CNN LARRY KING: with President George W. Bush and Laura Bush

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CNN LARRY KING: with President George W. Bush and Laura Bush

Fri Jul 7, 2006 00:16

CNN LARRY KING: with President George W. Bush and Laura Bush

AUDIO:
http://www.apfn.net/pogo/L001I0607A.MP3

Programming Note: Watch Larry King's exclusive interview with President Bush and first lady Laura Bush, "Larry King Live" Thursday 9 p.m. ET.
King won't decide first question till cameras roll

Thursday, July 6, 2006; Posted: 7:34 p.m. EDT (23:34 GMT)

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- CNN's Larry King has interviewed every president since Richard Nixon. Tonight at 9 p.m. ET he conducts his second interview with President George W. Bush since his election in 2000.

The interview will be broadcast from the White House. The president will be joined by first lady Laura Bush. Larry King spoke to CNN.com about what he plans to ask the president.

What will be your first question for the president?

No idea. It might be about Ken Lay, maybe North Korea. Lay was a friend of his. It's the president's birthday so I might go there.

I never know in advance. I won't know until I say hello and start the interview.

I'll definitely ask about Connecticut Senator Joe Lieberman, who says he'll run as an independent if he loses the Democratic primary. I'd like to know if Bush would support him as an independent.

Is there one thing you want to learn from the interview?

I want to learn as much as I can about as many things as I can. I'm as interested in feelings as I am about facts. I know we have 139,000 troops in Iraq, but I want to know about how he feels about all the troops.

Who was your favorite president to interview?

Clinton because he was so gregarious, funny, interesting and bright. I also liked Carter, and the first President Bush. Nixon's paranoia made him interesting. This president is comfortable in his own skin. Clinton would have to be the favorite.

Is there any single highlight that stands out from all your presidential interviews?

No single highlight. Clinton and Gore sat together for the only interview of a sitting president and vice president in the White House, and they took phone calls. I also learned from Nixon that he'd never been in the Watergate, ironic since it was the break-in there that ultimately brought down his presidency. Carter was so hands-on every detail. He even knew who was swimming in the pool. Clinton was always late, even when he had to be on time he was late.

Is there a lot of talking off-camera, or does the president just come in, sit down, and start taping?

President Bush is always on time, we're taping at 2:30, and he'll walk in at 2:28. I (have spoken to him without the cameras) and once spent 90 minutes with him in his office when we weren't doing an interview, just talking baseball.

Have there been any changes over the years in the ground rules for interviewing presidents?

In terms of ground rules, nothing. I've never had any ground rules placed on me. Of course since September 11, security is tighter. You're not allowed to bring as many people in to the White House for the interview. But when you're doing the interview the Secret Service stays outside. You actually notice Secret Service presence more when the president is out of the White House.

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Larry King

Celebrating his 49th year in broadcasting in 2006, CNN's Larry King is the host of the network's Larry King Live, the first worldwide phone-in television talk show and the network's highest-rated program. The Emmy Award-winning King and author of multiple books has been dubbed "the most remarkable talk-show host on TV ever" by TV Guide and "master of the mike" by TIME Magazine.
http://www.cnn.com/CNN/anchors_reporters/king.larry.html

Larry King plans to quiz Bush on Ken Lay, Lieberman.
Think Progress, DC - 8 hours ago
Larry King is interviewing President Bush and the First Lady tonight. He told CNN.com he may ask his first question about Ken Lay ...
MOORE:>>

ENRON-BUSH-HARVARD-WTC-OIL-CONNECTION

Abu Gonzales and Enron - a primer
by Tug
Fri Jan 07, 2005 at 02:03:58 PM PDT

Just a friendly reminder that as long as Gonzales is going back and changing his positions on various ethical matters, let's go back a little further. I still can't believe that the country let Bush win on Enron ties alone, but that is my problem. Our current problem is Gonzales. Say we never invaded Iraq and torture people there...and say we never did it in Cuba either, then we would still have....ENRON.

Ok Cornyn, you want to say he does not believe in torture - fine. He is still just plain crooked, not unlike his client (see below).

I would like to point out - we have plenty of lawyers in this country - why are they so hell bent on keeping this guy do you suppose?

Not no, but hell no to Gonzales:

(Most of the things on this post you will have seen before)

Start with the Center for American Progress:

http://www.americanprogress.org/site/pp.asp?c=biJRJ8OVF&b=246536

* Tug's diary :: ::
*

GONZALES DOES ENRON'S BIDDING: As an elected member of the Texas Supreme Court, "Enron and Enron's law firm were Gonzales's biggest contributors," giving him $35,450 in 2000. Overall, Gonzales raked in $100,000 from the energy industry. In May 2000, "Gonzales was author of a state Supreme Court opinion that handed the energy industry one of its biggest Texas legal victories in recent history." Since Bush brought him into the White House, Gonzales has worked doggedly to keep secret the details of energy task force meetings held by Vice President Cheney. [New York Daily News, 2/2/02]

http://www.dkosopedia.com/index.php/Alberto_Gonzales

Gonzales is "inextricably tied" to Enron, casting doubt on his ability to impartially handle the biggest corporate fraud in history. As the described in the press even now:

Gonzales also has connections to scandal-ridden energy giant Enron. He is a former partner in the Houston law firm Vinson and Elkins, which represented Enron. He also received $6,500 in campaign contributions from the company when he ran for re-election to the Texas Supreme Court.
Indeed, Gonzales got rich off of Enron as a corporate partner at Vinson & Elkins, which is the law firm that was sued for crafting these deals.
Remember, the federal government's case against Ken Lay and Jeffrey Skilling is still ongoing. Gonzales owes his fortune and much of his early political future to Ken Lay, so making him the nation's top law enforcement officer while the federal government prosecutes Lay presents an obvious conflict of interest. Also, we cannot trust the investigation and enforcement of rules against the future "Enrons" to a corporate lawyer who was possibly contributed to the Enron debacle in the first place.

ENRON TIES
The energy giant has long been Vinson & Elkins' top client. Last year, it accounted for more than 7% of V&E's $450 million in revenue. Managing Partner Joseph Dilg is a key contact for the Enron account. Enron's general counsel, James V. Derrick Jr., is a former V&E partner. Several other members of the legal department also hail from Vinson & Elkins.

PRESIDENTIAL TIES
V&E gave the Bush campaign $190,000, making the firm his second-largest donor. White House Counsel Alberto Gonzales is a former partner in V&E's corporate department.

and this one is pretty rich:

http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2002/02/15/BU132842.DTL

White House spokeswoman Anne Womack said that "to the best of his recollection," Gonzales "can't recall having had any conversations with anyone at Vinson & Elkins about Enron since last summer."

Joe Householder, a spokesman for Vinson & Elkins, also said the firm has had no contact with Gonzales about Enron.

But Craig McDonald isn't so sure. The director of Texans for Public Justice,

a watchdog group that's tracked Gonzales' career for years, said he wouldn't be at all surprised if Vinson & Elkins had shared its findings with the White House counsel.

"It's definitely plausible," McDonald said. "Gonzales is part of the V&E network. These guys protect each other."

Gonzales, 46, worked for Vinson & Elkins from 1982 through 1992, when he was tapped by Bush to become the then-governor's general counsel.

The law firm and Enron were Gonzales' main financial backers when he ran in 2000 to hold his seat on the supreme court. Vinson & Elkins contributed $29, 450 and Enron ponied up another $6,500.

The White House's Womack said there was no significance to this generosity. "It says that Enron and Vinson & Elkins took an interest in supporting Judge Gonzales," she said. "It's not unusual for a law firm to support someone who used to work there."

But McDonald at Texans for Public Justice said Vinson & Elkins' interest may have gone beyond mere boosterism. "They give more political money than anyone else, and this helps them with access to government officials," he said.

"That's what they're all about."

In an interview last year with Hispanic magazine, Gonzales said he never really embraced Republican ideology until joining Vinson & Elkins.

He also said he was personally assured by Bush before becoming White House counsel that "we're going to have a clean administration."

Gonzales is now the point man in the administration's effort to keep hidden Vice President Dick Cheney's notes regarding moves by Enron's Lay and others to shape national energy policy.

Halliburton, too?

Strong Ties to Enron and Halliburton

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2005/1/7/17358/67614

http://www.apfn.org/apfn/enron_bush.htm

AUDIO UPDATE: President George W. Bush and Laura Bush — CNN LARRY KING, Fri Jul 7 02:28

Rant: Bush's on CNN Larry King Show — "The Randi Roads Show", Fri Jul 7 22:16

Bush Says Lay Was 'A Good Guy' — John Ray, Fri Jul 7 00:57
CIA disbands bin Laden hunt unit — Message #86738, Fri Jul 7 00:31
Abu Gonzales and Enron - a primer — by Tug, Fri Jul 7 00:25

The Bush-o-philiac candidate, Felipe Calderon — By Greg Palast, Fri Jul 7 00:46