The Snohomish Public Utility District released transcripts and tapes of phone conversations by Enron employees that show that Enron manipulated the recent California energy crisis in a number of ways. First, by cutting deals to move production facilities offline, thereby pushing the price through the roof. Second, by overstating future energy need projections so that it appeared that there was a shortage when production numbers didn't match the exaggerated needs. The tapes also show that Ken Lay and Jeffrey Skilling, the head honchos, knew about it all along and were getting rich off it. What a shock. Did anyone really believe that this was not going on? And can anyone be shocked that the justice department fought the release of the transcripts? Isn't it the Justice Department's job to fight criminal activity, not cover up for it?
Sadly, I'm well past the point of being shocked by anything this Justice [sic] Department, or the Administration, does. The list goes on and on...no bid Halliburton construction contracts in Iraq; leaking the name of a CIA operative; shady energy task force dealings; a hunting trip with a Supreme Court Justice. Ad nauseam. This Administration campaigned, as I recall, on a promise to restore honesty and intgrity to the White House, post-Clinton. In fact, it makes the Nixon Administration look like a bunch of choirboys. Oh well, let's just blame the liberals and call it a day.