Is the James Baker that is Heading up Bush's Debate

[louis c]

negotiating team, the same James Baker that is part of the legal team that is defending the Saudi Government against lawsuits filed by some family members of the victims of 9/11?

If this is true, as I suspect, why the f**k isn't Kerry, Edwards and the Dems shouting about this from the rooftops?

Am I wrong about this? Do I have the correct info? It sounds like something H2O man would know about.

[bobbieinok]

1. I think so ....also main W activist in FL2000..BushI sec of state

[Spinzonner]

2. And the reason their amorality surprises you is ??

[louis c]

14. I not talking about morality

I'm talking about a campaign issue that grabs Bush by the balls and squeezes the life out of his campaign.

that's what I'm talking about.

[blm]

3. Yes. And the same man whose granddaughter was killed by a hot tub drain

and the family is suing the manufacturer, not unlike the clients John Edwards took on whose young daughter was disemboweled.

See, only Republican daughters are worth suing for. Edwards' client was just trying to hit the lottery with their daughter's disembowelment.

[FlemingsGhost]

4. Because there might be a place for Baker in a Kerry admin.

Kerry has stated that he would consider making Baker a special diplomatic envoy regarding foreign policy.

When are folks going to figure it all out, I wonder ...

[Vickers]

5. WHAT???????

:wtf:

Please tell me this is a joke.

[louis c]

8. Yah, it's incredible

I like to listen to John Bachelor at night from an ABC radio affiliate. Of course, it's late, like 10pm to 1am, so sometimes I don't get the info all that straight, because I'm falling asleep. Bachelor is some sort of Republican, but not as right wing as most.

Anyway, some guy is on talking about the Saudis. As a matter of fact, he wrote the book "House of Saud, House of Bush" that Michael Moore quoted so extensively. This guy bashes Baker all the time.

In an unconnected story, I read that James Baker is negotiating to eliminate the September 30th Debate between the candidates in St. Louis.

Now, I think, I've got to be nuts, or the Kerry team is missing a golden opportunity here. I'm trying to piece this together and figure out if this is true, and if it is, why the f**k aren't our guys pouncing on this. This is the red meat that's easy to serve to the voters we're trying to convince.

[blm]

6. Baloney. You have trouble discerning a ploy or two from Kerry?

He was trying to get people to focus on Bush's failed Mideast policy and threw out Baker's name as bait along with Clinton and Carter.

Sorry that subtlety escaped you.

[louis c]

10. Let's get back on point, here

Don't you think this is an issue?

James Baker works the recount for W. in Fla.

He then defends the Saudis from being sued civilly by the families of the American victims of 9/11

Next,the Bush Administration redacts (blacks out) 28 pages of the Senate Intel Committee's report on the Saudi connection to 9/11.

Now, Baker is the chief negotiator for Bush to eliminate debates in which the average voter asks questions.

I know one thing, if I was in charge of the Kerry campaign, this would be a big issue.

[RevCheesehead]

16. Yet further evidence that this IS his father's presidency.

Baker, Cheney, yada, yada...all Daddy's buddies.
For all the song and dance, it's GHWB, not * who is running things.
And remember, he was meeting with the Saudis on 9/11.
I think there's still so much crap waiting to be discovered.
:tinfoilhat:

[louis c]

17. kick

[FlemingsGhost]

Am I supposed to examine the nuances of subtlety ...

every time John Kerry makes a policy statement? Is it a policy statement all, then? What is joe-sixpack supposed to take from it?

Here are his words:

"In the first days of a Kerry administration, I will appoint a presidential ambassador to the peace process who will report directly to me and the secretary of State, and who will work day to day to move that process forward. There are a number of uniquely qualified Americans among whom I would consider appointing, including President Carter, former Secretary of State James Baker or, as I suggested almost two years ago, President Clinton. And I might add, I have had conversations with both President Clinton and President Carter about their willingness to do this, and I think they would welcome it and embrace it as a means of moving forward."

[blm]

15. Yep. Pointing a finger at Bushco for NOT pursuing peace in the Mideast

when all other presidents DID. It was Baker who was identified as the Mideast peace negotiator for Bush1. Bush2 never even PURSUED it and THAT was the point Kerry was making in front of a bipartisan crowd of foreign policy makers.

It was a perfectly appropriate remark for that crowd.

You SHOULD know Kerry would choose Clinton and Carter over Baker because any Democrat in the know would have no trouble discerning the goal of his speech that day.

[louis c]

20. kick

[Bush was AWOL]

27. You are kidding right!!!!!!!!!!!!!!???????

Kerry better not even be considering hiring that POS!

[mitchum]

7. Yep, the bush family fixer answers the call once again...

this time Tom Hagen is working for Fredo

[Disturbed]

9. James Baker.

Member of Carlyle Group. Do a search engine on him.

[TrustingDog]

12. the same Baker on the docs in F911? n/t

[louis c]

13. How can we fail to make this an issue??????

[WolverineDG]

11. baker & botts

well-known, big law firm here in texas, with offices in riyadh. ain't that grand??

what i find not-so-amusing about the current "tort reform" kick is that about a year ago, 2 friends of mine had some arrangement with baker & botts to represent welders injured by some kind of equipment.

so if i hear james baker bashing trial lawyers, i'm going to give that little tidbit to the media....

dg

[starroute]

18. James Baker turns up everywhere there's shady Bush dealings

Here is a list of items I found in my files -- but it's by no means complete. I've broken it down into rough periods.


(1954 - The firm then known as Baker, Botts, Andrews & Shepherd is counsel for the establishment of Zapata Offshire, Bush Sr.'s oil services company. However, James Baker, aged 24, is not yet with the family firm.)

1963 - Zapata merges with Penn Oil to form Pennzoil, with Baker & Botts at its main legal firm. Start of the Bush/Baker relationship.

1966 - Bush Sr. elected to Congress and gets Baker to switch to the Republican Party.

1970 - Baker serves as Bush Sr.'s campaign organizer in his unsuccessful run for the Senate against Lloyd Bentsen.

1972 - Baker is a key fundraiser for Nixon in Texas.

-------------------

late 70's - Baker & Botts handles the investments James Bath is making for Khalid bin Mahfouz (BCCI's second-largest shareholder, Osama bin Laden's brother-in-law, and al-Qaeda financer.)

1985 - bin Mahfouz purchases the Texas Commerce Bank Tower for $200 million, greatly benefitting Baker and his family (who were the founders and principal stockholders of Texas Commerce), as well as the Baker & Botts firm.

1980's - James Baker's friend, Walt Mishcher (who is also a friend of George Bush and a business associate of Ben Barnes), is heavily involved with the S&L scandals.

---------------------

1985-88 - James Baker is Reagan's Secretary of the Treasury.

1989-92 - James Baker is Bush Sr.'s Secretary of State.

1992-93 - James Baker is Bush Sr.'s White House Chief of Staff and Counselor to the President.

---------------------------

1995 - The James A. Baker III Institute for Public Policy at Rice University awards its first Enron Prize for Distinguished Public Service to Colin Powell. Baker & Botts is serving as Enron's counsel at about this time.

1990's - James Baker is a partner in the Carlyle Group.

2000 - Baker organizes the phoney riot that stops the Florida recount.

c. 2001 - Baker & Botts works to assist American oil companies in the Caspian region. Before 9/11, these companies were negotiating with the Taliban to build a pipeline through Afghanistan. Baker is on the Honorary Council of Advisors of the US-Azerbaijan Chamber of Commerce, along with such figures as Lloyd Bentsen, John Sununu, and Henry Kissinger. He is also vice-chairman of the board.

2001 - Baker & Botts opens a Saudi office in February. A Baker & Botts partner, Robert Jordan, became US ambassador to Arabia in October. Baker & Botts represents Saudi defense minister Prince Sultan bin Abdul Aziz against a 9/11 lawsuit.

[louis c]

19. kick

[Name removed]

21. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Kathy in Cambridge]

23. I'm sure you approved of his actions in Florida in 2000

[starroute]

22. Wherever oil is, you'll find Baker

Start with http://www.yuricareport.com/PoliticalAnalysis/FraudinWhiteHouse.htm

It describes how James Baker headed a commission whose report was one of the major bases of Cheney's energy policy at the start of 2001 and suggests that much of the push for the oil war in Iraq came out of Baker's commission.


Then try http://www.btinternet.com/~nlpwessex/Documents/coupbehind.htm

It lays out the continuing power of the Bush Sr./Baker axis over the current Bush administration, referring to that same energy report. It also mentions Baker's role in the US-Azerbaijan Chamber of Commerce, going back to 1996. And it cites an article at http://www.lumpen.com/coup2k/framer.html?pg=1 that describes Baker's roles in the October Surprise of 1980 and in US manipulation of the Bulgarian elections of 1990.


Another view of Baker's recent activities can be found in a Wayne Madsen piece at http://www.globalpolicy.org/security/natres/oil/2003/0114bush.htm

The focus in this one is Baker's 1997 role in mediating Western Sahara's struggle for independence from Morocca -- a "mediation" that was all on the side of Morocco and of Big Oil.


I'm sure I could find more examples with a little additional Googling. But the general picture is becoming clear -- that since 1995, Baker has been at the heart of US oil policy as dictated by American oil companies, with particular interest in bringing third world oil sources under American control.

Frankly, the only part that puzzles me is why the Saudi's would think for one moment that they could trust him.

[spanone]

24. Fookin' A!!! Good enough for daddy good enough for boy king.

[Darby]

25. yes - link to bio here, at:

http://www.bakerbotts.com/attorneys/bio.asp?id=248&groupid=&areaid=

[Bush was AWOL]

26. Is there a bigger piece of trash

Bush could've chose to negotiate his debates? Kerry's negotiaters better take a long shower after spending time with Baker.

[Darby]

28. How Baker Botts acquired Halliburton as client -- August 2002

HOW BAKER BOTTS ACQUIRED HALLIBURTON AS A CLIENT:

From the August 16, 2002 print edition
Houston Business Journal
http://www.bizjournals.com/houston/stories/2002/08/19/story1.html

Baker Botts bags Halliburton

Law firm's big gain could reduce role of Vinson &
Elkins
...

Baker Botts has scored a major coup by landing oil
services giant Halliburton as the law firm's latest
client.

The new relationship between Houston's third-largest
firm and the city's newest public company may come at
the expense of the largest local law firm, Vinson &
Elkins.

Halliburton's KBR engineering and construction unit
has been represented by Vinson & Elkins since it was
Houston-based Brown & Root and later, Kellogg Brown &
Root.

"Baker Botts has been engaged to represent Halliburton
on a broad variety of matters," says ANDREW BAKER, who
was instrumental in winning the business and will act
as lead partner on the Halliburton team.

"We anticipate that we will be their lead outside
corporate counsel," says Baker, whose practice areas
include general corporate law, mergers and
acquisitions, corporate finance/securities and
technology. (more)...

[starroute]

30. Vinson & Elkins is tangled up with Bush interests too

They've been the lawyers for many powerful Bush pals, including Tom Hicks (see http://www.utwatch.org/utimco/hicks.html) and Walt Mischer and were Enron's lawfirm as well. The Bush nephew who just got married is going to work for Vinson & Elkins.

If Baker & Botts is squeezing them out of the Halliburton gig, that's just Houston politics as usual.

[Darby]

29. FORMER U.S. AMBASSADOR TO SAUDI ARABIA RETURNS TO BAKER BOTTS

FORMER U.S. AMBASSADOR TO SAUDI ARABIA RETURNS TO
BAKER BOTTS
April 1, 2004

Baker Botts L.L.P. is pleased to announce the return
of Robert W. Jordan, a former senior partner in the
firm’s Dallas office and Ambassador Extraordinary and
Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Mr. Jordan returns as a
senior partner in the firm’s Dallas office, where he
will engage in an international business practice, as
well as focus on the areas of international dispute
resolution and litigation.

...

During Mr. Jordan’s time in the Middle East, from
October 2001 to October 2003, he worked closely with
senior Saudi and American leaders to enlist Saudi
support for U.S. government initiatives in Afghanistan
and Iraq, and in promoting the Middle East Peace
Process.

...
http://www.bakerbotts.com/news/press/presspage.asp?newsid=91916412004

[dansolo]

31. He's the BFEE "fixer" (n/t)