To anyone still wondering why Democrats aren't as worked up yet about the Global Crossing "scandal" as we are about Enron: here's what's missing from Global Crossing. It turns out that the Cheney energy plan was a "virtual rewrite of an industry wish list supplied by former Enron chief Ken Lay", in a face-to-face meeting with Cheney. The meeting also discussed the then-ongoing California energy crisis, at a time when the White House was refusing to meet with California elected officials, including the governor.

That's in addition to what we already knew about Enron's influence over the entire shape of Bush administration energy policy --- like the way Lay personally got the administration's head energy regulator bounced over a policy dispute.

I'm perfectly happy to slam Democrats when they prove themselves putty in the hands of private interests --- as I've slammed the Democrat, Steve Peace, who shaped the California electricity deregulation bill for kowtowing to ... well who'da guessed? ... Enron.

But there's a reason that a White House which lets reporters into the War Room is standing on "principle" about not revealing its dealings with Enron... and I'll wager the principle involved is cya.