 2006 at 9:15 pmBUSH AND HIS UNDERLINGS HAVE NO CLASS OR DECENCY
Brilliant. Tony won’t admit Ken Lay was a friend of Bush. As much as Ken Lay was a horrible criminal, and he was, thousands of Americans lost everything they worked 40 years for because of his greed, but still … The fact is, Bush knew Ken Lay back when Lay was a nobody outside of Houston. The man died before he could serve a day of his well-deserved prison term, and Tony Snow could have been classy and said, “President Bush respects the jury’s verdict, and had Ken Lay lived he would have been punished. But as a friend of Mr. Lay, Bush sends out his condolences to the family of Mr. Lay.” See? That would have been CLASSY, and an example of TWO-WAY LOYALTY.
July 5th, 2006 at 9:21 pmTwo-way loyalty is where you expect loyalty from your friends and supporters and they receive your loyalty in return. ONE-WAY LOYALTY is what the Bushes practice. The Bushes expect, and even demand, absolute loyalty from their supporters and friends. But when it comes time to return the loyalty, if it is inconvenient for the Bushes, and the “supporter” has no more power or money, then the Bushes discard that person on the roadside with no more thought than a normal person would give when tossing a Big Mac wrapper into the trash can.
That is the morality of the Bushes, people. That is the lack of honor of the Bushes. That is the lack of decency of the Bushes.
Appalling.
Any so called friend of George W. Bush should take note to how he doesn’t know you when you go to jail or die but he loves you like a brother when the money your stealing you give some to the Bush family. I hope Ken Lay meets the baby boomers that died because he stole their live savings. At lease the trial that Ken Lay has now wont be fixed and he will pay the full price of his sins. I lost my penison as my state invested in Enron so I can’t cry for Ken Lay.
July 5th, 2006 at 9:21 pm[…] - Here’s why most Americans can’t stand the media. (Sure, Ken Lay is responsible for the biggest corporate crime in history. But he just died, for God’s sake. What do you expect Tony Snow to say?) […]
July 5th, 2006 at 9:27 pm
July 5th, 2006 at 9:59 pmIbet he wasnt eating pretsels and got choked and had the heart attack.maybe it was potato chips.
I want to see a picture of Ken’s body. I wouldn’t put it past Bush and Cheney to help him fake his death, giving him, the opportunity to retire to an island paradise. Ole Kenny has a lot of dirt on the whole lot of them!! Blackmail Insurance?
July 5th, 2006 at 10:56 pmhow about AMF——adios mother fu**er
July 5th, 2006 at 11:25 pmHere’s my take on the crooked life and times of Ken Lay. Needless to say, not many people in Left Blogostan are shedding many tears tonight.
July 5th, 2006 at 11:59 pmFor more on the lengthy relationship between Bush and Lay — and thus how ridiculous the “acquaintance” comment is — check out JABBS’ coverage.
July 6th, 2006 at 12:55 amKen Lay, aka the DEADEST guy in the room.
The good news is Lee Atwater saved him a seat by the fire and Tricky Dick is mixing the cocktails.
July 6th, 2006 at 1:08 amKen Lay, taking a new identity is NOT Ken Lay, dead with open casket burial at 6 on Saturday.
Massive heart attacks don’t happen to calm prick CEOs who pamper themselves with the best doctors on the planet.
I wonder how the weather is in Argentina?
He’s not in Hell, he’s in Helsinki.
July 6th, 2006 at 4:57 amMr. Hendler,
Yes, we in California would like to have an environment suitable for humans to live in for the next few hundred years, hence our laws require industries that pollute said environment to do as little as possible while doing business in our great state. If they can’t conform to those rules, well, there’s other places (like Texass) that don’t care about the health of it’s citizens, and they can always reap their exoribitant profits there, with their short sighted policies versus our long term ones.
Deregulation for essential public services is the absolute worst policy for several reasons:
1. With private companies, people have no way to change or affect bad or overly expensive service. If the service is provided by the government, they have to answer to the public’s complaints of ineffective or over-priced services.
2. Private corporations have NO SOCIAL CONSCIENCE. Their bottom line is profit, be it from shoddy service, pollution producing methods, or monopolistic maneuvering.
3. The Repug/Wingnut argument about “goverment inefficiencies” doesn’t hold water anymore, given the military oursorucing experiment (Iraq) failure, Fema’s privatization disaster, and many more that are too numerous to list here.
Also, when my electric bills escalated 1300% in 18 months, well, that was obviously not due to inadequate power stations…..if you can prove that, you’re as delusional as Sean Hannity. So, please spare us the tired and false rhetoric of the failed conservative economic philosophy, the only thing that trickles down is brown and smelly.
JP
July 6th, 2006 at 5:29 amFor the press to sit there on their asses and not badger him with facts about the relationship between Ken Lay and George Bush, Jr. was cowardly act by the press. Snow is a jerk.
July 6th, 2006 at 6:26 amThe friendship between George Bush, Jr. and Ken Lay is another example of “An Inconvienient Truth.”
July 6th, 2006 at 6:28 amFor the press to sit there on their asses and not badger him with facts about the relationship between Ken Lay and George Bush, Jr. was cowardly act by the press. Snow is a jerk.
Comment by Edward M — July 6, 2006 @ 6:26 am
The friendship between George Bush, Jr. and Ken Lay is another example of “An Inconvienient Truth.â€
Comment by Edward M — July 6, 2006 @ 6:28 am
What did you hope to hear? That Bush is somehow involved in the Enron scandal?
July 6th, 2006 at 7:53 amKen Lay died—there’s no new news here, just another opportunity to recycle the same old garbage. Why does the White House even need to respond to this?
To Jason Hendler
July 6th, 2006 at 8:23 amYou blame deregulation, suggesting that you believe in a completely “free” market without any regulation. Anything we humans create (capitalism and democracy included) is imperfect because we are imperfect. Therefore, we need to build checks and balances into our systems. Regulation of industries is necessary to restrain greed which is capitalism’s biggest imperfection. Of course, we also need to balance regulation, with its biggest imperfection being bureacracy. To me, this need for balance is one of the foundations of liberalism.
these shut-ins are for some reason scared to death of Tony Snow
July 6th, 2006 at 8:54 amNew name for Tony: I don’t know Snow.
Seriously, competent he ain’t.
July 6th, 2006 at 11:48 amGod Needed a Former Energy CEO with a Knack for Creative Accounting in Heaven: Kenneth Lay 1942-2006…
Former Enron CEO Kenneth Lay is now the newest angel on Heaven’s corporate board….
July 6th, 2006 at 12:47 pmFor Snow to tell us that Ken Lay was no a friend of George W. Bush, but an acquaintance, assumes that we are all idiots. Of course, if you get all your “news” from the TV networks, then you don’t really know anything. However, a lot of us are getting a lot better informed these days by getting our news from the Internet, blogs, radio, and newspapers. I have about given up listening to network news. It is a waste of time.
July 6th, 2006 at 1:11 pmFor Snow to tell us that Ken Lay was not a friend of George W. Bush, but an acquaintance, assumes that we are all idiots. Of course, if you get all your “news” from the TV networks, then you don’t really know anything. However, a lot of us are getting a lot better informed these days by getting our news from the Internet, blogs, radio, documentaries on DVD, and newspapers. I have about given up listening to network news. It is a waste of time.
July 6th, 2006 at 1:12 pmJust more tripe and tricks from the spin meister, Tony Snow-job. “Aquaintances” my ass! The nickname “Kenny Boy” didn’t just appear out of nowhere, now did it? And to all you right wing lurkers out there; get a clue. They got one hand in your pocket also, and you nut cases voted for them. Sheesh, you guys are dumb.
July 6th, 2006 at 3:20 pmAny of you right-wing morons want to admit to voting for this freak show we call Dubya (a.k.a., DraftDodger, Bunnypants, ChuckleNuts, Cokehead)?
July 6th, 2006 at 3:27 pmENRON’s hammering California for bad energy policy (Democratic legislation that prohibited the building of power plants for decades) is perfectly legitimate, and necessary to prevent tree huggers from killing economies.
Comment by Jason M. Hendler — July 5, 2006 @ 4:14 pm
What an idiot; this guy drak the koolaide. He probably thinks he’s rich. You Simpleton you.
July 6th, 2006 at 3:30 pmIsn’t this heart-attack thing a little too convenient for Lay and his family. From my avid TV crime show watching I know that heart-attacks can be faked. I think they did a segment on 24 that showed that. If he is dead, he committed suicide and they called it a “heart-attack” or he isn’t really dead and he’s off hiding on a wonderful Island. Remember, now the Feds are having a problem getting their hands on the rest of his stashed cash. . And I’ll bet that the Bush group, owing Lay a favor or two might have set that in motion. No wonder Skilling is upset. He has the rap, while Kenny-Boy is enjoying a nice sunset
July 6th, 2006 at 4:30 pm#105 - “I want to see a picture of Ken’s body. I wouldn’t put it past Bush and Cheney to help him fake his death, giving him, the opportunity to retire to an island paradise. Ole Kenny has a lot of dirt on the whole lot of them!! Blackmail Insurance?
Comment by Conspiracy Cathy
****I KNEW IT!!! As SOON as I heard about Lay’s death, I posted that the conspiracy theorists would have every kind of nefarious scenario posted. Thanks for NOT letting me down!!!
July 6th, 2006 at 9:12 pm“Nefarious scenario”????? Excuse me. Try logic. The man dies right in the nic of time. Doesn’t have to pass go or go to jail. His money horde is now safe from the feds. I’m sorry. This is too coincidental and it makes life just great for Lays family.
July 7th, 2006 at 2:09 amWould he fake his own death? Well, would he fake the success of his dying company allowing thousands of people to lose everything, Just so he could continue to enrich himself. The man has-had? no morals. Could he get help from the top levels of government? Well, lets say that a lot of business was going on between Lay and Bush-Cheney. Isn’t it possible they would benefit if he was out of the way? I’m certainly not saying this is the case. How would I know? I’m only saying that the facts speak for themselves. And it is more logical that the Death was faked than the belief that a 64 year old man without a serious heart condition, a man who was capable of receiving good medical care through the years would just drop dead.
Has anyone considered suicide?? Maybe too may meds or no meds?? ANYONE??
July 7th, 2006 at 11:13 amAsking what the appropriate thing to say is? An idiotic press secretary for an idiotic administration.
July 7th, 2006 at 1:04 pm[…] Now, as some of you may know, White House Press Secretary Tony Snow corrected a reporter that Ken Lay “was an acquaintance.” Someone forgot their bowl of Spinning-O’s that morning. […]
July 8th, 2006 at 6:56 am[…] So, in addition to wanting a new White House Spokesman, I would also like to look into getting a new UN Ambassador. Ooh! And a spiffy new President who actually thinks once in a while, reads polls (like it or not, Mr. President, you got elected in a poll) and governs wisely. Oh yeah! And how about a new Secretary of State who is capable of evacuating American citizens from a war zone? Yeah, it’s like Katrina with bombs. […]
July 19th, 2006 at 12:09 am