Comments on: FBI investigates State Dept. IG.

By: Badger

Badger — Sat, 20 Oct 2007 10:26:05 +0000

Since time immemorial, the distribution of government largesse had followed a staid, paper-laden procedure in which the federal government would post the details of a contract in periodicals like Commerce Business Daily or, more Ârecently, on the FedBizOpps Web site. Competitive bids were solicited and contracts were awarded in accordance with the labyrinthine print of the U.S. Code, a straightforward system that worked well enough before the Bush years that, as one lawyer puts it, you could “count the number of cases of criminal fraud on the fingers of one hand.”
What no one knew at the beginning of the war was that the Bush administration had essentially decided to treat the entire Iraqi theater as an exception to the rules.

from “The Great Iraq Swindle” in Rolling Stone Magazine.

Privitization….Deregulation….No Oversight….a republican recipe for waste, fraud , and abuse.

By: Gregor Samsa

Gregor Samsa — Sat, 20 Oct 2007 05:40:33 +0000

Excuse me, but I’ve lost count.

How many corruption investigation have we had so far under this administration? How many indictments?

Corruption, nepotism, cronyism, and good ole’ incompetence are part of the legacy this administration will leave behind.

By: woodguy

woodguy — Sat, 20 Oct 2007 03:19:09 +0000

Wasnâ€™t 60-grit Oâ€™Bierneâ€™s hubby in charge of this?

Comment by barfly â€” October 19, 2007 @ 5:29 pm

Nope, he was responsible for hiring staffers for the Coalition Provisional Authority. Pretty much, as long as they were young, breathing and republican, they had the job.

Comment by impeachcheneythenbush â€” October 19, 2007 @ 5:45 pm

If you had a degree (cough) from Regency you were a shoo-in.

By: Veritas

Veritas — Sat, 20 Oct 2007 02:25:34 +0000

RU: This meal sounds decadently disgusting but I love your creativity – Two thumbs up!

By: RUCerious

RUCerious — Sat, 20 Oct 2007 02:22:51 +0000

Let’s see, I’ll take the corruption salad, for my entree I’ll have whistleblower fricasee, and for desert I’ll have the crony pie.

By: Roket

Roket — Fri, 19 Oct 2007 22:26:37 +0000

DÃ©jÃ vu. Isnâ€™t this where the press asks pointed questions about State Department Inspector General Howard Krongard and White House Spokeswoman Dana Perino refuses to answer because of the â€œongoing investigationâ€?

By: impeachcheneythenbush

impeachcheneythenbush — Fri, 19 Oct 2007 22:10:50 +0000

Whoops – meant were not directly involved in contracting.

By: impeachcheneythenbush

impeachcheneythenbush — Fri, 19 Oct 2007 22:10:05 +0000

But wasnâ€™t it the staffersâ€™ job to oversee contracting?

I thought I read that somewhereâ€¦

Comment by barfly â€” October 19, 2007 @ 5:52 pm

Primarily as “Senior advisors” to the CPA and I don’t think they weren’t involved directly with contracting. One of the best sources for background on O’Bierne’s role in this is in the book “Imperial Life in the Emerald City – Inside Iraq’s Green Zone.”

By: Leftside Annie

Leftside Annie — Fri, 19 Oct 2007 22:03:34 +0000

I hear ya, Bilbo. That was mostly sarcasm. ;o)

And, IMO, running out the clock on Bush is a good idea – maybe it’d keep that retarded ape out of trouble.

By: dim wit

dim wit — Fri, 19 Oct 2007 21:58:16 +0000

What do people expect when they put in charge of government, people who believe government â€œis not the answerâ€?

You get shitty government!

The real question is, why do people keep putting them in charge?

By: bilbobaggins

bilbobaggins — Fri, 19 Oct 2007 21:57:47 +0000

How about a special prosecutor and an indictment or two – and THEN Iâ€™llget excited.
Comment by Leftside Annie

Sorry Annie, it ain’t gonna happen. One of the Washington conservative groups held a 3 hour meeting with the AG nominee and apparently got a promise from him not to appoint a Special Prosecutor.

One thing that always stops the righties in their track is to ask them why Bush won’t allow a Special Prosecutor when Clinton approved one to investigate him. Ken Starr spent 70 million dollars investigating the Clinton’s and all he could come up with was lying about a BJ. That’s one of the reasons why the Democrats are not impeaching Bush. Both Nixon and Clinton’s impeachments were based on evidence found by a Special Prosecutor. Without one, the Congress would have to do the investigation and that could take a long time and a lot of money and may run out the clock on Bush.

By: barfly

barfly — Fri, 19 Oct 2007 21:52:24 +0000

“Nope, he was responsible for hiring staffers for the Coalition Provisional Authority.Pretty much, as long as they were young, breathing and republican, they had the job.”

Comment by impeachcheneythenbush

But wasn’t it the staffers’ job to oversee contracting?

I thought I read that somewhere…

By: StratRat

StratRat — Fri, 19 Oct 2007 21:49:07 +0000

What do people expect when they put in charge of government, people who believe government â€œis not the answerâ€?

Comment by ralph the wonder llama

I almost feel as though they are trying to drown me in a bathtub.

By: ralph the wonder llama

ralph the wonder llama — Fri, 19 Oct 2007 21:45:35 +0000

Please explain to me exactly what the Bush administration has done right during their 6+ year term? Their whole approach to governing reminds me of a Laurel and Hardy comedy routine (no disrespect to Laurel & Hardy).

Comment by StratRat â€” October 19, 2007 @ 5:41 pm

What do people expect when they put in charge of government, people who believe government “is not the answer”?

Except, of course that they believe government is the answer for a way to line their pockets and the pockets of their friends…

By: impeachcheneythenbush

impeachcheneythenbush — Fri, 19 Oct 2007 21:45:29 +0000

Wasnâ€™t 60-grit Oâ€™Bierneâ€™s hubby in charge of this?

Comment by barfly â€” October 19, 2007 @ 5:29 pm

Nope, he was responsible for hiring staffers for the Coalition Provisional Authority. Pretty much, as long as they were young, breathing and republican, they had the job.

By: zhoward

zhoward — Fri, 19 Oct 2007 21:42:23 +0000

Maybe he and the department will be embarrassed by this — and more. Or not.

By: StratRat

StratRat — Fri, 19 Oct 2007 21:41:50 +0000

By: rastaman

rastaman — Fri, 19 Oct 2007 21:37:28 +0000

this is the first domino to fall in Bush’s house of lies and injustice…..

this will bring to light more corruption than almost anything else Bush has proliferated.

By: Nevar

Nevar — Fri, 19 Oct 2007 21:36:05 +0000

Krongard should get a promotion to

State Department Obfuscater General

By: Leftside Annie

Leftside Annie — Fri, 19 Oct 2007 21:29:33 +0000

How about a special prosecutor and an indictment or two – and THEN I’llget excited.