Bush Got $500,000 From Companies That Got Contracts, Study Finds

[NNN0LHI]

http://www.nytimes.com/2003/10/31/politics/31CONT.html?ex=1068181200&en=eb1edeacde5a6994&ei=5062&partner=GOOGLE

WASHINGTON, Oct. 30 — Executives, employees and political action committees of the 70 companies that received government contracts for work in either Iraq or Afghanistan contributed slightly more than $500,000 to President Bush's 2000 election campaign, according to a comprehensive study of the contracts released on Tuesday.

The overwhelming majority of government contracts for billions of dollars of reconstruction work in Iraq and Afghanistan went to companies run by executives who were heavy political contributors to both political parties.

Though the employees contributed to both parties, their giving favored Republicans by a two-to-one margin. And they gave more money to Mr. Bush than any other politician in the last 12 years.

Among the biggest contributions to Mr. Bush's election and re-election efforts were those from executives and employees of Dell Computer at $113,000; of Bearing Point, a business consulting firm, at $119,000; of General Electric at $72,000 and of Halliburton Inc. at $28,000, according to the report.

more

[JackSwift]

1. I'm shocked to find

"contributing" going on here.

[diamond14]

2. wow ! bush* is just running a cash-and-carry for his campaign...

or maybe a little extortion ring...oh to be a fly on the wall at those big private invitation-only fundraisers that bush* does all the time...costs too much money for me to get in those $10,000 dinners...

either way...when the NY Times is publishing this stuff...bush* is on his way down...nobody would have dared brought this up in May, during the glorious end of the Iraq War...my my my,,,,how far bush* has fallen...that headline is as good as it gets !!!

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more -snips-

The report confirms that many if not most of the contracts handed out for work in Iraq were awarded through a process that was inscrutable to outsiders and often without competitive bidding.

Congress is set to approve an additional $20 billion for reconstruction in Iraq and Afghanistan this week, much of it going to these companies.

[TahitiNut]

3. kick

[eablair3]

4. Report Links Iraq Deals to Bush Donations

not a surprise at all. It's "capitalism," or cronyism is the better word, at work. Pay 'em off, get the deal. That's how much of America works. "Free Market," ... my ass.


Report Links Iraq Deals to Bush Donations
Thu Oct 30, 3:28 PM ET

By LARRY MARGASAK, Associated Press Writer

WASHINGTON - Companies awarded $8 billion in contracts to rebuild Iraq (news - web sites) and Afghanistan (news - web sites) have been major campaign donors to President Bush (news - web sites), and their executives have had important political and military connections, according to a study released Thursday.


The study of more than 70 U.S. companies and individual contractors turned up more than $500,000 in donations to the president's 2000 campaign, more than they gave collectively to any other politician over the past dozen years.


The report was released by the Center for Public Integrity, a Washington-based research organization that produces investigative articles on special interests and ethics in government. Its staff includes journalists and researchers.


The Center concluded that most of the 10 largest contracts went to companies that employed former high-ranking government officials, or executives with close ties to members of Congress and even the agencies awarding their contracts.


Major contracts for Iraq and Afghanistan were awarded by the Bush administration without competitive bids, because agencies said competition would have taken too much time to meet urgent needs in both countries.


"No single agency supervised the contracting process for the government," Center executive director Charles Lewis said. "This situation alone shows how susceptible the contracting system is to waste, fraud and cronyism."

snip

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=540&ncid=721&e=7&u=/ap/20031030/ap_on_re_mi_ea/iraq_contracts

[radfringe]

5. the only "progress" that has been made

on any problem - is the "problem" of campaign money

just about every "appearance" Baghdad Bush has made since being selected has been or followed by a campaign fundraiser

his only accomplishment has been to enrich the GOP coffers and the bank accounts of his "special" buddies

[Resistance Is Futile]

6. Rate of return

$500,000 invested for $8,000,000,000 in contracts, or a 16,000 fold return. Campaign funding is by far the best paying investment out there.

[Paschall]

7. Except it's not an "investment"

Even if the "contributions" are made prior to procurring these contracts, that $500,000 comes out of the contract profits.

In other words, it's a kick-back. It costs the corporations nothing, because it's taxpayer money being laundered by corporate "contributors" before its re-shuffled back to the GOP.

Best argument I know of for full, public funding of elections, and prohibiting all corporate contributions whatsoever!