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.
Watch it:
http://thinkprogress.org/2006/07/05/snow-lay/
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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.
PLAY:
53 Comments »
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1.
Does being in on divying up Iraqi oil fields pre-war count as “aquaintance”?
Comment by Kieth — July 5, 2006 @ 3:17 pm
2.
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.
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.
Comment by dlet — July 5, 2006 @ 3:17 pm
3.
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?
For someone who broke the law, created financial hardship for millions, and showed no remorse, the thing to say is “good riddance.”
Comment by Dave in IL — July 5, 2006 @ 3:21 pm
4.
“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.
Comment by Dana — July 5, 2006 @ 3:21 pm
5.
There 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.
Comment by Jason M. Hendler — July 5, 2006 @ 3:28 pm
6.
Ken, Kenny,Kenneth, Kennmeister,………..Kenny-boy who?
Comment by ? — July 5, 2006 @ 3:32 pm
7.
#5
Wow god is a conservative republican…..who woulda thunk it.
Comment by dlet — July 5, 2006 @ 3:32 pm
8.
I ken lay odds that he’s still alive, thus no comment
Comment by maxB — July 5, 2006 @ 3:35 pm
9.
There 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.
Comment by Joe Sixpack — July 5, 2006 @ 3:43 pm
10.
#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!
Comment by green917 — July 5, 2006 @ 3:43 pm
11.
How 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!
Comment by DuneGolfer — July 5, 2006 @ 3:50 pm
12.
How 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
Comment by R U Serious — July 5, 2006 @ 3:50 pm
13.
umm..he was talking about arnold being in the CA governor’s chair …u know the executive of the state.
Comment by blueboy — July 5, 2006 @ 3:52 pm
14.
But 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:
“Bush Lies About Ken Lay.”
Comment by AvengingAngel — July 5, 2006 @ 3:52 pm
15.
#10. The governor of California (or any other state) is also head of the EXECUTIVE branch, dumbass…
Comment by Tom — July 5, 2006 @ 3:54 pm
16.
Don’t believe this hype. Kenny Boy, with his new face, is getting “Layed” someplace in the Caribbean right now.
Comment by Shep — July 5, 2006 @ 3:54 pm
17.
#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.
Comment by Jason M. Hendler — July 5, 2006 @ 3:55 pm
18.
” 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!
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.
Comment by TripMaster Monkey — July 5, 2006 @ 3:55 pm
19.
#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.
Comment by kindness — July 5, 2006 @ 3:58 pm
20.
#17
I 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.
Comment by dlet — July 5, 2006 @ 4:03 pm
21.
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.
Comment by Barfly — July 5, 2006 @ 4:04 pm
22.
#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!
Comment by Democratic Soldier — July 5, 2006 @ 4:04 pm
23.
“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…
Q: What has been the President’s reaction to the death of Ken Lay?
SN…
Trackback by esoterically.net/weblog — July 5, 2006 @ 4:05 pm
24.
#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.
Comment by Jason M. Hendler — July 5, 2006 @ 4:06 pm
25.
Snow 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.?
Comment by Sharon Cox — July 5, 2006 @ 4:08 pm
26.
snow 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 :)
Comment by thot's — July 5, 2006 @ 4:10 pm
27.
How many of your acquaintances would let you have carte blanche use of the corporate jet while you were overturning an election?
Comment by Harold D. Berger — July 5, 2006 @ 4:14 pm
28.
#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.
Comment by Jason M. Hendler — July 5, 2006 @ 4:14 pm
29.
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
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!
…
Laura and I value our friendship with you.
…
Your younger friend,
George W. Bush
Comment by E-mart — July 5, 2006 @ 4:15 pm
30.
With acquaintances like George W. Bush, who needs enemies?
Comment by Len — July 5, 2006 @ 4:17 pm
31.
an “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”?
Comment by Gee Duuuhh Beeyah — July 5, 2006 @ 4:21 pm
32.
wasn’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!!!!!
Comment by curt linderman — July 5, 2006 @ 4:21 pm
33.
