The Other McCain

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Remember That ‘Culture of Corruption’?

Posted on | April 19, 2010 | 3 Comments

It’s back!

Politically connected staffers in Hillary Rodham Clinton’s State Department twisted arms to steer a $5.4 million contract for crystal stemware to a tiny interior-design firm without putting it out for bid . . .
Two senior State Department contracting officials, Randolph Bennett and Tandra Jones, successfully pushed for the contract to go to a firm run by Denise Mathis-Gardner as a no-bid minority “8(a)” contract, the source said — an action that one shut-out competitor complained cost taxpayers an extra $1 million.
The contracted firm, Systems Design Inc., based in Washington’s Georgetown neighborhood, had no experience making glassware, and its owner had only recently emerged from bankruptcy proceedings, the source said. . . .
“These two [Bennett and Jones] went down to the small-business office and insisted that we have an 8(a) company — have this company SDI do our contract,” the source said.
“They [SDI] don’t know how to make glass. The glassware is being made in Sweden.” . . .
Records show Bennett gave $1,000 to Barack Obama’s presidential campaign, $2,000 to the Obama Victory Fund and $2,300 to the Democratic National Committee for the inauguration.

The Obama administration: Transparent as Swedish crystal!

Category: Corruption

Comments

3 Responses to “Remember That ‘Culture of Corruption’?”

  1. Remember That ‘Culture of Corruption’? It’s back! « Thoughts Of A Conservative Christian
    April 19th, 2010 @ 9:04 am

    […] Remember That ‘Culture of Corruption’? It’s back! April 19, 2010 — budsimmons Remember That ‘Culture of Corruption’? […]

  2. Largebill
    April 19th, 2010 @ 2:43 pm

    Hory clap! $5,400,000.00 for crystal stemware??? We are talking drinking glasses for millions of dollars? Are they replacing all their glasses at every embassy at once? If so, why? Did Secretary Rice order all glasses destroyed when the last administration left office? No? Well, I didn’t really think so. All these instances of fraud, waste or abuse get dismissed (even by some on the right) as minor when compared to the total budget. BS! The budget is made up of millions of different expenditures and we should care about all of them. If you care about your pennies then your dollars will take care of themselves. My wife just bought a dozen wine glasses at IKEA for $5. Not sure what we need a dozen wine glasses for, but I’m damn glad she doesn’t get shopping advice from the State Department. Someone should be in a prison over this garbage, but my guess is no one will even be chewed out (except my wife for wasting five bucks).

  3. Largebill
    April 19th, 2010 @ 9:43 am

    Hory clap! $5,400,000.00 for crystal stemware??? We are talking drinking glasses for millions of dollars? Are they replacing all their glasses at every embassy at once? If so, why? Did Secretary Rice order all glasses destroyed when the last administration left office? No? Well, I didn’t really think so. All these instances of fraud, waste or abuse get dismissed (even by some on the right) as minor when compared to the total budget. BS! The budget is made up of millions of different expenditures and we should care about all of them. If you care about your pennies then your dollars will take care of themselves. My wife just bought a dozen wine glasses at IKEA for $5. Not sure what we need a dozen wine glasses for, but I’m damn glad she doesn’t get shopping advice from the State Department. Someone should be in a prison over this garbage, but my guess is no one will even be chewed out (except my wife for wasting five bucks).