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Politics : PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: PROLIFE who wrote (460616)	9/17/2003 7:29:32 PM
From: Kenneth V. McNutt	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 769670

<< Being from Texas I am familiar with Haliburton, and I know they have eq. all over the world too, another reason to use their services and not worry what the frenchies think >> There is a constant din from those on the left complaining of "no bid' contracts to Bechtel, Halliburton, and others. This is due to either a lack of knowledge or plain lies. After the experience of Bosnia and the first Gulf War there was great consternation because we had no system in place to rebuild these places. Every politician in Washington wanted his piece of the pie along with many foreign countries trying to get in what they considered a gravy train of profit. To avoid these long wrangles in Congress, and to prevent them from holding up the money and authority to proceed, a law was finally passed that allowed certain companies, competent in the necessary fields, to pre-bid on expected jobs if similar needs should occur. The largest, most experienced companies wee invited to bid and open contracts were awarded, based on cost-plus the only way one could bid on the future. For Iraq, Bechtel and Halliburton were among those chosen, not only because they submitted the best bids, but also because they had the experience and the equipment already in the middle east on other projects for middle-east countries, ready to be used without waiting months for the equipment to be brought in. Sub contracts, which came up under the main contracts, were then awarded to those companies deemed by the prime contractor to be the best able to handle them. These are so-called 'no-bid' contracts. This system has allowed work to proceed immediately in Iraq, and other places, without allowing Congress to screw up the works for months on end while Iraq, for example, went without the reconstruction of utilities and oil fields. If this procedure had not been in place the screaming from the left would be even louder accusing the administration of not planning ahead for the rebuilding of Iraq. This is a rough description of the process. Those screaming about no-bid contracts are either liars or stupid, as these contracts are let under a law passed by Congress, and those in Congress who scream the loudest are the biggest liars. Robert Byrd, Mr. Seniltity himself, comes to mind, along with other demagogues of the left. Ken