No comments? I guess no one else was surprised either, especially in this area, where federal contractors have on-staff lobbyists to lay the pressure on, and dangle post-retirement carrots in front of the government parties.

One day, Americans will look back at this period and wonder why they missed the greatest rip off in history. The amount of money being bilked out of government now by 'no bid' contracts, and general sleaze is beyond belief. Its our money, we've got to crack down on it.

Hopefully in 13 months a new congress can investigate the last 7 years of pillage and coruption,without a white house that can pardon all the criminal acts.and bring some of those responsible to justice.

As long as the interdependent 2-party system remains intact, neither party will do much to upset the applecart. As long as a 2-party dynamic is at work, the career tracks of professional politicians/lobbyists will not change.

I suggest you sharpen your pitchforks, Americans! They won't give up their mob-like system of payoffs and favors voluntarily!

VOTE OUT EVERY INCUMBENT. EVERY TIME.

The continued reminders on this blog that the Federal Government procurement system is corrupt and out of control is depressing. Even more depressing is that us lowly taxpayers have little hope of changing it. Having said that - I must encourage you to eep digging, keep routing out the problems, keep shining the light on the corruption. The only way this is going to change is to keep the pressure on and like the other response said - VOTE OUT EVERY INCUMBENT EVERY SINGLE TIME. It is time the taxpayer took back government. For those who think that it will change under a new administration, get real. They are all the same.

OK. One more time. HARRY TRUMAN as Senator headed the Committee that review incidents of war profiteering. "Senate Special Committee to Investigate the National Defense Program" It was estaablished before WW II. Some of industrial biggies and their jobbers in US industry got caught, US Steel comes to mind as one. Truman did such a good job that he made the cover of Time Magazine and Roosevelt picked him to be his VP. (even though FDR didn't want the Committee to be set up at the time and perhaps with Mr. Truman's selection was called "a traitor to his class."). Mr. Truman was a "hands on Man." He and his wife would drive in their personal Dodge to sites that were suspected of short changing the country and the military. David McCullough's Truman tells this tale much better but I think Truman's zealosy had its beginnings when he was an artillary capdtain in WWI. He saw action, led troops that were at first poorly trained, and used equipment and ammunition that would US military leaders gnawing the carpet in rage because of its quality and unreliabilty. President Bush and his Babbits, Rumsfield, Cheney, et. al. didn't. Perhaps this is part of the reason for the seeming indifference up to know about the exceeses of the modern version of profiteering. Prez. Bush had and has the opportunity to have Senate leaders set up a committee having powers similar to those of the Senate Special Committee to Investigate the National Defense Program." Why hasn't he? I dunno. Perhaps he sees Military Contractors as faith based organizations, above the laws of man and answerable only to their version of God. Beware guys Jesus is coming and boy is he pissed.

Sabagio, home alone in Decatur Georgia

Resurrect the Contract Renegotiation Board which, at the end of WW2 reviewed the large contracts awarded to industry under the War Powers Act. The review was for the purpose of determining if excess profits were generated and the Board had authority to determine and recoup those excess profits. The Board was in existence until the late fifties or early sixties, I believe and was legislated out of existence by pressure from the various industries. I may have the dates wrong but the Board recouped tons of monies unjustifiably earned by the large defense contractors. (former govt Contracting Officer for over 40 years)

Those who advocate throwing out the incumbents every time while simultaneously saying that both parties are alike should stop and think about their so-called solution. What good would it do to substitute one corrupt official for another of the same ilk?
Maybe the first step would be to organize a taxpayer strike. If 75% of taxpayers refused to pay until they achieved the power to review and approve of every line item in the budget by referendum, and every governmental expeniture above a certain amount and/or restrict the number of awards to a single contractor, then maybe ciorruoption could be greatly reduced. The cost would be some lost time and perhaps efficiency, but I doubt the latter since most of these awards are rip-offs and produce little value anyway.
To restate the problem: How can we return the government to the people's control? We do not have a true democracy now - we have a government-subsidized capitalist system wherin only very large capitalist organizations benefit. The media are equally corrupt and sustain this system by failing to exhibit any sense of outrage at the suituation. Occassional articles like this one by O'Harrow, are woefully ineffective at initiating any positive changes. Bloggers like me and the other responders may be outraged, but we, too, are equally ineffective at inducing change.
Remember, internal corruption contributed mightily to the decline of the Roman Empire.

Fair tax- Fair tax- Fair tax.
Take some of the power and control away from those that are abusing it. Those in the Senate and congress might start out with good intentions but they all end up playing the waste game. At least you get to spend your money before it`s taken away from you. Do yourself a favor and look at the Fair tax.