by American Pie
Some of you may be familiar with a controversy that broke last Fall. The Army had the "temerity" to put up for bids a huge contract to supply military trucks being used in Afghanistan. The existing contract was held by BAE Systems, a foreign-owned company, and the vehicles were being manufactured in Sealy, Texas, a right-to-work setting.
Oshkosh, an American company in Wisconsin with a unionized workforce, undercut BAE's bid by 25%. The Army had no choice but to award the contract to Oshkosh. This set off a firestorm among the Republican criminal class in Texas and in Washington, D.C. The GAO was asked to investigate, and decided a regulation not in place at the time of the bids would retroactively overrule the decision. Defense Secretary Gates, a Texas Republican, oversaw a rebidding of the contracts where BAE retained $1.4 billion for FMLVs, while losing on FMTV's to Oshkosh.
Some of you may be saying: "BAE? Where have I heard that recently?"
This week, BAE pleaded guilty in the U.S. and in England to criminal bribery in support of defense contracts. It seems, at least outside the U.S., it's a crime to give a politican money in exchange for a rigged bidding process in favor of your firm. To understand how connected BAE is, noted Bush lap-poodle Tony Blair tried to order the British authorities to not investigate BAE, for fears of the extraordinary corruptions the inquiry would reveal.
The connections boggle the mind: BAE paid huge bribes to Saudi Prince Bandar. Bandar made a huge investment in Citibank. Citi received billions in TARP funds. Per the "Citizen's United" SCOTUS decision, Citi can now act on Bandar's behalf and use TARP funds to lobby against financial reform. And Bandar's lawyer is Louis Freeh, to give the scandal a chilling "bipartisan" appeal.
http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2010/2/8/835076/-Is-Robert-Gates-Protecting-a-Criminal-EnterpriseBusiness as usual.
Printer-friendly format
Email this thread to a friend
Bookmark this thread
(1000+ posts)
Send PM |
Profile |
Ignore
