Message-ID: <31936489.1075840275518.JavaMail.evans@thyme> Date: Tue, 28 Nov 2000 08:28:00 -0800 (PST) From: msanjuan@houston.org To: klay@enron.com Subject: Article about ken lay Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit X-From: Miguel San Juan X-To: "'klay@enron.com'" X-cc: X-bcc: X-Folder: \Kenneth_Lay_Dec2000\Notes Folders\Notes inbox X-Origin: LAY-K X-FileName: klay.nsf > Ken, > > I recently came upon the attached article. Is it possible? I think George > W is going to need > the "Top Guns" in order to have a successful tenure. As always, if there > is anything that I > can do in support of my Chairman, I stand ready to do so. > > Regards, > > Miguel > > Exclusive Reports > > From the November 17, 2000 print edition > > > Lay of the land: Pundits see Enron CEO as top contender for Bush energy > czar > Monica Perin > Enron Corp. CEO Ken Lay's name is buzzing around Houston as a possible > Secretary of Energy in a Bush Administration, if George W. Bush ultimately > emerges victorious in the Florida brouhaha. > Lay held a post in the Department of Energy early in his career and has > long been a frequent flyer to the nation's capital to testify, lobby and > consult with federal officials on energy issues. > Lay was also considered a candidate for a cabinet position in the previous > Bush administration. When former President George Bush named his Commerce > Secretary, Houstonian Robert Mosbacher, as general chairman of his > re-election campaign in December of 1991, Lay was on the list of possible > successors to Mosbacher. > As of last week, Lay was maintaining that no one from either presidential > camp had talked to him about any cabinet positions. > "He says he doesn't have any interest in going back to Washington. He's > already been there and done that," says Enron spokesman Mark Palmer, > although he adds that Lay has "left himself some wiggle room." > Another Houstonian, Bill White -- CEO of Wedge International -- served as > Deputy Secretary of Energy from 1993 to 1995 in the Clinton-Gore > Administration. White believes that if the senior Bush had been re-elected > in 1992, Lay would likely have been appointed to a position in that > administration. > "It would be a great fit for Ken," White says of the energy secretary > role. > Ron Oligny, a Houston oil industry consultant and author, has also heard > the Lay rumors and finds it "difficult to see him walk away from" such an > opportunity. > "He has demonstrated the ability to create an atmosphere in which new and > positive things can happen in the energy sector, so he would be a valid > choice," Oligny says. "He certainly understands the transition that is > going on in the energy market." > John Sodergreen, editor and publisher of several online trade publications > in the energy commodities trading sector also sees Lay as "a likely > candidate." > The Maryland-based industry watcher points out that Bush has mentioned Lay > in several speeches, and Lay has made big contributions to Bush's > campaign. Sodergreen believes Lay would not turn down an offer. > "That would be very bad for Enron. He couldn't do that. Besides, he > doesn't need more money," says Sodergreen. > Lay and his wife, Linda, were the biggest individual Texas contributors of > soft money in the 2000 elections, giving a total of $361,000 with 96 > percent going to Republican candidates, according to figures compiled by > the nonpartisan Center for Responsive Politics. > Enron Corp. also topped the list of corporate soft money donors in Texas, > with a total of $988,000 -- $248,000 to Democrats and $740,000 to > Republicans. > Houston energy analyst Matthew Simmons of Simmons & Co. International > takes a dissident view. He doesn't think Lay would take the job of energy > secretary. > "He would have eight or 10 years ago, but not now," he says. > Simmons says he has "lobbied hard" for the Secretary of Energy appointee > in a Bush administration to be a Democrat. > "It's a key appointment, and it needs to be bipartisan," he says. "We've > so demagogued energy in the campaign. You have to reach across the aisle." > > Simmons says he has proposed either Bennett Johnston, a retired senior > senator from Louisiana and a longtime Senate Energy Committee member, or > David Boren, retired Oklahoma senator and "the other energy giant in > Congress." Both are Democrats. > > > Copyright 2000 American City Business Journals Inc. > >