Baker Gets Backing As Iraqi Debt Emissary

[Rose Siding]

WASHINGTON -- Former Secretary of State James A. Baker III has taken steps to avoid any conflict of interest between his business dealings and his new role as President Bush's emissary on Iraq's debt, the White House said Friday.

Baker is a longtime Bush family friend and troubleshooter who has extensive business relationships around the world. His Texas law firm, Baker Botts LLP, counts Halliburton, Vice President Dick Cheney's former company with major contracts in Iraq, as one of its clients and has an office in Saudi Arabia.

He also is senior counselor to the Carlyle Group, a global investment company.

Before Baker's appointment as an unpaid volunteer, the White House counsel's office conducted a through review of his business ties, White House spokesman Scott McClellan said.

"He is complying with all applicable ethics laws and rules, including the filing of a financial disclosure form disclosing his assets and incomes and liabilities and outside positions," McClellan said. "He's gone to great lengths to avoid any potential conflicts of interest."

http://www.newsday.com/news/politics/wire/sns-ap-baker-iraq,0,4025622.story?coll=sns-ap-politics-headlines

[SmokeyBlues]

1. If this is what McClellan said...

"He is complying with all applicable ethics laws and rules, including the filing of a financial disclosure form disclosing his assets and incomes and liabilities and outside positions," McClellan said. "He's gone to great lengths to avoid any potential conflicts of interest."

Now I'm convinced more than ever that Bush family consigliere Baker is hiding something! Bushco always tell you what the real deal is, but you have to hold up a mirror to see it.

[LiberalFighter]

14. What sort of deals will he make for himself?

Baker is a rotting scumbag lacking integrity and honesty. Geesh this is the same guy that represented whistle-ass in the Florida recount.

[Democrats unite]

2. Hail Hail the gangs all here!

eom

[0007]

3. What a ride the American people are being taken on!

We are fools nothing but dumb fucking fools!

[tlcandie]

4. First time for everything..!!! Me thinks they doest protest too much!

In other words, good luck finding it cuz it's DEEPLY hidden! He's one of those people making a fortune from something...you just can't quite distinguish what that something is... :eyes:

[Moderator]

5. Kick!!

:dem:

[NNN0LHI]

6. No conflict for Baker: Bush (Move along. Nothing to see here)

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/afp/20031212/pl_afp/us_iraq_debt_baker_bush&cid=1521&ncid=1473

WASHINGTON (AFP) - US President George W. Bush (news - web sites) rejected warnings that James Baker, charged with reducing Iraq (news - web sites)'s crippling debt, may face conflicts of interests because of his ties to business interests.



"Jim Baker is a man of high integrity. He's a man of enormous experience," Bush told reporters during a public appearance at the White House.


"It makes sense for him to serve our country on an important mission, and that mission is to encourage countries to forgive debt so the Iraqi people can more easily grow a nation that is prosperous and peaceful," he added.


Baker leaves the United States Monday bound for Europe, where he will seek to convince even foes of the US-led invasion of Iraq like France, Germany and Russia to help ease that war-ravaged nation's debt.

more

[bluedeminredstate]

7. Typical Chimp response

"The US president was responding to a New York Times editorial warning that Baker's ties to the law firm Baker Botts and the Carlyle Group investment firm posed a potential conflict of interest with his debt-reduction mission.
'I don't read those editorials,' Bush quipped."

It seems every day the Chimp comes up with some offensive "quip" that is supposed to demonstrate his disdain for the conventional wisdom. Was it just yesterday that he made the crack about International Law and needing to "hire a lawyer?"
He takes pride in his ignorance and his refusal to listen to "focus groups" (war protestors) and Washington and NY "Elites" (pundits, writers, historians and political observers).
He's so GD CERTAIN that everything he does is right, and that's what makes him so totally obnoxious and scary.

[Bozita]

8. It's one thing to be ignorant; it's another to despise knowledge

My best guess says that Dumbya doesn't seem overly concerned with information. He lives in a very small world, one constructed by his advisors.

I'm not a very religious person, but ...

... may God save us all.

[milkyway]

9. The NY Times and CNN tonight never mentioned he's representing...

the Saudis in court against the 9/11 victims' families. They talk about his maze of interests, but they never mention this! Perhaps it is such a mind-blowing thought--Baker went to Florida to hijack democracy and install chimp in office; 9/11 conveniently happens, primarily by Saudis with Saudi funds; chimp's popularity soars and off to war we go; Baker then defends Saudis against victims' families that chimp exploited for the political capital he needed for his war--that the NYT and CNN figured people's heads would explode trying to figure it out, dimly aware that something monumentally sinister is going on.

Sometimes I get the feeling that about twenty miles beneath the earth's surface James Baker works from his bunker, controlling every single movement of every human being on earth. We are all just bit players in James Baker's own private matrix.

[FormerOstrich]

10. Out of the goodness of his heart....

Before Baker's appointment as an unpaid volunteer, .....

How benevolent of Jimmy! No conflicts of interest. No self-serving agenda, a paid volunteer. A true servant to his country. :puke:

So why does it feel the "cleaner" has been sent in to tidy up after the troublesome lad blows it?

...the White House counsel's office conducted a through review of his business ties, White House spokesman Scott McClellan said.

Hmmmmm...I wonder exactly what the through review entailed??

"He is complying with all applicable ethics laws and rules, including the filing of a financial disclosure form disclosing his assets and incomes and liabilities and outside positions," McClellan said. "He's gone to great lengths to avoid any potential conflicts of interest."

I have to wonder how they can say things like this with a straight face. I believe this translates to we are above all those laws and rules the commoners live by.

They spell out several conflicts. Exclude many more. Then they say he has gong to Great Lengths to avoid conflicts. Okay, sure...

They let Carlucci chair congresional committees, might as well let Baker do whatever. I suppose they proclaimed it so it must be true. I think we need to keep a very very close eye on Mr Bakers volunteer work for the next few weeks. Might be interesting!!

:kick:

[teryang]

11. He is not "avoiding" conflicts of interests....

He is disclosing them. Why? Because he has huge and obvious conflicts of interest.

The purpose of disclosure is to warn the client. That is us, the American people. We have been warned and now we say he should be fired. And fire Cheney while you're at it and Halliburton.


HELLO! Anyone up there know anything about ethics. Don't think so.

[pinto]

12. follow the money....n/t

[Cooley Hurd]

13. Jeebus H! This guy is the Saudi riyal family's LAWYER!

And he's supposed to go to them, as a neutral negotiator, and ask them to forgive Iraqi debt?

Ah, screw the taxpayers and their $87 billion... we can't let the House of Saud go without their gold bathroom fixtures... :grr: