"Poor Me"

There was a time when Kenneth L. Lay's close relationship with President Bush brought him power and influence in Washington that was virtually unparalleled among his colleagues in corporate America.

Now, Mr. Lay, the former chairman and chief executive of Enron, fears those ties may only serve to bring him criminal charges.

"If anything, being friends with the Bush family, including the president, has made my situation more difficult," Mr. Lay said in a recent interview, "because it's probably a tougher decision not to indict me than to indict me."

My heart bleeds. It truly does. But not for Mr. Lay and his ten mansions. My heart hurts for what a sharp slope toward the slop pile this country has taken under Mr. Bush and company.