Companies awarded $8 billion in contracts to rebuild Iraq and Afghanistan have been major campaign donors to President Bush, and their executives have had important political and military connections, according to a study released Thursday.

The study of more than 70 U.S. companies and individual contractors turned up more than $500,000 in donations to the president's 2000 campaign, more than they gave collectively to any other politician over the past dozen years.

The report was released by the Center for Public Integrity, a Washington-based research organization that produces investigative articles on special interests and ethics in government. Its staff includes journalists and researchers.

The Center concluded that most of the 10 largest contracts went to companies that employed former high-ranking government officials, or executives with close ties to members of Congress and even the agencies awarding their contracts
So, the contracts for rebuilding Iraq go to the companies who gave the most money to Bush. This isn't particularly surprising, but it really should be getting more attention as its so clearly unethical. Many of these companies, as the article points out have employed high-ranking government officialis in the past. What surprises me is how blatant this is. Give money to Bush, get a big contract. How is this not bribery?

forgot the link:
http://www.salon.com/news/wire/2003/10/30/donations/index.html

i can´t understand why bush&gang are still allowed to run the white house .........
friggin´ country ,i swear :bugeye:

Because the ever so wise American voters have elected the entire three branches a republican morass. Thus there is no opposition to Bush, unless republicans can't even stand it. :bugeye:

http://www.publicintegrity.org/wow/

http://www.publicintegrity.org/wow/images/gr_01.png

Surely this is already common knowledge, just seems no one cares.
Its not just who got the contracts that is un-ethical but also the contracts themselves.
The Cost-Plus Basis contracts (The more money you waste and piss away and invoice us for the more profit you get and we won't ask questions, charge us £2,000,000 for a gold plated JCB if you want we pay for it....sorry the American Tax Payer and the "Reconstruction Funds" pay for it.)

And the Immunity from the law granted to anything related to the word "oil" as long as your American.

Well it doesn't take an ignoramus to realize that the companies who donate the most money to elect the President get special treatment.


oh wait....maybe it does :rolleyes:


unreg