Former Mayor of Houston Collapses at Service for Ex-Chairman of Enron

[Christiern]

July 12, 2006

Former Mayor of Houston Collapses

at Service for Ex-Chairman of Enron

By THAYER EVANS

HOUSTON, July 12 —

B

ob Lanier, the former mayor of Houston, collapsed in a Houston church just as a memorial service for Kenneth Lay, the founder and former chairman of Enron who died last week, was getting underway.

Emergency medical technicians were summoned as Mr. Lanier lay on the floor of the church for about 15 minutes. He then appeared to stand up and leave the church on his feet, to applause from the crowd of mourners in the church. He was taken to a local hospital.

"His heart is strong," a pastor presiding over the service announced to the crowd. "His pulse is good."

The pastor said Mr. Lanier’s sudden fall may have been due to a loosened heart stent. The pastor led the crowd in praying for Mr. Lanier while he lay on the floor.

The memorial service resumed after he left in an ambulance.

[Dave James]

I'll be the first to admit that while I enjoy listening to Air America, their politics are, shall we say, slightly left of center. One needs to take a fair amount of what they say with the perverbial grain of salt. Yesterday, though, I heard their morning guy speculating about the possibility that Ken Lay was capped. His rationale had to do with the fact that Lay might have been in the early stages of cutting a deal with prosecutors to mitigate the length of his sentence based on "insider" information he could supply about the Bush whitehouse. Of course, Kenny Boy was a well known buddy of W's and he was involved in those behind closed door, Supreme Court protected energy policy discussions that took place under the auspices of Dick Cheney early on in this administration. Maybe someone just didn't want that kind of stuff getting out. Hmmmmm. I can't say this is completely without the realm of the possible. And besides that, no one loves even the whiff of conspiracy more than I.

Up over and out.

[Brownian Motion]

I'll be the first to admit that while I enjoy listening to Air America, their politics are, shall we say, slightly left of center. One needs to take a fair amount of what they say with the perverbial grain of salt. Yesterday, though, I heard their morning guy speculating about the possibility that Ken Lay was capped. His rationale had to do with the fact that Lay might have been in the early stages of cutting a deal with prosecutors to mitigate the length of his sentence based on "insider" information he could supply about the Bush whitehouse. Of course, Kenny Boy was a well known buddy of W's and he was involved in those behind closed door, Supreme Court protected energy policy discussions that took place under the auspices of Dick Cheney early on in this administration. Maybe someone just didn't want that kind of stuff getting out. Hmmmmm. I can't say this is completely without the realm of the possible. And besides that, no one loves even the whiff of conspiracy more than I.

Up over and out.

Dave,

If we accept the premise that Lay had dirt on W and co., don't you think it would have been less messy to just issue a pardon to Lay, as soon as the fall elections were history?

[Dave James]

B-Motion,

For sure. I don't buy the argument that he was put down for a minute. It's just something that's interesting to consider. Especially if you're a conspiracy nut like me.

Up over and out.

Edited July 12, 2006 by Dave James