House blocks refunds in Enron case: "WASHINGTON -- The House, after a blistering face-off in which Democrats accused the White House of coddling Enron Corp., yesterday refused to order refunds for millions of Western consumers who were victimized by an artificial energy crisis in 2000 and 2001.
Republicans refused to allow the measure to come to a vote, insisting that Democrats were only attempting to embarrass President Bush and Republicans for their once-close ties to Enron. Moreover, they said that the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission is working hard to build a case against Enron and that Democrats should allow the agency to complete its mission."
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Republicans looking out for your best interests? Perhaps they're unaware of the Enron Trader Tapes? To Wit:

Officials with the Snohomish Public Utility District near Seattle received the tapes from the Justice Department.

"This is the evidence we've all been waiting for. This proves they manipulated the market," said Eric Christensen, a spokesman for the utility.

That utility, like many others, is trying to get its money back from Enron.

"They're f------g taking all the money back from you guys?" complains an Enron employee on the tapes. "All the money you guys stole from those poor grandmothers in California?"

"Yeah, grandma Millie, man"

"Yeah, now she wants her f------g money back for all the power you've charged right up, jammed right up her a------ for f------g $250 a megawatt hour."

And the tapes appear to link top Enron officials Ken Lay and Jeffrey Skilling to schemes that fueled the crisis.

"Government Affairs has to prove how valuable it is to Ken Lay and Jeff Skilling," says one trader.

"Ok."

"Do you know when you started over-scheduling load and making buckets of money on that?

Before the 2000 election, Enron employees pondered the possibilities of a Bush win.

"It'd be great. I'd love to see Ken Lay Secretary of Energy," says one Enron worker.

That didn't happen, but they were sure President Bush would fight any limits on sky-high energy prices.
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