Bush administration backs down on fraud and abuse
By Steve Benen Tuesday Apr 15, 2008 9:15pmAs a rule, Americans probably don't expect government officials to go out of their way to protect waste, fraud and abuse, but then again, the Bush administration includes a special group of people.
Earlier this year, the Justice Department proposed new rules requiring U.S. contractors to report any and all waste, fraud or abuse they run into while doing taxpayer-financed work. Shortly thereafter, someone in the administration -- it's still not altogether clear who -- added an exemption to the rules. Contractors would be required to report problems, but all contractors who do work overseas would be exempt. Given the more than $100 billion in such contracts in Iraq and Afghanistan over the past five years, the exemption didn't make any sense.
For months, the White House remained mum, refusing to explain why the pro-fraud exemption was added, who added it, and what the Bush gang would do about it.
Today, the White House gave in.
Reversing itself after months of criticism, the administration closed the loophole that was quietly slipped last year into a proposed Justice Department crackdown on government contract fraud. [...]
Government policywriters said the original rule was drawn up quickly, and chided the Justice Department for not explicitly making sure that overseas contracts should be included in the crackdown. "It was only after publication of the proposed rule ... that DoJ and other respondents expressed concern about the overseas exemption," the draft states. [...]
A Bush administration official on Monday called the loophole "a drafting error" that happened when policywriters merely cut and pasted a 20-year-old Defense Department regulation into the contracting crackdown.
Yes. Of course. "Drafting errors" that benefit Blackwater and Halliburton subsidiaries work their way into policy regulations all the time. How embarrassing.
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Backs down?
get real.
they just rename the project and move ahead. or they found another back channel way of doing the same thing.
The extremely funny picture illustrates the difference between conservatives and progressives (scroll down to see).
that's how bushco rolls.
Rebel Patriot re. "they just rename the project and move ahead. or they found another back channel way of doing the same thing"
Your cynicism is infectious and all too likely.
This is really a non-issue. After assuring the companies doing the contracting that the Justice Department will not prosecute or allow prosecution of companies (KBR??) working overseas, it became easy to admit the "drafting error".
The incoming president should:
1. Fire everyone in the Justice Department
2. Bring in independent investigators and prosecutors and just start cleaning house.
The fines alone against the companies that are currently working with (read "robbing") our government will likely balance the federal budget.
Isn't War Profiteering a high crime?
What an absolute joke. I've just retired from DOD after twenty-one years of service and throughout most of that time I was a "federally protected whistle-blower", which is somewhat akin to calling a three-hundred pound, one-legged female dwarf a "high priced prostitute. One cannot imagine the stress and pressure that a bureaucracy can bring to bear on an individual, even when the corruption reported proves to be true. And by the way, please do not assume that the "Human Resource Office" is there to protect you as their only mission is to protect the corrupt entity for which they work.
As an individual who has reported hundreds of millions of dollars of fraud, waste and abuse to the Congress, the DOD and the Inspector Generals hot-line I can tell you that those in power will make your life a living hell if they find out who did the reporting. And you can forget all those protective statutes and investigative techniques that are always rhapsodized about in the news because even when you find someone willing to protect you, there are systemic and institutionalized methods for targeting your employment status in a dozen other ways.
The government has so many ways to come after an individual and most employees are either so psychologically or economically passive that they create a strong incentive not to care. After a while people just keep their heads down and accept the corruption for what it is. So frankly, Congress could write a law that says Jesus will come down from heaven and protect you, but the Romans will just find two crosses for this event and do the Crucifixion thing all over again.
Regards,
Robert
Christ! This like watching the Keystone Kops handling government, but much more sinister. No accountibiltity, no oversight. It makes me wonder what people were thinking when they helped elect Georgie a second time. Oh, I forgot, they were afraid that Al queda was around every corner.
Treason trials for all these scumbags! Hopefully, it will be the first order-of-business on Atty. General Edwards list of things to do.
Industry has been writing government regulation in this country for years. So what's new?
Happens here too. Look at sub prime. Where the illegal/unethical behavior occurred was with the lending officers who doctored paperwork, so that people you wouldn't lend twenty dollars to, could walk out of a bank with 250K.
Hey just like their extreme openness regarding all the shredding of documents which amounts to the most shredding that has ever been exercised in any administration in history.
And how about the wanton destruction of actually crushing the hard drives so that no smarmy teenagers or IT pickle-dicks could recover any data from them on the erased emails from the RNC...Hah...these guys are definitely on the up and up, above board, legitimate fraud and abuse watch doggers! No doubt about it...
Financial fraud is still continuing.
Goldman Sachs is basicly insolvent, due to level 3 assets. The FED nor congress is requiring Goldman Sachs to mark these assets to market. This is fraud.
Yeah, you know, cut and paste, it's an easy mistake to make, like deleting 3 million emails...could happen to anyone.
This is how much contempt they have for us, that they say this things with a straight face.
“[P]olicywriters merely cut and pasted a 20-year-old Defense Department regulation”
Yeah, you have to be vewwy vewwy careful when you cut and paste Reagan administration regulations. I guess instead of misspoke, these people misshighlighted or something.
and as usual there will be NO CHANGE to be effective
immediately. we don't believe bush or anyone in his
administration.
the horror will be evident after bush leaves office
and the new administration will find ALL the hidden
deceptions by bush, cheney and this despicable admin.
dadams @ 15:
It'll take at least four years just to clean up the mess.
Dear God,
For the love of Yourself, please smite these evil bastards with every bit of smiting stuff you have available. Since our beloved congress critters have abandoned us, You're all we have left. The thought of these sociopaths actually getting away with this crap is really, really, really annoying.
If You don't exist, sorry for the bother. Oh, You wouldn't happen to have Budha's email address would you?
Thanks.
I don't have the link, but an LA Times article today described Al-Qaeda as "austere ... penny-pinching ... scrupulously documented details ... accounts for a mislaid Kalishnikov."
Yes. Of course. “Drafting errors” that benefit Blackwater and Halliburton subsidiaries work their way into policy regulations all the time. How embarrassing.
Or as the Church Lady would say, "How conveeeeenient".
NoGWBpolicyleftinplace @ 9:
Attorney General Edwards. I like the sound of THAT.
Roket @ 15:
"Mistakes were made".
.
The Bush Administration IS a fraud and perpetrates abuse!
.
We ought to have bloggers target specific government agencies, advertising that we'll be confidential omsbudsmen, seving as conduits for information about fraud and abuse. By coordinating the bloggers into a joint outlet with a distinct name (ie, Journalists Fraud Squad) that adopts some of the key standards of deadtree media, we could factcheck, publish fraud and stay independent by claiming shield law privileges.
Set up correctly, we might build a proactive conduit to bring the fraud and abuse to public light, sparing the public employees from scrutiny.
Yeah, it's just a raw idea, but sometimes, I grow tired of complaining and pointing out the BS and wonder if there's ways to achieve solutions without depending on corrupt politicians to fix things they perfectly well like broken.
Corruption!
Che's Lounge @ 21:
I think you are on to something there!
Great Great Great thought!
Liberal Smasher @ 2:
Yes, there are many differences between neocons & progressives. Obviously shallowness is a glaring trait of neocons. Thanks for pointing that out.
Kevin Hayden @ 24:
Well thought out already, Kevin. Robert @7 points out the difficulties, however, and it would take a lot of courage from a number of people, particularly as we are becoming cynical, and resigned to corruption.
Why isn't George W. Bush in jail? Just asking.
"Why isn’t George W. Bush in jail? Just asking."
Because he hasn't broken any laws, you stupid leftist.
HEY jack ass above, How about the crime of stealing elections over and over again and placing particane judges who are freemason sellouts. Justice means nothing anymore if a buck can get a lawyer to suck shit.
Liberal Smasher @ 30:
You are saying Bush hasn't broken any laws? YOU are the stupid one. Go crawl back under your
rock.
"Doesn't make any sense."? Is that irony?
Of course it makes sense in the context of the Bush Crime Cabal (RICO Act anyone?):
Protect Cheney and his gang of war profiteers.
As I've said before, war profiteering is unequivocally treason.
It directly aids the enemy by denying our troops the life saving equipment that could be bought with the stolen money. If da bad guyz destroyed the equivalent amount of equipment it would aid them very much indeed. And might even be reported by the MSM.
Or when Cheney's "investment in Iraq" aids the enemy by electro-injuring soldiers by sub-standard construction.
The definition of treason in the Constitution (a document ignored by the NeoCon, radical right xians as much as their bible (except, of course, leviticus)), is very narrow, but giving aid and comfort is one.
And what about Bush AIDING UBL's escape by removing troops trying to capture him, as well as the government unit tasked with finding him? I'm sure it was very COMFORTing to UBL to know he wasn't being chased anymore (if he ever really was).
E Pleb Neesta
GODISNOWHERE
Blessed are the cheese makers.
Accursed be the enablers of Bush's Military action in Iraq.
How can a president, during a time when there is NO DECLARED WAR, be a wartime president or have wartime powers?
Liberal Smasher @ 30:
Yes he has you stupid right wing moron.
Wow! ReBUTTal is easy when you make "arguments" like a right wing BUTT-head!
Funny, I don't feel smashed.
E Pleb Neesta
GODISNOWHERE
Blessed are the cheese makers.
Accursed be the enablers of Bush’s Military action in Iraq.
How can a president, during a time when there is NO DECLARED WAR, be a wartime president or have wartime powers?
Don't forgret the Carlisle Group.
It is a well-known fact that Bush supporters are more intelligent than Bush haters.
tee hee....
Liberal Smasher @ 36:
Tee hee... sounds pretty gay to me. Poof! You've lost your rights.
By the way, Bush lover... how is your tour of duty in Iraq going? Or are you one of those dweebs who takes the good but not the bad. Maybe there's a hidden meaning to those magnetic (wouldn't want to hurt the resale value of my SUV) YELLOW ribbons. That you're too cowardly to support the troops by fighting by their side and so instead buy a ribbon that won't stick to your paint.
Errr... no.
The upper class votes Bush because they know he'll let them keep more $$. The middle class votes Bush because they're gullible enough to believe that he'll let them keep more $$, when in fact he doesn't. Convolutions in the tax code ensure that a tax cut here is offset by higher taxes elsewhere.
Riddle me this, genius: If multiple $billions in tax revenue are lost due to the Paris Hilton tax cuts and the entire lower class' tax revenue can't even make a dent in the shortfall, where does the money come from? The middle class because the sub-80 IQers who believe the Republican BS vote in these criminals.
People who vote Republican are:
1) the Rich, like CEOs who get richer thru corporate welfare, Enron type deregulation, neutered environmental laws, the ability to incorporate off shore and shift more tax burden onto the middle class.
2) For Bush type criminals, war profiteers.
3) Gullible middle class people.
4) People who need a surrogate nuclear penis as provided by Chimps in flight suits and infantile fetal-alchohol-syndrome punks who say things like "Bring it on" to people who have now killed thousands of our citizens.
So, unless you make more than $75K, you're either an idiot or have a small penis.
This is not a rail against capitalism. It is against abusive, rapacious capitalism. Funny how the oh so intelligent thugs whine about higher taxes when all of the other things the thugs do result in other things that suck more money out of their pockets. How much have the Bushco gas prices dented your "low taxes." And since most commodities require petroleum in one form or another, they're going up. No penalties for gas hog SUVs? Sure, those a-holes pay more for gas, but so do us... Supply and Demand. Increase demand (gas hogs) and gas prices go up. And no; christ would NOT drive an SUV.
I love the fact that when the market works, it means I get a high quality one terabyte disk drive for < $200. And lo, there are price differences between the brands and things like specials where prices are even lower. Odd how cable prices are higher in places without competition. Hmmm, not much variation in them gas prices, huh? And I can't remember when I last saw gas stations compete price wise. Hey look! Exxon's having a special! 33% off and free shipping. Same for pharma, health care and other industries. For captive markets (I need medicine, but not a 1TB hard drive.) competition isn't necessary because there's enough business to go around, and competing is such a drag. This is when it becomes a problem, and this is what Bushco and his rich owners paid for. KBR produces substandard results in Iraq and pockets the rest. My god, there's a donation box for soldiers where I work that says soldiers need coffee and Crystal fucking Light to drink. Support the troops my ass. How much have you donated to veterans' organizations? Remember it's a sin to lie.
But when the market fails, people are the victims. How many people's lives were destroyed by Enron. You know people must have died due to lack of pension funds to buy food or needed medicine. More than one person must've committed suicide because they had lost everything. Ahhh... if only there was some way they could've gotten health care, food and shelter. These people weren't loser bums (like the righties pretend all of the poor are). These are people who were victimized by the unregulated greed of a few people. So what if a few kids get brain damage from lead in toys (hey! more right wingers!) Just a few brain damaged kids or dead pets (perhaps a seeing eye dog?) and the mighty, unregulated market corrects itself. This is the kind of capitalism that Bush is enabling here. The wealthy, right wing elite don't buy toys from China. Only handcrafted ones from Leonardo at the Elite Playful Toy Gallery. And of course, Muffy is only fed the best filet mignon from cows raised on their small (200 acre) estate (number 3 of 13 estates). So a little poisoned dog food is not even noticed. But some middle class kids lost 40 IQ points and middle class families lost their beloved Golden Retrievers. The only elite thugs who were hurt by this were the ones who couldn't dump their stock fast enough. But I'm sure some executives managed to give middle class Bob in accounting a "good deal" on an up and coming Chinese company. Or gave the office assistants their bonuses in Chinese stock.
Everything the right does if for the benefit of themselves. They don't know the meaning of self sacrifice. Volunteers' sacrifices, as in Iraq, sure. There are many rich dems who favor higher taxes in order to help other people. They choose to do this in spite of the fact that it is an extra economic to themselves. Edwards worked himself out of poverty into a millionaire. He ran on a platform of eliminating poverty and all the right could do was talk about his hair cut. Which he paid for by the sweat of his brow (that's a bible thing).
Matthew 6
24:No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money
So who is better: those who want to share wealth (including giving up huge tax breaks )and help the needy or those who do everything they can to allow themselves and others to serve Money. And 6:24 tells us how those who serve Money feel about god.
Specious arguments at your link create straw men and attack them since they can't make real arguments. Lefties don't use terms like elite about themselves, righties do. And do it to alienate the middle class. Providing health care and helping those in poverty is, unarguably, christian. If he was in congress you'd be calling him a socialist putting us on the slippery slope to communism.
CEO salaries are ~ 400 TIMES that of the employees. Plus stock options, and other incentives. And their tax cuts allow 'em to pay less. Where does the money to pay them come from? Not Paris Hilton. And when super CEO fucks up its company, it "restructures." And it makes millions from the increase in stock prices from the anticipated increase in profitability. This is usually paid for by a massive layoff. Of middle class people. Middle managers, hired by egotestical execs who want to build empires, are common victims. Lives are destroyed so it can make millions. And when it totally fucks up a company it bails out with its golden parachute.
Both Dems and Rethugs are mostly, err..., crooks and liars(tm). But at least when Dems gorge themselves at the public's expense, they let a few crumbs fall to the people. The only thing that trickles down from Thugs to the people is urine (you know, like the privatization of Walter Reed did. The thugs used that as a case of how badly the government runs things. The only wrong done there was the successful transfer of WR to cronies who then raped and pillaged the place at the expense of the wounded soldiers.)
But Bush is in a whole different class. Reagan started retailing the country (people and land) to the rich and corporate pillagers. But Bush has been wholesaling it. Volume, volume, volume. He is truly soulless. A Kwyjibo in a place of power. A most Unchristian person. An old testament Levitican is *not* a christian. He is totally devoid of charity and love for anyone other than himself. And he, like every other president is a satanist:
Matthew 5:
33:Again, you have heard that it was said to the people long ago, 'Do not
break your oath, but keep the oaths you have made to the Lord.' 34:But I tell
you, Do not swear at all: either by heaven, for it is God's throne; 35:or by
the earth, for it is his footstool; or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of
the Great King. 36:And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make even one
hair white or black.
37:Simply let your 'Yes' be 'Yes,' and your 'No,' 'No';
anything beyond this comes from the evil one.
[Emphasis is mine.]
Check that old fucking piece of paper... there is NO so help me god in the President's oath of office. Seems the framers weren't satanists. Whoever added those words to the oath are leading us all into damnation. And the original Pledge of Allegiance did not have "under god" in it.
If your political and economic beliefs change because of a change in your own economic situation, then you're a hypocritical bastard.
E Pleb Neesta
Bush is not a war president, just a warmonger and profiteer.
E Pleb Neesta,
Typical left-wing insecurity. You can't accept that smart people vote GOP, and dumb people are leftists.
Tell ya what - I'll stop supporting the Iraq War when Joe Lieberman stops. He was the VP candidate in 2000, you know. He was a good guy even then, despite Homocrat attempts to steal the Florida election (fortunately, they failed).
In addition to Republicans/normal people being smarter than leftist deformos (as you have merely proven above).
Leftists are far uglier than normal people. HG Wells and JRR Tolkien knew this way back in the day.
Conservatives/heteros are also HAPPIER than lefty girlie-men.
BTW, Gov. Schwarzenegger correctly calls Homocrats 'girlie-men', as this is a term that correctly applies to BOTH MALE AND FEMALE Homocrats. Hence, it is a term of great, piercing philosophical depth.
double tee hee....
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