"...a mouthpiece for conservative fiscal leaders who have no interest in their behavior being risked by whistleblowers." Of course you have a handle on the situation. Keep repeating that to yourself and I am sure you will feel better soon. It would be the WSJ that attempts to catch companies who fudge the numbers from one quarter (or period) to the next, for some short term gain. Ultimately, the numbers will bear out the real truth, regardless of your misguided, progressive interpretation of reality, and only a person or media outlet that tracks the performance of companies will catch and publish such actions. To suggest that all activities are illegal only shows your ignorance. The stock market is gambling in its purest sense. Everyone bluffs, holds back, and pounces when they deem it more advantageous. To hide your strategy is just as important as to make your stated goals, either of which are NOT illegal in their own right.

do you have a citation or is this make believe on your part?

Slogans like "Drill Baby Drill".... I get it. At first, I thought you were just another left wing elitist. But now that you have offered your sophisticated argument [sic] of simplistic slogans that only appeal to those who lean Republican, I feel I have risen to a new level. Of course, the following simplistic slogans are what captured the majority of voters in the last election. You may be surprised to know who responded to them: 1. "Yes We Can" 2. “Change” versus “More of the Same” 3. "Vote for Change" 4. "Change We Can Believe In" 5. "Our Time for Change" 6. "It's about Time. It's about Change" 7. "Stand for Change" 8. "Organize for Change" 9. “We are the change we’ve been looking for. Change can’t happen without you.” 10. "I’m asking you to believe. Not just in my ability to bring about real change in Washington . I'm asking you to believe in yours."