your tax dollars at work

Mark Smith is the new assistant secretary for fossil fuels at the U.S. Department of Energy. He says, "[t]he biggest challenge is going to be how to best utilize taxpayer dollars to the benefit of industry, in my opinion."

Now see here, Dick. here's what we need you to do...

A memo leaked to the San Francisco Chronicle contains then-Enron chairman Kenneth Lay's instructions on how the White House should handle energy matters. Many of Lay's points in his memo to Vice President Cheney ended up in the energy plan now being considered by the Senate. The plan, which the House has already passed, contains 17 provisions benefiting the now-bankrupt Enron.

But, hey. There's nothing illegal about that.