• The President finally committed to redeploying troops from Iraq to Afghanistan after top military commanders conceded that the U.S. might not be winning the battle against the Taliban and Al Qaeda. On a similar line, news surfaced that the President has finally okayed Special Forces raids into Pakistan, the country where Osama bin Laden is thought to be living since early 2002. Better late than never. Don’t think so.
• The Pentagon couldn’t decide on the $40B aerial tanker competition that was waged between Airbus' parent/Northrop Grumman and Boeing. That tanker was once called vital to the upgrade of the Air Force’s refueling fleet. Defense Secretary Robert Gates has washed his hands of the matter, punting the tanker decision to the next Administration.• The virtual fence that was to be erected on the U.S./Mexico border, a high-tech showcase pitched to thwart illegal immigration, is now kaput. The fence was the centerpiece of the Bush Administration’s “Secure Border Initiative.” Cost overruns and delays are responsible for its demise. Dept. of Homeland Security estimates that the cost of SBI could triple from its current $8B outlay though 2013. Even worse, the 670-mile long physical fence is now $400M over budget. The Administration can’t even monitor construction of a real fence. We used to put men of the moon.
• The cronyism of the Bush Administration was on full ugly “Brownie, you’re doing a heckuva job” display with a report of sex, drugs and rock & roll at the Minerals Management Service. Those dedicated public servants who are responsible for overseeing leases with oil companies, had sex with energy company executives, enjoyed drinks at industry functions, smoked pot and snorted coke. High in the Rockies at MMS' headquarters, staffers were living the high life indeed. The Interior Dept. inspector described a “culture of ethical failure” at MMS. The report also scolded MMS staffers for not maintaining an arm’s-length relationship with energy officials. No pun intended.
• Lehman Brothers and Washington Mutual teeter on the edge. Questions about the prospects of American International Group arise. Those financial disasters follow the federal bailout of Fannie Mae and Freddy Mac. Is the federal government going to bail-out every company that comes before it with a tin cup? Stay tuned.
• The photo-op from hell capped a busy week. The President shared the stage with former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, the architect of the Iraq mess, at the unveiling the 9/11 Pentagon memorial. That image crystallizes all this nation has lost in lives, treasure and global status during the eight years of the Bush Administration.
January can’t come soon enough.