Pay me now, or pay me later
"Daniel Drezner recently established in Slate, there is no statistically significant correlation between the companies that made big campaign contributions and the companies that have won reconstruction contracts"
Drezner's column didn't take into account soft money or the myriad of other pay-for-play fund channels. Here in California Willie Brown show the artistry of that just on a state level, with millions routed to him from second- and third-position beneficiaries, such as labor unions. In a $100 million construction project the developer makes deals with unions who make "contributions" to Willie, etc.
Bottom line, and Brooks knows this, or should, anytime there are billions being negotiated, the power-broker gets in line, and is often the motivating force.
Add the fact of sole-source, and you've got an iron-clad guarantee of as Jim Bake calls it, "mischief", in exact proportion to the size of the contract and level of secrecy.
http://www.opensecrets.org/news/rebuilding_iraq/index.asp |
