The Truth

[SuperScout]

All I was asking for is proof that graft and corruption attended the awarding of the contracts as you allege. Unless you were shooting off your mouth again, which is probable, you would have included the proof from the very beginning.

And what was "derogatoty" or "overreactive", and not factual? The incoherent babbling I was referring to was posted by someone else. Your's is not really incoherent, but rather frothy, with the attendant spittle of a person consumed by rage and hate.

[Gimpy]

Hold onto your Ten Gallon Cowboy hat there SuperStoryTeller!

I never said there was any 'graft & corruption' in 'awarding' of the contracts. Now did I?

Unethical?....most likely.

Unscrupulous?......Most definately.

Unconscionable?.......You're damn right!

And......Absolutely Unaduteratedly politically motivated and politically unambiguously awarded!

But..............the 'proof' of the 'pudding' comes later on, AFTER the 'awarding of the contract(s).

As recent history has shown. Did you FORGET what I posted earlier? Let me refresh your tumbleweed blown memory banks, ok?

And I quote my PREVIOUS post, "Halliburton alone has earned more than $9 billion. Pentagon audits released by Democrats in June showed $1.03 billion in "questioned" costs and $422 million in "unsupported" costs for Halliburton's work in Iraq. (talk about 'graft & corruption'---Gimp)

But the web of Bush administration connections is attracting renewed attention from watchdog groups in the post-Katrina reconstruction rush. Congress has already appropriated more than $60 billion in emergency funding as a down payment on recovery efforts projected to cost well over $100 billion.


"The government has got to stop stacking senior positions with people who are repeatedly cashing in on the public trust in order to further private commercial interests," said Danielle Brian, executive director of the Project on Government Oversight."

And there you have it my armadillo chasing buddy. PROOF POSITIVE these folks deal in GRAFT & CORRUPTION! :cd: :cd:

[reconeil]

You should take a little more time and read what you write.
I know it's usually canned, overly-used and the standardly required DNC Party Line. But, still,...and especially regarding YOUR words (supposedly?): "...leveled at them from not ONLY citizens of THIS country but even from majority of folks from the WORLD itself!" TR-U-U-U-LY Very Exposing.

Such words are much like those usually expressed by The ACLU, Arabs, French, Germans, Russians and in general all other United Nation types and/or anti-Americans.

Hey Gimpy,...what are you running for? Some high office in The United Nations? Or are you just running for some high office at The DNC and/or America's Leftist UN counterparts.

Can't help notice how similarly all alluded sound-damn-much alike.
Naturally, with different accents.

Neil

[Gimpy]

N/T................



PS.......I try not to waste my breath or type space on such nonsense. :re:

[BLUEHAWK]

Gimpy -

How do you get all those colors in your posts?

[SuperScout]

"Unethical" - by whose standards? "Most likely"? - value judgment.

"Unscrupulous" - by whose standards? Another value judgment.

"Unconscionable" - ditto above.

All you're doing is making wild accusations, based on your own obvious bias, never offering any proof. You were attempting to have readers believe that any contract let by the government on any relief project was fraught with graft and corruption, simply because it was let by the current administration. Your "guilt by association" mentality is patently juvenile.

Examining the board of directors of the "Project of Government Oversight" reveals some very interesting revolving door methodology there as well. Their objectivity is certainly suspect. And with other claims made by others, if they have proof something illegal was committed, then by all means, slide that chair away form the desk, and trot right down to the nearest law enforcement agency.

You offer absolutely nothing in the way of "proof positive" about graft and corruption, except your own opinion. Nothing.

[BLUEHAWK]

Looking at the bright side, he does have nice colors in his posts.

[Gimpy]

Blue .........All you have to do is look directly above the "box" where you type in your "reply" when you post a reply (or an original post also for that matter). There are six small sections to change your "text" within your reply or post that look like this B (for bold text)... I (for ITALIC text ).....U (to underline your text). ....SIZE (to change the SIZE of your text )....FONT (to select the FONT TYPE of your text) and then finally.........COLOR (to select the COLOR of the text you want).

All you have to do is 'highlight' the section of text you want to change within your message or reply and then go up to the appropiate 'box' and click on to what ever needs changing.

You may have to play around with it to get the hang of it, but it's not that difficult once you understand it.

Hope this helps.

PS.......Super..............Gettin late and I'm too sleepy to argue with you right now...........don't you worry your little cow-punchin heart though...... ........I'll be back in the morning bright-eyed and bushy-tailed!

[BLUEHAWK]

I know... I was just trying to lighten the mood, is all.

[Gimpy]

Super, I'm back with some more 'PROOF' for ya.............get ready cause here it comes.

##############

Quote/Claim

By Dick Cheney:

"Halliburton is a fine company, and I'm pleased that I was associated with the company.? [Source: White House Web site]"

Fact:

"Halliburton has acknowledged that it accepted up to $6 million in kickbacks? in its contract work in Iraq. It is also under scrutiny over allegations of overcharging the government by $61 million in Iraq ? a practice for which the company was previously fined $2 million. The company also potentially faces criminal charges in a $180-million international bribery scandal during the time Cheney was CEO of the company. The Pentagon has also repeatedly warned the company that the food it was serving the 110,000 U.S. troops in Iraq was 'dirty'? with an audit finding blood all over the floor of its kitchens, dirty pans, dirty grills, dirty salad bars and rotting meats?and vegetables. - Boston Globe, 1/23/04; CBS, 12/12/03, 4/12/03; Washington Post, 1/21/04; AFP, 12/14/03
"

Speaker: Cheney, Dick - Vice President

Date: 8/27/2000

Quote/Claim:

"I'll do whatever I have to do to avoid a conflict of interest. I will eliminate the conflict. I can assure you, I've said repeatedly, I will not tolerate or be party to a conflict of interests while I'm vice president. I'll do whatever I have to do to resolve that conflict.? [Source: ABC This Week]"

Fact:

"A congressional report found that the more than 433,000 stock options [Cheney] possesses is considered among the 'ties' retained in or 'linkages to former employers' that may 'represent a continuing financial interest' in those employers which makes them obvious conflicts of interest.? - CNN, 9/25/03"


Speaker: Cheney, Dick - Vice President

Date: 8/27/2000

Quote/Claim:

"I had a firm policy that I wouldn't do anything in Iraq, even arrangements that were supposedly legal. We've not done any business in Iraq since the sanctions were imposed and I had a standing policy that I wouldn't do that.? [Source: ABC This Week]"

Fact:

"According to oil industry executives and confidential United Nations records, however, Halliburton held stakes in two firms that signed contracts to sell more than $73 million in oil production equipment and spare parts to Iraq while Cheney was chairman and chief executive officer of the Dallas-based company. Two former senior executives of the Halliburton subsidiaries say that, as far as they knew, there was no policy against doing business with Iraq. One of the executives also says that although he never spoke directly to Cheney about the Iraqi contracts, he is certain Cheney knew about them. The Halliburton subsidiaries joined dozens of American and foreign oil supply companies that helped Iraq increase its crude exports from $4 billion in 1997 to nearly $18 billion in 2000. Since the program began, Iraq has exported oil worth more than $40 billion.? - Washington Post, 6/23/01"


Topic: Halliburton

Speaker: Cheney, Dick - Vice President

Date: 1/22/2004

Quote/Claim:

"I wouldn't know how to manipulate the [government contract] process if I wanted to.? [Source: CNN Website]"

Fact:


"A report by the Washington-based Center for Public Integrity suggested that Halliburton essentially cashed in - doubling the value of its government contracts - on Cheney. The company took in revenue of $ 2.3 billion on government contracts,? which was up $1.2 billion from the five-year period before he arrived.? - LA Times, 10/19/00 ; Chicago Tribune, 8/10/00 ; AFP, 12/14/00 "

Speaker: Cheney, Dick - Vice President

Date: 1/22/2004

Quote/Claim:

"Halliburton gets unfairly maligned simply because of their past association with me. [Source: Cnn Website]

Allegations of corruption stem from desperate political opponents who can't find any legitimate policy differences to debate. [Source: CNN Website]"

Fact:


"Halliburton itself has acknowledged that it accepted up to $6 million in kickbacks? in its no-bid contract work in Iraq. Additionally, it is the Bush Administration ? not political opponents? -- that has looked into allegations that the company overcharged the government by $61 million. And it has been the Bush Administration that repeatedly warned the company that the food it was serving the 110,000 U.S. troops in Iraq was 'dirty'? with an audit finding blood all over the floor of its kitchens, dirty pans, and rotting meats ... and vegetables. - Boston Globe, 1/23/04; CBS, 12/12/03;
"
"Halliburton is everywhere, including places that the U.S. government claims it does not want its citizens to go. Libya's Muhamar Ghadafi contracted for hundreds of millions of dollars in Halliburton services during Dick Cheneys tenure." [Source: CNN Website]

" The man who is now the Republican vice president has lobbied against sanctions against Iran while running Halliburton-- these sanctions could have kept Halliburton from selling more products and services to that country. Meanwhile, Brown & Root has performed hundreds of millions of dollars worth of work for Libyan dictator Moammar Gadhafi, long suspected of sponsoring terrorism directed at the United States." [Source: ABC This Week]"

*************************

And there's this from the Center for Public Integrity & Time magazine.

WASHINGTON, November 3, 2004 ? Documents obtained by the Center for Public Integrity show that the Army Corps of Engineers ignored sharp objections by its top procurement official concerning Halliburton contracts in Iraq and the Balkans.

The most recent controversy surrounds the extension of a troop-support contract in the Balkans held by Kellogg, Brown & Root, a Halliburton subsidiary. Bunnatine Greenhouse, the contracting official, objected to the 11-month extension worth an estimated $165 million because she felt it was not justified. She has asked for an independent investigation of possible procurement fraud.


Time magazine broke the story regarding Greenhouse's allegations last week. Since then, the Center has obtained additional documents?none of which was originally included among those the Army Corps supplied to the Center in response to a Freedom of Information request and follow up lawsuit against the Corps.

The new documents include the letter Greenhouse's lawyer sent to Les Brownlee, the acting Army Secretary. That letter mentions that Greenhouse came under pressure from individuals "associated with favorite companies" and experienced "repeated interference" when dealing with KBR. The documents also contain internal Army Corps e-mails and a version of the justification review document which includes notes from Greenhouse such as "Not a valid reason for extension" and "I cannot approve this."

What follows below is a timeline of significant dates. Some of the items cited are based on the description provided by our FOIA documents and Greenhouse's attorneys.


May 28, 1999 ?Army Corps awards the Balkans Support Contract to KBR.


January 2002 ?Top Army Corps contracting official Bunnatine Greenhouse establishes a team to review the implementation of the Balkans Support Contract.


November 2002 ?Army Corps tasked KBR to develop an oil contingency plan to extinguish oil well fires in Iraq.


February 26, 2003 ?Greenhouse raises concern in a Pentagon meeting regarding the RIO contract.


March 5, 2003 ?According to a June 2004 story in Time magazine, a March 5, 2003, e-mail written by an Army Corps official referred to the awarding of the oil restoration contract as having been "coordinated" with Vice President Richard Cheney's office. (Clearly a breach of conduct and ethics if not unlawful which will come out when Greenhouses' lawsuit is settled )


March 8, 2003 ?Army Corps awards no-bid Restore Iraqi Oil contract to KBR.

March 24, 2003 ?Army Corps publicly announces that KBR has been awarded the RIO contract.


July 10, 2003 ?The Center for Public Integrity files FOIA request.


October 29, 2003 ?The Center for Public Integrity files lawsuits against Army Corps and State Department for failure to fully and promptly respond to Freedom of Information Act requests.


December 2003 ?Defense Contract Audit Agency issues a draft report saying that KBR had overcharged for fuel purchases by $61 million.


January 13, 2004 ?An audit report from the Defense Contract Audit Agency found several deficiencies in KBR's billing system. A second audit report was released on May 13, 2004.


January 14, 2004 ?Army Corps Deputy Commander Major General Robert Griffin takes over contracting responsibilities in order to conduct an "independent review" of the second RIO contract.


February 2004 ?The Pentagon's Inspector General launches a criminal investigation into whether KBR overcharged the government while it was importing fuel from Kuwait to Iraq. KBR was not notified of any investigation.


April 26, 2004 ?The Center for Public Integrity receives a portion of the RIO contract.


April 30, 2004 ?The lawsuit against the Army Corps is negotiated without going to court. The Center for Public Integrity eventually receives the complete RIO contract with ten task orders.


May 27, 2004 ?The Balkans Support Contract is scheduled to expire. Army Corps allows KBR to continue as the contractor until April 30, 2005.


August 20, 2004 ?Bunnatine Greenhouse expresses her reservations in writing about the 11-month extension to KBR's Balkans Support Contract.


August 24, 2004 ?Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army (Policy and Procurement) Tina Ballard communicates to Major General Robert Griffin, the deputy commander of the Army Corps, that Greenhouse needs to be told that she can "no longer include handwritten comments on official documents."


October 5, 2004 ?Greenhouse learns that the Justification and Approval document was altered by the director of contracting for the Transatlantic Programs Center on instructions from the Department of the Army's General Counsel office. Greenhouse was never given any reasons for altering the document and did not see a final copy of the Justification and Approval. The J&A was instead signed by her deputy, Lieutenant Colonel Doyle, who was not authorized to sign on her behalf .


October 6, 2004 ?Greenhouse was informed by two individuals that Tina Ballard made the change for "political reasons."


October 7, 2004 ?Greenhouse signs an earlier copy of the J&A document. She added handwritten contingencies on her acceptance. The document was rejected .


October 8, 2004 ?A revised J&A is issued. The document carries Lieutenant Colonel Norbert S. Doyle's name. Greenhouse's name has been removed.


October 21, 2004 ?A letter from Kohn, Kohn & Colapinto LLP, Bunnatine Greenhouse's lawyers, is sent to acting Army Secretary Les Brownlee asking for an independent investigation.

And this:

Bush Administration Demotes Whistleblower

August 29, 2005

AP/Washington Post:

Washington, DC - ----In the Bush Administration's latest efforts to silence truth-tellers, the Army's top procurement official was demoted from her government job over the weekend, after she criticized the Bush Administration's decision to award Halliburton, the company formerly run by Vice President Cheney, a huge no-bid multibillion-dollar contract. Bunnatine H. Greenhouse, a high-ranking Army Corps of Engineers official, was told that she was removed from her position in the senior executive service because of poor performance reviews. (Yea right! Sure that's the 'reason'!-----Gimp)


Greenhouse's demotion came after she began to publicly question the awarding of a no-bid contract in 2003 to Halliburton to repair the Iraqi oil fields. Greenhouse later said that, "I can unequivocally state that the abuse related to contracts awarded to KBR [a subsidiary of Halliburton] represents the most blatant and improper abuse I have witnessed," in her time as a government employee . [Washington Post, 8/29/05]


"Today's news regarding Bunnatine Greenhouse is another disturbing example of the Bush Administration's determination to abuse their power to hide the truth and silence, smear or demote their critics," said The Center for Public Integrity . "This culture of corruption has got to end. The American people deserve a government that works for them. Americans want a Government they can trust to tell them the truth, not a Government that hides the facts to suit their own agenda."


I've got MORE if you'd like to see it there Super? :cd: :cd: