FoRK Archive: FW: Questions the media won't ask George W. Bush

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-----Original Message-----
From: Joseph S. Barrera III [mailto:joe@barrera.org]
Sent: Sunday, August 29, 1999 3:03 PM
To: FoRK (E-mail)
Subject: FW: Questions the media won't ask George W. Bush

[Compiled by a friend of a friend who works for the Citizens for Tax
Justice. I can't ensure the accuracy of any of this stuff, but I don't find
one remark that fudges the facts a little bit. Interesting to me b/c I
didn't know a lot of these business dealings.]

Do you think that you have used more or less cocaine than, say, Marion
Barry or Bill Clinton?

You invested $600,000 in the Texas Rangers and later sold out for $15
million. What did you do for the Rangers in between? How much of this
profit reflected your ability to get the city of Arlington to condemn land
for a ball park at 1/6 its true worth and then impose a 1/2 cent sales tax
to
subsidize your business? Is this an example of what you meant in 1993
when you said, "The best way to allocate resources in our society is
through the marketplace. Not through a governing elite?"

In 1984, after your firm, Arbusto Energy, had fallen on hard times, you
managed to get a job as the 30-something president of Spectrum 7 Energy
Corporation, the firm that purchased Arbusto. You also got 14% of the
Spectrum's stock. Meanwhile, your 50 investors in Arbusto got paid off
at about 20 cents on the dollar. Is this the sort of thing your new
economic advisor, Lawrence Lindsey, was thinking of when he said
Americans had become too greedy?

Or might he have been thinking of the deal in 1986 when, after Spectrum
7 had lost $400,000 in six months, you sold it to Harken Energy, becoming
a major Harken stockholder and receiving a good salary as a director and
consultant?

Or was it that time when you sold two-thirds of your Harken stock for a
200% profit on June 22, 1990, just 40 days before the start of the Gulf War
[true that Iraq invaded Kuwait 40 days later, but the "Gulf War" was
started by the US six months later-eb]
and one week before the company announced a $23 million quarterly loss,
setting off a 60% drop in share price over the next six months?

Why were you so valuable to these companies given your less than
impressive business acumen?

When you and your Harken partners ran short of cash and hooked up with
investment banker Jackson Stephens of Little Rock, Arkansas, he got you
a $25 million stock purchase by Union Bank of Switzerland. Did you know
that Sheik Abdullah Bakhsh, who joined your board as a part of the deal,
was connected to BCCI? Did you know that the United Bank was connected
to BCCI (including its operations in Panama), the Nugan Hand Bank
(a notorious CIA-front in Australia), and Ferdinand Marcos? players in
what would turn out to be the infamous First American-BCCI deal?

Why do your think the government of Bahrain chose Harken to drill its
offshore wells even though it had never dug overseas or in water before?
Why do you think it chose Harken, with no relevant experience, over
Amoco, with plenty of it? Did you ever discuss with your dad
Harken-Bahrain deal? Did any sheiks or other officials ever express any
concern over the failure of Harken to find any oil?
Do you think they really cared?

Tell us again why you waited almost a year past the legal deadline to
file the necessary SEC report on your Harken stock deal.

You borrowed $180,000 from Harken at a low rate. Did you ever pay it
back or was it included among that $341,000 Harken listed in SEC
documents as loaned to executives and later forgiven?

One of your Uncle Prescott's hot deals resulted in an early but major
transfer of sensitive technology to the Chinese government. Your father
in 1989 lifted sanctions that blocked such ventures. Do you approve of
Uncle Prescott and your father's behavior in these matters? As president
would you allow such deals to continue?

Do you approve of your uncle and father's role in what has become to be
known as the "October Surprise?"

Can you name a business deal you have been in that hasn't raised ethical
questions? That has made a profit without some form of government
subsidy?

Why did you have to hire private investigators to find out what dirt
private investigators might be able to dig up on you?

Discuss this remark by Michael King in the Texas Observer: "Although by
his own admission George W. was an indifferent student, he was
nevertheless the deserving-by-both beneficiary of the oldest most
illegitimate, and most sacrosanct form of affirmative action. . . It's
business as usual."

Since you want to help "instill individual responsibility" and give people
a "future of opportunity, instead of dependence on government," why did
you and your neighbors at the exclusive Rainbow Club development get a
tax break from your government? In what ways do such tax breaks differ
from welfare benefits other than that welfare recipients are more needy?

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[Compiled by a friend of a friend who works for the Citizens for = Tax=20 Justice. I can't ensure the accuracy of any of this stuff, but I don't = find one=20 remark that fudges the facts a little bit. Interesting to me b/c I = didn't know a=20 lot of these business dealings.]

Subj: Questions the media won't = ask=20 George W. Bush!

Do you think that you have used more or less = cocaine=20 than, say, Marion
Barry or Bill Clinton?

You invested $600,000 = in the=20 Texas Rangers and later sold out for $15
million. What did you do for = the=20 Rangers in between? How much of this
profit reflected your ability to = get the=20 city of Arlington to condemn land
for a ball park at 1/6 its true = worth and=20 then impose a 1/2 cent sales tax to
subsidize your business? Is this = an=20 example of what you meant in 1993
when you said, "The best way to = allocate=20 resources in our society is
through the marketplace. Not through a = governing=20 elite?"

In 1984, after your firm, Arbusto Energy, had fallen on = hard=20 times, you
managed to get a job as the 30-something president of = Spectrum 7=20 Energy
Corporation, the firm that purchased Arbusto. You also got 14% = of=20 the
Spectrum's stock. Meanwhile, your 50 investors in Arbusto got = paid=20 off
at about 20 cents on the dollar. Is this the sort of thing your=20 new
economic advisor, Lawrence Lindsey, was thinking of when he=20 said
Americans had become too greedy?

Or might he have been = thinking=20 of the deal in 1986 when, after Spectrum
7 had lost $400,000 in six = months,=20 you sold it to Harken Energy, becoming
a major Harken stockholder and = receiving a good salary as a director and
consultant?

Or was = it that=20 time when you sold two-thirds of your Harken stock for a
200% profit = on June=20 22, 1990, just 40 days before the start of the Gulf War

= started by=20 the US six months later-eb]
and one week before the company announced = a $23=20 million quarterly loss,
setting off a 60% drop in share price over = the next=20 six months?

Why were you so valuable to these companies given = your less=20 than
impressive business acumen?

When you and your Harken = partners ran=20 short of cash and hooked up with
investment banker Jackson Stephens = of Little=20 Rock, Arkansas, he got you
a $25 million stock purchase by Union Bank = of=20 Switzerland. Did you know
that Sheik Abdullah Bakhsh, who joined your = board=20 as a part of the deal,
was connected to BCCI? Did you know that the = United=20 Bank was connected
to BCCI (including its operations in Panama), the = Nugan=20 Hand Bank
(a notorious CIA-front in Australia), and Ferdinand Marcos? = players=20 in
what would turn out to be the infamous First American-BCCI=20 deal?

Why do your think the government of Bahrain chose Harken to = drill=20 its
offshore wells even though it had never dug overseas or in water=20 before?
Why do you think it chose Harken, with no relevant = experience,=20 over
Amoco, with plenty of it? Did you ever discuss with your=20 dad
Harken-Bahrain deal? Did any sheiks or other officials ever = express=20 any
concern over the failure of Harken to find any oil?
Do you = think they=20 really cared?

Tell us again why you waited almost a year past the = legal=20 deadline to
file the necessary SEC report on your Harken stock=20 deal.

You borrowed $180,000 from Harken at a low rate. Did you = ever pay=20 it
back or was it included among that $341,000 Harken listed in=20 SEC
documents as loaned to executives and later forgiven?

One = of your=20 Uncle Prescott's hot deals resulted in an early but major
transfer of = sensitive technology to the Chinese government. Your father
in 1989 = lifted=20 sanctions that blocked such ventures. Do you approve of
Uncle = Prescott and=20 your father's behavior in these matters? As president
would you allow = such=20 deals to continue?

Do you approve of your uncle and father's role = in what=20 has become to be
known as the "October Surprise?"

Can you name = a=20 business deal you have been in that hasn't raised ethical
questions? = That has=20 made a profit without some form of government
subsidy?

Why did = you=20 have to hire private investigators to find out what dirt
private=20 investigators might be able to dig up on you?

Discuss this remark = by=20 Michael King in the Texas Observer: "Although by
his own admission = George W.=20 was an indifferent student, he was
nevertheless the deserving-by-both = beneficiary of the oldest most
illegitimate, and most sacrosanct form = of=20 affirmative action. . . It's
business as usual."

Since you = want to=20 help "instill individual responsibility" and give people
a "future = of=20 opportunity, instead of dependence on government," why did
you and = your=20 neighbors at the exclusive Rainbow Club development get a
tax break = from your=20 government? In what ways do such tax breaks differ
from welfare = benefits=20 other than that welfare recipients are more = needy?