Undeterred, Jones proceeded to pitch the program individually to PBS’s affiliates. 65% of them agreed to show the program, including those in most major markets, except one WETA in Washington, DC. Given the documentary’s subject matter and that DC is the nation’s capital, this would seem precisely the community which would be most interested in it. But WETA’s CEO is Sharon Percy Rockefeller, the wife of Jay Rockefeller (D-WV), Chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, a man who certainly never opposed and may have abetted the Administration’s torture programs.

In response to the March 24, 2008 Frontline “Bush’s War”, a fairly conventional retelling of the run up to the Iraq War with no new material, the Administration threatened to cut in half and then eliminate federal funding for PBS within 3 years. Now it’s important to realize that, with a Democratic Congress, the Administration had no real ability to carry out its threat. But the pressure appears to have had its desired effect anyway.  Indeed PBS, far from being independent, has shown itself to be politically responsive to powerbrokers on both sides of the aisle.

On June 28, 2006, Aguirre testified to Congress about these events and in August 2007 the Senate Finance and Judiciary Committees issued a 711 page report on it. The report noted that shortly after Aguirre was hired (September 2004) by the SEC and the Pequot investigation began (October/November 2004) in January/February 2005, an attorney for Pequot Audrey Strauss met the then Enforcement Director Stephen Cutler. As a result of that meeting, the investigation into Pequot was narrowed making it more difficult to establish a pattern of illegality. The report also found that the associate director of enforcement Paul Berger who was a supervisor of Aguirre and in his reporting chain of command had not recused himself from the Pequot investigation until early 2006 although an email from a colleague of Berger just days after Aguirre’s firing showed that Berger had already expressed an interest in working at Debevoise at that point. And, in fact, Berger did end up accepting a partnership there in June 2006.

An investigation by the SEC’s lackadaisical Inspector General Walter Stachnik initiated by a complaint from Aguirre was also criticized. According to the Senate report, Stachnik “failed to conduct a serious, credible investigation of Aguirre’s claims. The OIG did not attempt to contact Aguirre. It merely interviewed his supervisors informally on the telephone, accepted their statements at face-value, and closed the case without obtaining key evidence.”

As for John Mack, it came out that Samberg gave him preferential investment opportunities in April and May 2001. Mack at the time of the GE-Heller deal had just left Morgan Stanley and was about to take up the position of CEO of Credit Suisse First Boston. Both companies were involved in setting up the Heller deal. Mack contacted Samberg on June 29, 2001, and on July 2, 2001 Pequot began buying large amounts of Heller stock and shorting GE. On July 30, the GE-Heller deal was announced and Pequot and Samberg made a killing. Mack was eventually called in to testify before the SEC in June 2006, a year after Aguirre’s attempt and just days after the statute of limitations had run out on him. Mark Kreitman, an assistant director of enforcement and Hanson’s immediate superior, assigned a staff attorney with 2 days notice to take Mack’s testimony. Kreitman told the attorney, “You don’t need to prepare that much for it.” On November 30, 2006, the SEC closed the joke that was its investigation into Pequot.

In all this, the SEC proved itself to be not the watchdog of Big Money but its lapdog. Taking this into account, is it really any surprise that they “overlooked” the subprime debacle until it hit?

An October 6, 2008 New York Times story reports that the current SEC Inspector General David Kotz issued a follow up report which substantiated Gary Aguirre’s account of events and recommended disciplinary action against his superiors Linda Thomsen, Robert Hanson and Mark Kreitman. The Pequot investigation remains closed.

Keisler was one of the DOJ officials who interfered in the Department’s case against Big Tobacco in June 2005.

Keisler a cofounder of the Federalist Society has been nominated repeatedly to fill John Roberts‚ seat on the DC Circuit Court of Appeals so far without success. He was first nominated on June 29, 2006, but this nomination was returned on September 29, 2006. He was renominated November 15, 2006 but the session ended without any action taken. Bush nominated him yet again on January 9, 2007. The nomination remains in limbo and is likely to remain so.

Keisler’s resignation from the DOJ was to become effective September 21, 2007. But on September 17, 2007, Bush in announcing Michael Mukasey’s nomination as Attorney General named Keisler acting Attorney General. This, of course, was superseded by Mukasey’s confirmation on November 8, 2007.

The goal of the campaign was to raise the visibility of breastfeeding in reducing childhood obesity and asthma. The IFC, however, found the ad campaign too effective negative. As Yeutter wrote to then HHS head Tommy Thompson, "Negative political ads are effective too, but neither you nor I like them!" Images of insulin syringes and inhalers were replaced with pictures of dandelions and ice cream. Unsurprisingly, the diluted ad campaign did not work. Soon after birth breastfeeding rates fell from 70% in 2002 to 63.6% in 2006 and at 6 months (the WHO recommended period) from 33.2% in 2002 to 30% in 2006.

Additionally, HHS press officer Rebecca Ayer effectively smothered an epidemiological meta-study put together by the HHS Agency on Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ). The study showed that breastfeeding was associated with a reduction in ear and intestinal infections, as well as rates of diabetes, leukemia, obesity, asthma and sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). Ayer not only refused to issue a press release on it but forbade the AHRQ from doing so and told the study’s author Suzanne Haynes not to talk to the press about it.

The take home lesson here clearly is that it is the babies’ fault. They should be better and more informed consumers.

The Oxycontin case had been brought because Purdue Pharma had downplayed the dangers and addictive nature of the painkiller. Between 2000 and 2001, it was blamed for 146 deaths and may have been responsible for as many as 318 others. Despite Elston’s call, Brownlee went through with the plea deal which included the company pleading guilty to one felony and being fined $635 million. Three former executives also pled guilty to misdemeanors. This was actually a fairly light punishment seeing as the company had made billions off Oxycontin and none of the executives pled to felonies. 8 days after the settlement, Brownlee’s name appeared on a list kept by Elston of US Attorneys to be fired. In the event, Brownlee kept his job.