From Think Progress:In 2004, the UN’s International Advisory and Monitoring Board (IAMB) - the international group that oversees the use of Iraqi money on Iraqi reconstruction - wanted to know more about Halliburton. Specifically, they wanted to conduct an audit of Halliburton subsidiary Kellog Brown & Root’s single-source, oh-so-lucrative Iraq contract, $1.6 billion of which came straight from Iraqi coffers. After much foot dragging, the White House finally complied, sending the IAMB heavily redacted versions of audits the Pentagon’s Defense Contract Audit Agency (DCAA) had conducted into Halliburton’s use of the money.
Blacked out of the redacted report was the fact that Halliburton may have bilked the U.S. military out of about $100 million. Also blacked out were statements critical of KBR like “KBR was unable to reconcile the proposed costs to its accounting records” and “KBR did not always provide accurate information.”
Here’s where it gets really interesting. Wondering why the extensive redactions blocked all of the negative findings, the crack researchers in Rep. Henry Waxman’s office looked into the matter. It turns out the White House gave Halliburton a copy of the negative audit and let the company scrub out all of the negative stuff itself before it was sent to the UN group. A letter from KBR dated 9/28/04 to the Army Corps of Engineers states “we have redacted the statements of DCAA that we believe are factually incorrect or misleading and could be used by a competitor to damage KBR’s ability to win and negotiate new work.”
Hoffmania had this:
From the Pen of: Ann Telnaes...
...and the words of Preznit Crackhead.
"Iran has concealed its -- a nuclear program. That became discovered, not because of their compliance with the IAEA or NPT, but because a dissident group pointed it out to the world, and -- which raised suspicions about the intentions of the program. You can understand why. It's a non-transparent regime, they're run by a handful of people. And so suspicions were raised."
- President Bush at today's "news conference"
We hope this makes it crystal clear why we're as suspicious of this administration as this administration is of Iran. If you still don't see how we feel, then crawl back in your Republican hole and leave us alone to make some positive change. Capisce?
Jeff Alworth had this:Presidential Press Conference Quiz
Today President Bush held another dog an pony show–I believe the White House was calling it a “press conference”–and it yielded about as much new info as his sessions with the press generally yield: bupkis. It did reveal a new strategy by the administration, however: Bush has already had twice as many press conferences since his inauguration as he did in the previous four years (that may be an exaggeration–my fact checkers are looking into it). It’s easy to see why: he’s the perfect messenger. He has a little routine that guarantees no new information will emerge, frustrating his opponents (but who cares) and charming his believers. It’s become a rigid form of theater, political kabuki: 1) joke to the reporter; 2) false-somber restatement of the question; 3) self-deprecating preamble; 4) restatement of talking points connected only vaguely to the question’s subject; 5) Orwellian moment where he criticizes the Dems for being obstructionist in an effort to enforce his autocratic position; 6) false-somber agreement with the reporter about the seriousness of the subject.
No news can be made of this; instead, we must make non-news. Herewith I offer the Presidential Press Conference Quiz.
Factual Questions
1. According to Bush, which of the following is a “compassionate, decent man.”
A. Dick Cheney
B. Paul Wolfowitz
C. Condi Rice
D. Arial Sharon
E. Pervez Musharraf
2. Bush used all of the following phrases except one. Name it.
A. “as in Iraq, the peoples of Iran yearn for freedom”
B. “a nuclear program that became discovered”
C. “evolve away from reliance upon oil”
D. “It’s a positive effect when you run for office.”
E. “There’s a lot of members are talking about different concepts.”
3. President Bush called Silvio Berlusconi’s decision to withdraw Italian troops consistent with US policy. A reason he gave for justifying this position did not include:
A. Any withdrawals will be done in consultation with allies
B. Withdrawals will only be done when the Iraqis are able to defend themselves
C. Coalition has been buoyed by the courage of the Iraqi people.
D. Italians still express desire for peace in the Middle East.
E. We all share the enthusiasm about what’s happening in Iraq.
4. Bush cited a book he’d recently read. It was:
A. The Military Maxims of Napoleon, Napoleon
B. FDR by Joseph Alsop
C. His Excellency, by Joseph Ellis
D. The Reagan Revolution by Craig Shirley
Interpretive Questions
5. Bush was questioned about why he won’t offer his own plan for Social Security. He responded: “First bill on the Hill always is dead on arrival.” This means:
A. Congress deadlocks on early legislation before hammering together compromises later in the session
B. Bad bills are always introduced early
C. Bush heard this recently and liked the Suessian sound of it, but doesn’t actually know whether it applies.
D. Democrats need to be worked over by the vast, right-wing conspiracy for a few months before they can be brought to heel on unpopular, pro-business legislation.
6. When Bush says, “I’m interested in coming up with a permanent solution. I’m not interested in playing political games. I’m interested in working with members of both political parties,” he means:
A. I’m interested in coming up with a permanent solution. I’m not interested in playing political games. I’m interested in working with members of both political parties
B. I’m interested in getting my solution passed; this is itself a political game I’m playing with you; I will crush the Democrats beneath the spiky tread of my jackboot.
7. Bush bristled when he felt the press was trying to make him “negotiate with himself” on Social Security. It’s a phrase he often uses to brush off criticism, but what does it mean?
A. He will never second-guess himself
B. He is easily confused by too many facts
C. Careful consideration of public policy isn’t the business of the President
D. He knows the wily reporter has tricked him, but he doesn’t know how and so refuses to fall into a verbal trap.
8. When asked why the US exports detainees to countries known to conduct torture, Bush offered this apparently contradictory rationale: “In the post-9/11 world, the United States must make sure we protect our people and our friends from attack. . . . And one way to do so is to arrest people and send them back to their country of origin with the promise that they won’t be tortured.” It was not contradictory because:
A. Leaders never tell lies—if Shavkat Mirzayev tells us Uzbekistan doesn’t use torture, who are we to argue?
B. Didn’t you hear what I just said? We’re at war with these people.
C. Al Gonzales says it’s a-okay.
D. Define “torture.”
9. Bush noted “There’s all kinds of polls. For every poll you quote, I’ll quote another one. . . . The one I read the other day said people like the idea of personal accounts.” The poll Bush references:
A. Consisted of a ad hoc survey at his last cabinet briefing
B. Was conducted by the CATO institute
C. May not actually exist; Bush was just playing the odds.
D. Is open to interpretation; by “people,” Bush meant the 35% who are actually in favor, not the 55% who oppose it.
10. Bush made this odd claim: “I, frankly, don’t think we need a lot of incentives for energy companies in the energy bill.” What did he mean?
A. We don’t need a lot of them, they just need to be very large.
B. Unless you mean tax breaks when you say incentives.
C. By “energy companies” I mean alternative energy. For oil and gas companies, whoo-boy, they’re gonna make out like bandits.
D. Oh, you mean Cheney’s oil bill? Sorry. Yeah, there’s a lot of incentives in that one.
Answers to general questions:
1-B; 2-A; 3-D; 4-C.
Well, I wouldn't call it nostalgia, but I hope this little tour reminds you of the mess Bush and Cheney have consistently been making since they came into office.--the BB
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