During the Bush years, Democrats correctly went after the administration for no-bid contracts with Halliburton. This kind of unethical, behind-closed-doors behavior happened more than once during those dark years before The Enlightened One came among us. After he became president, Obama personally decried such deals and said things would change.
Apparently, this is one of the other changes we’ll have to wait on from our president. According to Fox News- and, thus far, only Fox News- a Democratic campaign contributor was given a $25 million contract to work in Afghanistan on a no-bid contract. As my friend Nick Brown put it:
It appears that if this Fox News story has legs, then we can throw away all the shallow remarks from Obama toward the Bush Administration regarding “sweet heart [sic] deals” and Cheney’s previous position at Haliburton.”
This, of course, does not make the Bush Administration’s no-bid contracts any more or less ethical. It does, however, put another bruise on the anti-Bush rhetoric the White House is still using, and on the hopenchange (to steal a term from Michelle Malkin) Americans wanted from him.
January 25th, 2010 at 2:26 pm
There is a big difference between the Haliburton No bid and this one. Haliburton was an emergency and there was no other company that does what Haliburton does. However, in the Obama case, there is no emergency and there are many companies that does the same thing.
This is nothing more than Kickback, and in my opinion, is criminal, and reaches to the level of high Crimes and Misdemeanors (impeachable offenses). This does not mean I am any way saying that Obama should be impeached (heaven forbid, last thing I want is a Bidden Presidency). However, it does reach the level (IMHO) of special investigator.
January 25th, 2010 at 2:35 pm
Thunder,
I agree- Halliburton is truly a one-of-a-kind company. However, the process should have been respected, if only for transparency reasons.
January 25th, 2010 at 2:41 pm
Y’all forgot that the Haliburton contract was signed during the Clinton administration…
That said, I don’t think we need no-bid contracts in very many instances.
tomw
January 31st, 2010 at 10:47 am
[...] to unprofessional, over-the-top and reactionary. However, I must now applaud Fox for nailing the Obama administration on its recent no-bid contract with a Democratic campaign contributor. Why? [...]