Home > Programs
> Democracy
Now! > Thur., July 8, 2004
Democracy Now!
ATTN: ALL STATIONS
From: Democracy Now!
Re: Rundown 7-8-04
PRSS Channel: A67.7
John Edwards: From Trial Lawyer to NC Senator to Democratic
Vice Presidential Candidate
Kenny Boy Surrenders to FBI Following Grand Jury Indictment
Art or Terrorism? Buffalo Professor Faces 20 Yrs For Biotech
Art
Grassroots San Antonio Community Protects Water Aquifer From
Big Business Golf Development Project
John Edwards: From Trial Lawyer to NC Senator to
Democratic Vice Presidential Candidate
As John Edwards kicks off his campaign for 2004 Democratic
Vice Presidential candidate we take an in-depth look at the
life of the North Carolina senator with Raleigh News and Observer
correspondent Rob Christensen on the campaign trail with Edwards
and Boston Globe reporter, Patrick Healy. [includes rush
transcript]
Democrats John Kerry and John Edwards campaigned together
for the first time as running mates on Wednesday, kicking
off a multi-state tour in the battleground state of Ohio.
One day after Kerry announced Edwards as the 2004 Democratic
vice presidential candidate, President Bush went on the offensive,
suggesting that the one-term senator was unqualified for the
job. When asked to compare Edwards to Vice President Dick
Cheney, Bush said "Dick Cheney can be president."
The Republican National Committee also criticized Edwards'
background calling him a "disingenuous, unaccomplished
liberal and friend to personal injury trial lawyers."
Today we take an in-depth look at the life of John Edwards
from small-town origins to successful trial lawyer to North
Carolina senator to vice presidential candidate. But first
we go to Florida to get the latest from Kerry/Edwards campaign
with Rob Christensen, Chief political correspondent for the
Raleigh News and Observer. He is on the campaign bus heading
to the airport.
- Patrick Healy, Boston Globe reporter covering the Kerry
campaign. He wrote a profile
of Edwards while he was campaigning for presidential candidate.
Kenny Boy Surrenders to FBI Following Grand Jury
Indictment
Former Enron chief Kenneth Lay - one of President Bush's
closest Texas allies and a Bush pioneer - is indicted for
his role in the collapse of the energy giant and led away
in handcuffs. We speak with journalist and author Robert Bryce
and Russell Mokhiber of Corporate Crime reporter about the
political dimensions of Ken Lay, Enron and the White House.
[includes rush
transcript]
Former Enron chairman and chief executive Kenneth Lay surrendered
to the FBI this morning, a day after we was indicted by a
federal grand jury in connection with the 2001 collapse of
the former energy giant. After turning himself in, he was
taken away in handcuffs.
The criminal charges against Lay are contained in a sealed
indictment and will be made public later today when he appears
before a magistrate to enter a plea. Civil charges are also
expected to be filed by the Securities and Exchange Commission.
In a public statement Lay said, "I have done nothing
wrong, and the indictment is not justified."
Enron's collapse in 2001 ended the jobs of more than 5,000
workers and decimated the retirement savings of millions of
investors. Federal prosecutors have been trying to prove that
corruption at the firm went right to the top for over two
years. So far, criminal charges have been filed against some
30 people, including former executives and advisers who have
been accused of fraud, conspiracy and insider trading offenses.
Lay is a close friend of President Bush and one of his top
financial backers during the 2000 election. After Enron collapsed,
"Kenny Boy" - as Bush used to refer to him - became
Mr. Lay.
- Robert Bryce, journalist and author of Pipedreams: Greed,
Ego and the Death of Enron. His latest book is Cronies:
Oil, the Bushes and the Rise of Texas, America's Superstate.
Art or Terrorism? Buffalo Professor Faces 20 Yrs
For Biotech Art
Buffalo art professor Steve Kurtz and Pittsburgh professor
Robert Ferrell face 20 years in prison on mail and wire fraud
charges after the FBI found harmless bacteria used in art
displays in Kurtz's apartment. On May 11, Buffalo art professor
Steve Kurtz phoned 911 after waking up to find his wife of
20 years, Hope, not breathing. The police who arrived at his
house noticed materials used in Kutz's artwork on genetic
modification and called the FBI.
Kurtz is a member of the highly-regarded Critical Arts Ensemble,
a group whose exhibits include utilizing DNA, bacteria, and
other forms of molecular life to spark public debate on scientific
issues such as genetically modified food.
The FBI came in, cordoned off half the block and took Kurtz
into custody. They confiscated his computer, his notebooks,
his art supplies, the cat and his wife's body.
The authorities searched the house for two days before announcing
that there was no public health risk and that no toxic material
had been found. Kurtz was allowed to return home and his wife's
death was attributed to heart failure.
But the story didn't end there. A month later, a grand jury
was convened to investigate whether Kurtz had violated anti-bioterrorism
laws. Now, Kurtz and a Pittsburgh professor Robert Ferrell
each face up to 20 years in prison on indictments of mail
and wire fraud.
Grassroots San Antonio Community Protects Water Aquifer
From Big Business Golf Development Project
We take a look at how community leaders in San Antonio,
Texas launched a massive grassroots campaign against local
politicians and the business elite to defeat a luxury golf
course and housing development project over one the country's
largest and most pristine sources of water. And we take a
look at a new documentary that examines the privatization
of water around the world.
Local developers in San Antonio, Texas recently set their
sights on building a luxury golf course and housing development
in partnership with the Professional Golfers Association.
The 2,600-acre project, known as the PGA Village, would have
been set over the Edwards Aquifer, one of the country's largest
and most pristine sources of water. At 180 miles long, it
is the water source for 1.7 million people.
The proposed project sent the local community in an uproar
leading to a struggle that pitted grassroots community leaders
against local politicians and the business elite.
Concerned community leaders launched a massive campaign to
push for a referendum on the project that garnered over 100,000
signatures, unseated a developer-friendly city council and
overcame heavy resistance from the town mayor. The campaign
was a success and the PGA eventually pulled out of the deal,
preserving the aquifer.
And we take a look at another story about water and community
resistance. A new documentary entitled "Thirst"
premiering next week examines the privatization of water in
communities in the U.S., Bolivia and India.
The Water Partnership Council is trying to block viewing
of the film. At this year's US Conference of Mayors Summer
Meeting, the council advised that the film "lacks a factual
basis and is politically motivated"
- Maria Antonietta Berriozabal, one of the main organizers
opposing the PGA Village project. She was City Councilwoman
in San Antonio from 1981 to 1991. In 1991, she ran for mayor
losing the race with 47% of the vote.
For a copy of today’s program, call 1 (800) 881 2359.
Our website is www.democracynow.org.
Our email address is mail@democracynow.org.
Democracy Now! is produced by Mike Burke, Sharif Abdel Kouddous,
Ana Nogueira, Elizabeth Press, Jeremy Scahill and Parvez Sharma.
Mike Di Filippo is our engineer.
Thanks also to Uri Galed, Angela Alston, Orlando Richards,
Simba Russeau, Johnny Sender, Rich Kim, Joe Murgio, John Randolph,
Chris Zucker, Karen Ranucci, Denis Moynihan, Eric Rweyemamu,
Jenny Filipazzo and Isis Phillips.
|
Listen
to the show
Help
whole
show
