‘Uncategorized’ Archives
More on Safavian
This Time excerpt on unqualified Bush Administration appointments pretty much sums it up. The only thing I can add is that no one was putting David Safavian down when he was the nominee to take over the job of federal procurement policy chief at the White House.... It was all "kiss, kiss" for him as he was about to take the reins and begin setting [...]
Small Fish Safavian May Lead to a Bigger Catch
The Associated Press reports an interesting insight on the arrest of David Safavian, the procurement policy director at the White House: Investigators frequently seek to pressure minor players in complex federal probes as they build a case against their principal target. ''You squeeze that person and hope he flips as you work your way up to the [...]
Frist’s Stock Sales Investigated
Federal investigators are investigating stock sales made by Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, R-Tenn., who just happened to sell millions of dollars in stock in his family's healthcare company last June before it fell in price two weeks later. Frist has been regularly criticized for holding stock in the hospital firm HCA Inc., while directing [...]
Newspaper Layoffs and Coverage of the Poor
The old saying in journalism, "afflict the comfortable and comfort the afflicted," may be swiftly becoming a quaint phrase with no punch. Jon Friedman, media reporter for Marketwatch, ponders "The politics of media industry layoffs." If the publishers use their financial woes as an excuse to cut back on the coverage of disenfranchised people in [...]
Bush Official Arrested in Corruption Probe
The Washington Post reports today that the Bush Administration's chief architect of procurement policy, i.e., contracting, was arrested for dancing in the dark with Republican lobbyist Jack Abramoff.... David H. Safavian, 38, worked just steps away from the White House at the Office of Management and Budget in the Old Executive Office Building. [...]
Big Easy Privatization
Let's see. There will be some $200 billion in spending to rebuild the Gulf Coast in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, and supervising the spending will be White House political advisor, Karl Rove. Guess we will see some interesting contract awards along with what appears to be a big privatization program designed on suggestions from the Heritage [...]
US Passes Tin Cup for Iraq Reconstruction
Now that the $18.4 billion for Iraq reconstruction has been largely spent or squandered (actually $24 billion) and the US Treasury is being hit with Katrina's aftermath, USAID is looking for donations to Iraq reconstruction projects. Next up, a telethon. (Thanks to Charlie Cray). The September 9 solicitation for donations follows directly on the [...]
New Orleans: A Second Disappearance of Atlantis
This morning's Washington Post reports that 1 million are now homeless because of Hurricane Katrina. I can't help thinking the swamping of New Orleans, a pivotal cultural Mecca for Americans, the birthplace of jazz and everything that very singular and long-lasting music represents, will never be what it was. New Orleans may be rebuilt, but its [...]
Opportunity Knocks for Joe Allbaugh
http://www.newbridgestrategies.com/bios.asp January 2001: Bush appoints Joe Allbaugh, a crony from Texas, as head of >FEMA. Allbaugh has no previous experience in disaster management. > >April 2001: Budget Director Mitch Daniels announces the Bush >administration's goal of privatizing much of FEMA's work. In May, >Allbaugh confirms that FEMA [...]
More to Pentagon’s Top Watchdog Resigning
The Los Angeles Times digs a little deeper into the sudden resignation of the Pentagon's inspector general, reminding us of rising tensions between an influential Republican senator and the former inspector general who quit the Defense Department to join a high-profile Iraq contractor. Rather than regurgitate the usual bye-bye press release of [...]
