Bush’s top-secret Cayman Islands speech: ‘You’re welcome, America’

http://dallasmorningviewsblog.dallasnews.com/2012/11/bushs-top-secret-cayman-islands-speech-youre-welcome-america.html/

The last place I would expect elder statesman George W. Bush to show his face would be the Cayman Islands, home to some of the world’s most notorious and nefarious financial intrigue. After the 9/11 attacks, U.S. investigators focused on secret Cayman Islands accounts thought to be used by al-Qaeda operatives to funnel money to the hijackers. Right around that time, Enron was collapsing as various shell companies its top executives established in the Cayman Islands proved not to be the promising new business ventures that Enron investors were led to believe they were.

At the time, the founder and head of Enron was Kenneth Lay, a good friend of President Bush. They were so tight, Bush liked to call him “Kenny.”

When you want to hide what you’re doing, the Cayman Islands is the place to go. Just ask Mitt Romney, who according to MSNBC invested up to $25 million in 12 Cayman Islands-registered funds. His old company, Bain Capital, has more than 138 investments in the Caymans and 40 secret offshore accounts.

This stuff really doesn’t look good when you’re running for president and you’re trying to distance yourself from the worst aspects of the previous Republican administration, or when you’ve been president and you’re trying to distance yourself from the worst aspects of your own administration’s behavior: an obsession with secrecy, an obsession with breaking the law under the cloak of secrecy, an obsession with trampling on First Amendment rights, sweetheart treatment of old friends like Enron and Halliburton. The list goes on and on.

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