Show Notes
The REAL Story behind Arnold's rise to California Political Stardom...another Greg Palast blockbuster!
ARNOLD UNPLUGGED
It's hasta la vista to $9 billion if the Governator is selected
by Greg Palast
Friday October 3, 2003
It's not what Arnold Schwarzenegger did to the girls a decade back that
should raise an eyebrow. According to a series of memoranda our office
obtained today, it's his dalliance with the boys in a hotel room just
two years ago that's the real scandal.
The wannabe governor has yet to deny that on May 17, 2001, at the
Peninsula Hotel in Los Angeles, he had consensual political intercourse
with Enron chieftain Kenneth Lay. Also frolicking with Arnold and Ken
was convicted stock swindler Mike Milken.
Now, thirty-four pages of internal Enron memoranda have just come
through this reporter's fax machine tell all about the tryst between
Maria's husband and the corporate con men. It turns out that
Schwarzenegger knowingly joined the hush-hush encounter as part of a
campaign to sabotage a Davis-Bustamante plan to make Enron and other
power pirates then ravaging California pay back the $9 billion in
illicit profits they carried off.
Here's the story Arnold doesn't want you to hear. The biggest single
threat to Ken Lay and the electricity lords is a private lawsuit filed
last year under California's unique Civil Code provision 17200, the
"Unfair Business Practices Act." This litigation, heading to trial now
in Los Angeles, would make the power companies return the $9 billion
they filched from California electricity and gas customers.
It takes real cojones to bring such a suit. Who's the plaintiff taking
on the bad guys? Cruz Bustamante, Lieutenant Governor and reluctant
leading candidate against Schwarzenegger.
Now follow the action. One month after Cruz brings suit, Enron's Lay
calls an emergency secret meeting in L.A. of his political
buck-buddies, including Arnold. Their plan, to undercut Davis
(according to Enron memos) and "solve" the energy crisis -- that is,
make the Bustamante legal threat go away.
How can that be done? Follow the trail with me.
While Bustamante's kicking Enron butt in court, the Davis
Administration is simultaneously demanding that George Bush's energy
regulators order the $9 billion refund. Don't hold your breath:
Bush's Federal Energy Regulatory Commission is headed by a guy proposed
by … Ken Lay.
But Bush's boys on the commission have a problem. The evidence against
the electricity barons is rock solid: fraudulent reporting of sales
transactions, megawatt "laundering," fake power delivery scheduling and
straight out conspiracy (including meetings in hotel rooms).
So the Bush commissioners cook up a terrific scheme: charge the
companies with conspiracy but offer them, behind closed doors, deals in
which they have to pay only two cents on each dollar they filched.
Problem: the slap-on-the-wrist refunds won't sail if the Governor of
California won't play along. Solution: Re-call the Governor.
New Problem: the guy most likely to replace Davis is not Mr.
Musclehead, but Cruz Bustamante, even a bigger threat to the power
companies than Davis. Solution: smear Cruz because -- heaven forbid!
he took donations from Injuns (instead of Ken Lay).
The pay-off? Once Arnold is Governor, he blesses the sweetheart
settlements with the power companies. When that happens, Bustamante's
court cases are probably lost. There aren't many judges who will let a
case go to trial to protect a state if that a governor has already
allowed the matter to be "settled" by a regulatory agency.
So think about this. The state of California is in the hole by $8
billion for the coming year. That's chump change next to the $8
TRILLION in deficits and surplus losses planned and incurred by George
Bush. Nevertheless, the $8 billion deficit is the hanging rope
California's right wing is using to lynch Governor Davis.
Yet only Davis and Bustamante are taking direct against to get back the
$9 billion that was vacuumed out of the state by Enron, Reliant,
Dynegy, Williams Company and the other Texas bandits who squeezed the
state by the bulbs.
But if Arnold is selected, it's 'hasta la vista' to the $9 billion.
When the electricity emperors whistle, Arnold comes -- to the Peninsula
Hotel or the Governor's mansion. The he-man turns pussycat and curls
up in their lap.
I asked Mr. Muscle's PR people to comment on the new Enron memos -- and
his strange silence on Bustamante's suit or Davis' petition. But
Arnold was too busy shaving off his Hitlerian mustache to respond.
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Mike Webb Show Friday Night
10pm - Rep Jim McDermott discusses the Depleted Uranium controversy in Iraq.,BR>
11pm - Who's a bigger drug addict - Courtney Love or a pill-popping talk show host?<BR>
Midnight - Comedy Central's Lewis Black helps Mike trash "Authority Figures."
The Mike Webb Show/Thursday
10pm - UN Weapons Inspector Scott Ritter talks about David Kay's "report" to Congress today about WMD.
11pm - Attorney Bradley Marshall talks with Mike about recent, unresolved, racially motivated police shootings and the new national conversation on race.
Midnight - Arnold? He loves the Nazis, molests women and the Republicans are "restoring dignity to politics"? What did this governor-wanna-be do tha Clinton didn't get impeached for? At least Bill got permission from his partners.
Mike Webb Show Wednesday
Rush Attacks Increasing. Forced to resign from ESPN....
Our "Branding of America" in the middle east...
Poll: Americans want a special prosecutor on CIA outing...
What IS it with driving in Seattle?
Tuesday Night
10pm - Rep Jay Inslee weighs in on the Joseph Wilson scandal.
11pm - Joe Conason says Repubs can dish it out but they sure can't take it. Are Democrats finally taking the gloves off and telling the truth or are they just playing partisan politics?
Mid - Marketing to the masses. What bothers you most? Spam email, telemarketers and maybe the most disgusting trend: product placement in TV shows and movies.
Mike Webb Show Monday
10pm - Why is Bush afraid to even INTERVIEW top whitehouse staffers over the Joseph Wilson issue? Who do you suspect leaked information about his wife's sensitive position with the U.S. Intelligence? Independent Prosecutor requred?
11pm - Frat Party, police slow to arrest. So, now tell me it was about RACE at Mardi Gras. That's why the police didn't act? Or are they just understaffed and afraid TO act? Who was the idiot on the radio who said it was the COLLEGE'S fault for teaching "critical thinking". Unbelievable.
Midnight - Georgie-Boy's poll numbers are DOWN. I meanL D O W N. in the THIRTIES! So, magnanomous liberals that we are, let's help out: Slogans, Ideas, Campaign strategies -- How to get Bush elected in '04. I mean, come on, alcoholism IS a disease and if we are to help our addicted president - if we BELIEVE in helping the sick, let's get him back on track. *smirk*
Mike Webb show
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