Unaccountable Fran and Business Opportunity

White House Homeland Security Adviser Frances Townsend revealed her assessment of Libyan strongman Colonel Gadhafi.  She based it on her visit with Gadhafi at his Tripoli compound:

"It's all about thuggery there," said Townsend

So Fran knew this as a member of the Bush White House?  Courting the Libyan thug:

Carlyle Group co-founder David Rubenstein traveled to Libya in 2006.

Homeland Security Adviser Frances Townsend visited Gadhafi in the summer of 2007

Saif Gadhafi flew to New York in 2007 to meet with Frank Carlucci

The Bush administration put a full court press on Gadhafi's son Saif in 2008

The Carlyle Group hosted a dinner in Saif's honor during the 2008 visit  with James A. Baker, III and Frank Carlucci in attendance.

The Carlyle Group was one of the first to receive money from the Libyan Investment Authority, established in 2006.

Why did they allow the Libyan Investment Authority to invest in Carlyle Group funds if the Bush White House knew Gadhafi was a thug?  Instead, these people legitimized Gadhafi in the world community.

David Rubenstein and fellow PEU Stephen Schwarzman flew to Tripoli for the wedding of LIA's Deputy Chief Executive in 2009.

Senator John McCain tweeted from the Gahdafi Ranch in 2009

Townsend advised Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama as a member of the Presidential Intelligence Advisory Board.  Did Fran forget Gadhafi was a thug between her 2007 visit and her 2008 appointment to the PIAB?

Fran danced with The Carlyle Group before Libya.  Five years ago Townsend omitted a Carlyle affiliate from her hapless Hurricane Katrina Lessons Learned report.  LifeCare Hospitals lost 25 patients in Katrina's horrific aftermath.  LifeCare had a Long Term Acute Care Unit inside Memorial Medical Center, which also got no mention.  Between the two corporate entities, 35 people died.  Oddly, a year after Fran's Katrina whitewash was foisted on the public, Jeb Bush landed a spot on Tenet Healthcare's board of directors.  Tenet owned Memorial Medical Center when Katrina struck.

After leaving the White House Frances Townsend consulted on risk management and government investigations for Baker Botts, James A. Baker, III's law firm.  Baker helped host Saif Gadhafi's 2008 visit.  Frances also was appointed Senior Advisor at Monument Capital, where Carlyle's Baker, Frank Carlucci and Mac McLarty serve on Monument's advisory board, known for being "hand's on.".   Fran is now Senior Vice President for Worldwide Government, Legal and Business Affairs at MacAndrews & Forbes.

Consider two Fran Townsend quotes:

"Any commercial or economic crisis creates business opportunity."

Overall, Townsend called it "an absolutely bizarre experience ... like a bad movie."

I couldn't agree more What's she spinning now and for whom?

Update 3-28-11:  President Obama ignores history as well in his speech to the nation.  "For more than four decades, the Libyan people have been ruled by a tyrant -– Muammar Qaddafi.  He has denied his people freedom, exploited their wealth, murdered opponents at home and abroad, and terrorized innocent people around the world –- including Americans who were killed by Libyan agents."  So why did Presidents Bush and Obama reach out to Gadhafi?

Update 7-1-11:  The media continues offering small fries as sacrificial lambs in the West's efforts to open up Libya.  The big boys skate under the radar.

Update 8-27-11:  Fran retold her story on CNN with the fall of Gadhafi.