Enron confirms Bush’s image

I like the Clinton political sex scandal better.

It was entertaining, and no one got hurt who didn’t already have it coming. Not like Enron.

To its benefit, Enron is an interesting portrayal of greed, the political power and access that come with money and unethical business practices. But its only salacious perk is that it confirms what everyone already knew about President

Bush —he’s a big business toady.

Enron is the political gaffe I would have created if someone said, “Design a stereotypical Republican scandal.” It’d be so easy — mix equal parts politics and money and throw in some unfortunate proletariats who get hurt in the process. Then shake.

Enron is Bush’s first quasi-scandal, even though no one has proved the

White House did anything illegal to help the Texas energy conglomerate, which in the last few months has filed for bankruptcy, laid off 4,000 workers and admitted to overstating its profits for the last five years by $586 million.

The company’s employees also lost most of their retirement savings because they were not allowed to sell their shares when the stock plummeted as a result of the company actually divulging accurate financial information.

While the company did support some Democrats’ political campaigns, it overwhelmingly favored Republicans. In the last decade, Enron gave 73 percent of its $5.77 million in political donations to Republicans. Bush raised nearly $114,000 from Enron from 1999 to 2000, and Enron CEO Kenneth “Kenny Boy” Lay personally donated $100,000 for the 2001 inaugural gala.

Cynics and Bush’s critics think they smell a rat. The President’s defenders might just call it bad luck that he and other top-tier Republicans like John Ashcroft happen to know Enron’s top execs.

Bush’s defenders think media are unnecessarily swarming. There’s no proof of any wrongdoing so back off, they say. A reasonable suggestion, but there’s still a few things to consider.

White House adviser Mary Matalin recently told talk radio “shock jock” Don Imus that Bush’s critics “act like there’s some billing records or some cattle scam or some fired travel aides or some blue dress.”

By pulling the Clinton card, Matalin got it right. There is no blue dress — there are only the green dollar bills that the Enron executives made and the employees lost.

The stickiness of this scandal is that Bush is a friend of financial cutthroats who schmoozed and bought their way into the Washington beltway while fleecing their employees and investors.

Former President Bill Clinton’s impeachment scandal proved he is a lying lecher. But few got hurt who weren’t already involved in the scandal. Despite all her delusions to the contrary, Monica did know what she was doing.

The Enron ties pose a different sort of presidential dilemma, especially to a commander-in-chief who promised to bring dignity and honor back to the executive branch.

Bush is facing a guilt-by-association problem. Few probably doubted that his best friends were boardroom dwellers. But of all the people to be connected to now, only the American Taliban might be more commonly despised than the Enron honchos.

The political fallout of the scandal probably won’t amount to more than a special investigation to see if the Bush Administration gave Enron red-carpet treatment and special favors.

It remains to be seen if that actually happened, so for now I favor a more economical and old-school approach. I don’t find anything honorable or dignified in a president who keeps company with corporate swindlers just because they’re wealthy political donors.

- Kowalczyk can be reached at nk323298. Send him an email. Please.