Comments on: Your Government At Work

By: pdt1420

pdt1420 — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 12:46:32 +0000

walter, B&W was making money before McDermott set them free. I would know, I worked in the research center… even though I know NOTHING about what these crazy scientists and engineers do. Witchcraft, I say…

Oh, and did you figure that small business thing out?

By: Da King

Da King — Sun, 02 Aug 2009 18:13:47 +0000

These reunions are so touching.

By: frank

frank — Sun, 02 Aug 2009 16:48:20 +0000

Frank,
Daddy!

By: Frank

Frank — Sun, 02 Aug 2009 13:26:56 +0000

Government intrusion? Ever read the Patriot Act? Our congress didn't and they passed that, the most intrusive piece of garbage ever……

Deficits? Bush took office with Clinton's surplus. Where the hell did that go? Oh Bush made sure to spend it so we couldn't fix healthcare.

Every Conservative should be run out of the country, they don't like it here anyway….

By: Da King

Da King — Sun, 02 Aug 2009 00:58:18 +0000

Sorry to hear about your father.

By: walter

walter — Sat, 01 Aug 2009 18:19:00 +0000

merger? My understanding was that Halliburton set KBR free because the asbestos settlement was dragging Halliburton into the red and KBR was still a money maker. On the local scene, McDerrmot set B&W free and now B&W is making money.

My Dad died of mesothelioma……for a guy who went thru life weighing about 185 lbs, when he died he weighed about 80

By: Da King

Da King — Sat, 01 Aug 2009 12:02:27 +0000

Excuse me, walter. KBR is a FORMER division of Halliburton. I forgot about the merger a few years back.

By: pdt1420

pdt1420 — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 21:43:11 +0000

hey walter, did you ever figure out that "small business" thing?

How's your home refi going?

By: N. E. Frye

N. E. Frye — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 21:29:50 +0000

Do we have a blogger here who actually knows what he's talking about? Who let him in?

By: frank

frank — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 03:22:35 +0000

Mssrs. Frye, walter, and King,
KBR started out as a pipe manufacturer. It became an engineering firm specializing in the oil industry. It was acquired by Halliburton in 1962. At that time it was infamous for having bankrolled LBJ. In 1992, Defense Secretary Cheney hired them to produce an analysis which recommended privatizing as much of the military as possible. When Cheney left government, Halliburton made him their CEO, making him a very rich man. KBR has become famous for being awarded no bid contracts, their electric showers, overcharging the federal government, bribing foreign officials, and running shell companies in the Cayman Islands to avoid federal taxes. Apparently, Halliburton spun off the company about two years ago to rid itself of the bad publicity and possible legal ramifications.

By: South

South — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 01:03:18 +0000

Well as a person from the south I can say that comment was very idiotic. Hopefully Ohio will vote him out next term.

By: walter

walter — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 00:40:44 +0000

King sez……"KBR is a division of Halliburton."….HUH?

Gordon S. Heddell became the Acting Inspector General for the U.S. Department of Defense on July 14, 2008. He has been the Inspector General at the U.S. Department of Labor since January 2001. That would make him a what….a Bush/Cheney/Boehner appointee?

just saying

By: Da King

Da King — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 19:26:30 +0000

walter,
why would you think the Defense Dept's inspector general would rely on KBR for his info ? Other than that's what you WANT to believe, of course. The IG (think Walpin) is independent, unlike yourself. The IG is SUPPOSED to look for corruption.

By: Da King

Da King — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 19:20:25 +0000

KBR is a division of Halliburton. It's a private corporation that does work for the military in Iraq and Afghanistan for both the Bush and Obama administrations. Cheney used to be the CEO of Halliburton before he became the VP. Liberals think denigrating Halliburton is the same as denigrating Bush/Cheney, even though Halliburton has been doing work for the military for decades. That's why walter brought it up.

By: N. E. Frye

N. E. Frye — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 18:44:27 +0000

I never heard of KBR and don't have any clue as to its relation to expenditures of the OB administration. I guess though that you're saying government contractors should be held to extremely high standards; something like absolute liability. Good idea. Do we have a Czar to handle this? Surely we must.

Remember though that Csars, Secretaries, Assistant Secretaries, Directors, Deputy Directors, Chiefs, Vice Chiefs, Deputy Assistant Vice Chiefs, etc are all subject to the spoils system, Sooner or later every job worth holding is sucked into it. "You're doing a Helluva job, Brownie!"

By: The Reverend

The Reverend — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 18:18:46 +0000

Explaining……the quote in my last comment is from your link. The Lewin Group mention is right in the body of the text you linked to.

By: walter

walter — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 17:03:26 +0000

so let me get this straight……."Houston-based military contractor KBR Wednesday vigorously denied responsibility for the deaths of at least 16 military personnel known to have been electrocuted in Iraq since the U.S.-led invasion." so we agree, KBR are stone cold liars.

I would tend to doubt that Sen. Frank Lautenberger relied on information from KBR. I would tend to think that Heddell WOULD rely on information from KBR.

just saying

By: Da King

Da King — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 15:42:09 +0000

No doubt, walter.

But the LiveLeak story also said this:

"Gordon Heddell, the Defense Department's acting inspector general, told the committee that many were killed when they came into contact with power lines during work or combat. But four of the 16 died because of ungrounded or faulty electrical equipment, and three were electrocuted while attempting to repair bad equipment, he said."

That indicates not all the deaths are attributable to KBR, only a few are.

And maybe you didn't notice, but I WAS TRYING TO AGREE WITH WHAT YOU SAID about KBR's shoddy work, you loon.

By: walter

walter — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 15:28:41 +0000

from King's liveLeak link……"Houston-based military contractor KBR Wednesday vigorously denied responsibility for the deaths of at least 16 military personnel known to have been electrocuted in Iraq since the U.S.-led invasion."

of course they are going to deny it……who wouldn't? Probably advised by their lawyer to do just that.

roybot…..so I get information from lefty sites…….you haven't proven them wrong yet…..LOL

By: Da King

Da King — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 15:22:06 +0000

You know I'm here just to make you feel better, walt.

By: walter

walter — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 15:12:58 +0000

King sez……"But the claim that KBR is responsible for 16 deaths is overstating things. They probably were responsible for one, though, and may have been responsible for up to four."

oooohhhhh, that makes me feel much better

By: Da King

Da King — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 13:13:34 +0000

walter is at least partially right about KBR's shoddy electrical work in Iraq and Afghanistan. General Petraeus has even complained about it. KBR is outsourcing a lot of the work to unqualified workers from other countries who don't meet US standards.

But the claim that KBR is responsible for 16 deaths is overstating things. They probably were responsible for one, though, and may have been responsible for up to four.

http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=1e7_1217489874

By: Da King

Da King — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 12:49:06 +0000

joe,
Excellent. About the only job that requires no qualifications is POLITICIAN, and they are the people who run things. You couldn't make that up, nobody would believe it.

By: Da King

Da King — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 12:45:38 +0000

larry,
I'm a terrorist on weekends. That's why conservatives like walter don't like me.

Speaking of walter, have you ever known a conservative who quotes The Nation, Think Progress, and Media Matters ? I guess he's one of those new Michael Moore conservatives you hear so much about.

By: Da King

Da King — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 12:42:15 +0000

Rev,
I read through the Hennessey link twice and I didn't see any mention of the Lewin Group. Please explain.

In any case, the numbers still come from the CBO.