Corruption of a Third World scope and scale . . . but are we surprised anymore? Of course we are not.

From the Washington Post, among other sources.

Halliburton Subsidiary Taps Contract For Repairs

By Lolita C. Baldor
Associated Press
Monday, September 5, 2005; A20

An Arlington-based Halliburton Co. subsidiary that has been criticized for its reconstruction work in Iraq has begun tapping a $500 million Navy contract to do emergency repairs at Gulf Coast naval and Marine facilities damaged by Hurricane Katrina.
...
Vice President Cheney headed Halliburton from 1995 to 2000, and Democrats have questioned whether the firm received favorable treatment because of his connection.

Why are only Demoncrats questioning Sir Dick's ties with the behemoth that just happens to win no-bid federal contracts all the time? Such is the level of partisanship . . . I mean, I had a great time in the Clinton years but I don't think Democratic voters gave him a free pass or considered him to be "Saint Bill". But any criticism of the administration is deemed unpatriotic, disloyal. Thus you get people like this Brown guy in charge of FEMA who are inept morons reaping the benefits of blatant nepotism. What is this, the friggin' mafia?

From Salon.com War Room the other day:

Brownie and the gang

Salon editorial fellow J.J. Helland surveys the political patronage that crippled FEMA.

War Room reported yesterday on FEMA Director Michael Brown's dubious professional credentials -- specifically his record as a failed lawyer; a fallout with his previous employer, the International Arabian Horse Association, over charges of impropriety; and the patronage that landed him his plum assignments with FEMA. A new report on the Time magazine Web site delves deeper into Brown's lack of qualifications for his post.
Brown isn't the only senior official at the federal agency with little experience in dealing with natural disasters, and more evidence has emerged indicating that the agency's ability to adequately respond to disasters like Katrina has been totally undermined by political cronyism. The Los Angeles Times reports that Brown "is just one of at least five senior FEMA officials appointed under President Bush whose backgrounds showed few qualifications."