Obama Gave a no-bid contract to Halliburton – just like Bush did

[Revmitchell]

...The same goes for regulations on government contracts. In the past, Democratic and Republican administrations issued some contracts without competitive bidding for speed and to save money. When seeking the highest office in the land, Mr. Obama explicitly stated that he would not tolerate such practices. “I will finally end the abuse of no-bid contracts once and for all,” he thundered to a Grand Rapids, Mich., audience on Oct. 2, 2008. “The days of sweetheart deals for Halliburton will be over when I’m in the White House.” After becoming president, Mr. Obama continued the attack and promised on March 4 to “end unnecessary no-bid and cost-plus contracts. … In some cases, contracts are awarded without competition. … And that’s completely unacceptable.”
That was then; this is now. Last week, the Army revealed that KBR, a former subsidiary of Halliburton, was awarded a no-bid contract worth as much as $568 million through next year. This deal was announced only hours after the Obama Justice Department informed the public that it was joining a suit filed by whistleblowers who allege KBR used kickbacks to get foreign contracts.


Read more: http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2010/may/13/obamas-mounting-hypocrisy/#ixzz2cW8IVYBz
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[thisnumbersdisconnected]

No-bid contracts are a staple of military operations. Far more than being speedier than the snail's-pace bidding process, as well as more cost efficient (the cost of the bidding process probably eliminates most, if not all, of the savings rendered through bids), it is essential to national security.

When the government deals with a known entity, such as Halliburton or KBR, it is mostly assured that government security will not be compromised. Not so with the bidding process, which is open to anyone who can afford the filing fee allowing them to participate. That is not good security practice, because one never knows who is behind the bidding firm that is then handed details of the contract -- and therefore, details of national security concerns -- on which they bid.

The Great Pretender (GP) obviously did not know all of this when he carelessly, recklessly and foolishly shot off his mouth during his initial campaign and in the early days of his White House occupancy (any chance of getting SWAT in here?) until somewhere in the hallways of the White House a few weeks after he took his oath, someone took him aside and said, "Look, it doesn't -- it can't -- work that way, and here's why ... " Hence he again "compromises his (alleged) values" in the cause of expediency, reality and security. I actually hesitated to link the GP to actually having "values" as it strikes me he has no idea what they are.

He makes my physically ill.

 

[Don]

I'm not sure I buy the idea that he didn't know what he was getting into.

I find it more believable that he said what he needed to say to get into office.

 

[poncho]

Halliburton has done especially well for itself in this time of never ending global warfare. Thankfully we have a policy of supplying global warfare on a regular basis so contractors like Halliburton can continue to prosper!

USA! USA! USA!

 

[go2church]

I'd like try and get away with this at church!

 

[thisnumbersdisconnected]

I'm not sure I buy the idea that he didn't know what he was getting into.

I find it more believable that he said what he needed to say to get into office.

Possible. But I think it likely he really is that big an idiot.