For the week of May 29 - June 4, 2002

Why public trust is vanishing

Commentary by PAT MURPHY

---

Incensed that anyone would dare ask what President Bush might have known before Sept. 11, Vice President Cheney insinuates that only the unpatriotic would raise such an issue.

Cheney prefers the nation taking his word that nothing will be gained from an inquiry. It would only comfort terrorists.

Some gall.

Cheney, whose imperious and patronizing air is reminiscent of courtiers to King George, forgets that the United States is not an oligarchy in which subjects fawn and blindly accept patronizing assurances of an elite.

The vice president and his protégé, President Bush, can blame only themselves for lost public trust.

It was Cheney and Bush and their counselors who vowed that only limited contacts were made between the White House and Enron’s sleazy executives. Now, after threats from Congress, the White House reluctantly released data — with more to come — showing three times as many contacts. Enron CEO Kenneth Lay was rarely out of sight around the White House.

Cheney also has been hauled into court for refusing to disclose names of executives who forged the Bush administration’s energy policies. His defense? Secrecy is required to govern.

It was the Bush-Cheney pick for attorney general, John Ashcroft, who likewise informed federal agencies that he can be counted on to help them resist demands under the Freedom of Information Act for material to which the public is entitled. Should the public be faulted for assuming the Bush administration has something to hide?

Then, reinforcing public distrust, President Bush deceitfully ascribed California’s summer power blackouts to scarce petroleum supplies, thus justification to drill for more Alaskan oil. Now the truth is out — that energy firms such as Enron, operated by Bush’s closest political supporters, created artificial power shortages for higher profits.

President Bush added to public cynicism with his executive order sealing papers of living presidents, a transparent effort to protect secrets in his father’s presidency.

The Bush administration, however, is not alone in betraying the public. Lies, deceit and corrupt conduct have shredded believability of institutions everywhere: CEOs jumping ship with multi-million dollar profits as their companies sink into bankruptcy; Wall Street firms found to have promoted stocks that inside analysts privately considered junk; the Catholic church’s princes engaged in cover-up of widespread criminal sexual conduct by hundreds of priests; the FBI’s competence in question not only about Sept. 11 information but a spy undetected in its midst for years; the Defense Department confirming it doused unsuspecting GIs with nerve gas in the 1960s without their permission; the Washington area’s huge charity, United Way, accused by some of its own directors in the newest major charity controversy of misuse of funds.

And on goes egregious behavior throughout American life, fueled by the basic America goodness of trusting.

It’s refreshing that some in Congress refuse to be bullied by the vice president and President Bush and their insinuations that questioning them erodes the air of patriotism that they’ve so cynically cultivated for political advantage.

The sooner questions begin, the sooner accountability will be restored to a White House whose principal occupant says "my government" in speeches rather than "our government."

That should be a Freudian tip-off to how this president regards the rest of us.

 

The Idaho Mountain Express is distributed free to residents and guests throughout the Sun Valley, Idaho resort area community. Subscribers to the Idaho Mountain Express will read these stories and others in this week's issue.