Why can't President Obama stop the pentagon from letting KBR and

[Maraya1969]

Halliburton from working in Iraq? Keith Olbermann just said that KBR is hired to fix the showers that are sending electricity through the showers!

Why can't Obama make them hire a firm by a bidding process? This shit was made by bush and needs to be fixed.

[tabatha]

1. That question was asked today at the online event.

Obama said they will be working on that.

[OHdem10]

2. The Same Reason that he cannot do anything about trade policy

cannot really do anything about Health Care and Middle Class
Tax Cuts: Corporatism

Think about it ---who really runs the country.

[Maraya1969]

5. I believe that Obama wants to change things. The fact that he called

out the first corporate jet got by the stimulus and how he is trying to get the bonus monies back makes me think he wants to get involved with the corporations.

Cheney got Halliburton into Iraq. If Cheney could get them in why can't Obama get them out?

[OHdem10]

7. I believe Obama wants to do things. However, once he got into

the WH, he got the Message.

The very same pattern as with Bill Clinton.

[karynnj]

10. Not the same pattern as Clinton

Clinton ran as a conservative Democrat. He made a point of flying back to Arkansas to see a controversial death penalty sentence carried out. Both Clinton supported the Reagan foreign policy of aiding the Contras (though I assume they wanted this done legally, not covertly.) Clinton ran on restarting the economy. He did have a booklet "putting people first", but he was never the candidate of the left. He was the second Presidential candidate of the DLC - Al Gore in 1988 was the first.

If anything, he might have seemed to move to the LEFT when in office, he and HRC put a huge amount of effort into healthcare.

[Maraya1969]

12. No because I think Clinton would not have done anything about these people

abusing their financial bailout money.

[jody]

3. Because corporatists control senate, house, oval orifice, and both parties. n/t

[frazzled]

4. Because you have to wind things down

It would be nice if we could cut Halliburton off with the flick of a switch all at once, but there are untold (bad) services being provided that have to go on, and procuring all the new sources can't happen overnight.

Remember, we are going to be getting new procurement rules very soon. Then we will see Halliburton being "wound down."

[stillcool]

6. I think if he were to push too hard..

against the Pentagon with no cover from Congress, he wouldn't live out his term. The Pentagon is all those defense industries.

[Kdillard]

8. I have a feeling you are right but I am going to hope that he meant what he said and will be

working on making sure they get no contracts.

[ShortnFiery]

9. Hell, forget KBR, Obama can't end the Iraqi war as he promised. We will occupy those two

countries (Afghanistan and Iraq) until the Pentagon desires us to bomb Iran.

The Pentagon and Wall Street (Master-Blaster) runs the USA (Barter Town). :wow:

[karynnj]

11. Because - even if this was a large major job in the United States,

it would take time to define the job and put out bids at the end of the existing contract. (If in January, we were not near the end, they would need to make the case (which is easy) that KBR didn't perform adequately to kick them out). Obama has been in office 2 months.

As it is in Iraq and Afghanistan, it might be that there are few companies that could instantly take over. I agree they need to go, but am realistic that it might take time to do so. What they immediately need to do is to increase the inspections on everything they do.

[Maraya1969]

13. We need 2 more votes before 8:48 PM today.