1) Last June, {2001} Gov. Rick "Goodhair" Perry (he has very good hair) appointed an Enron executive to be chairman of the state Public Utility Commission. This is Texas, and whom else would you put on the commission that regulates energy companies but an energy company executive?
The next day, Perry got a $25,000 donation from Ken Lay. We might have worried about this, but Perry has cleared up the whole thing. The timing, he said, was "totally coincidental." We were all greatly relieved to learn this, since some with dirty minds might have thought there was a connection. . .
2) Meanwhile, the Attorney General of Texas, John Cornyn, announced firmly that he would investigate Enron and all its nefarious doings, which caused the citizenry to rejoice, except for those picky people at the public interest groups who pointed out that Cornyn has received $193,000 in campaign contributions from Enron officials since 1997.
Cornyn was prepared to ignore the pesky watchdogs and announced firmly he would so investigate, but, totally coincidentally, he recused himself the next day.
You might think some public officeholder in Texas could investigate Enron without questions being raised over campaign contributions — after all, many members of Congress who have received generous contributions from Enron are now investigating it.
But even if we could investigate and prosecute, the cases would likely wind up in the state Supreme Court and —surprise! — seven out of nine judges on the Supreme Court seem to be Enron beneficiaries, as well.
Molly Ivins, from
"Things in Texas Coincide"
[Texas Governor] Rick Perry has accepted $227,075 from Enron http://www.EnronOwnsTheGOP.com/enfluence/perry.htm
[Texas] Attorney General John Cornyn took $193,000 from Enron http://www.EnronOwnsTheGOP.com/enfluence/cornyn.htm
[Texas] Comptroller Carole Keeton Rylander accepted $71,500 from her buddies at Enron http://www.EnronOwnsTheGOP.com/enfluence/rylander.htm
[Texas] AG Candidate Greg Abbott works for Bracewell and Patterson
one of Enron's largest creditors
http://www.EnronOwnsTheGOP.com/enfluence/abbott.htm
Tell these Politicians to give back Enron's tainted money! http://www.EnronOwnsTheGOP.com/action/index.htm