This would be a fun videotape to watch:
A videotape of a January 1997 going-away party for former Enron President Rich Kinder features nearly half an hour of absurd skits, songs and testimonials by company executives and prominent Houstonians, the Houston Chronicle reported in its Monday editions.
The collection is all meant in good fun, but some of the comments are ironic in the current climate of corporate scandal.
In one skit, former Administrative Executive Peggy Menchaca played the part of Kinder as he received a budget report from then-President Jeff Skilling, who played himself, and Financial Planning Executive Tod Lindholm.
When the pretend Kinder expressed doubt that Skilling could pull off 600 percent revenue growth for the coming year, Skilling revealed how it could be done.
“We’re going to move from mark-to-market accounting to something I call HFV, or hypothetical future value accounting,” Skilling joked as he read from a script. “If we do that, we can add a kazillion dollars to the bottom line.”
— snip —
President George W. Bush, who then was governor of Texas, also took part in the skit, as did his father.
At the party, the younger Bush pleaded with Kinder: “Don’t leave Texas. You’re too good a man.”
The governor’s father also offered a send-off to Kinder, thanking him for helping his son reach the governor’s mansion.
“You have been fantastic to the Bush family,” the elder Bush said. “I don’t think anybody did more than you did to support George.”
Federal investigators told News2Houston Tuesday that they want to take a closer look at the tape.
More. Thanks to Steve McDonald for the tip.