....Remember, though, with the George W. Bush gang, there is no such thing as a conflict of interest.
Just ask Richard Perle. He's a member and former chairman of the Defense Policy Board, a group that meets regularly and advises top Pentagon officials.
In August, Perle co-authored an op-ed piece in the Wall Street Journal, giving glowing praise to a deal in which the Air Force would lease 100 aircraft refueling tankers from Boeing. Critics howled that the plan to spend $20 billion to refit the 767s for military purposes was unnecessary and ridiculously costly.
Several weeks ago, I wrote about the stench of the deal, and now we learn the Air Force procurement officer who worked on the Boeing proposal was at the same time negotiating an employment contract to go to work for the aircraft manufacturer.
Dareen Druyan did become a Boeing vice president, but when the lid on her self-dealing blew, she and the chief financial officer were fired. Boeing's CEO, Phil Condit, later walked the plank. There should be a criminal investigation, but don't count on John Ashcroft's Justice Department.
Back to Perle. He's known as the intellectual visionary behind the war with Iraq and he used his influence to convince the defense establishment of the wisdom of the pre-emptive attack.
Perle since said the war was "illegal," but what the hell, it's been great fun and profit for all those who didn't actually have to fight and die in the process. It turns out Perle, the mental giant, is a moral pygmy.
The British Financial Times found out this dirty little secret about Perle, the Prince of Darkness. It seems Boeing invested $20 million in the venture capital fund he runs. That's one of the largest stakes in Perle's little enterprise.
But he insists all those millions had no influence on his thinking about Boeing and he is sure the people from Boeing who handed him all that money had nothing to do with the tanker deal.
For Perle and so many Bush associates, government service, public policy, corporate and personal gain are all part of a seamless garment of influence and power. They are looting the treasury for their own enrichment and will continue to do so until the American people realize what's happening.
George W. Bush and his sleazy gang have but one guiding principle that dominates all they do.
They use public power and influence for private gain and will do just about anything to keep the power in order to keep the gain.
http://www.niagarafallsreporter.com/gallagher144.html
thought jim made that clear? Give us a break! We don't send you to Rush's site...
