Why We Fight

Posted on 08/03/2010 at 10:29 am by Bob Cesca

This is easily one of the best Colbert segments ever. Almost too bizarre to be true. David H. Brooks is a screwball defense contractor who embezzled $200 million in taxpayer funds which he spent on porn, hookers and plastic surgery for his wife — and the body armor he produced didn’t work.

Oh, and by the way, this happens all the time. Defense spending is white collar welfare.

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  • danann

    Why cant they get a handle on the defense spending contracts. I dont understand how they get renewed in this light

  • http://www.politicalruminations.com/ nicole473

    White collar welfare, indeed.

  • http://www.flickr.com/photos/38911730@N05/3865216182/ bjritz

    Compassionate conservatism on display in fine form right there, yeah baby.We need to loose these corpo-warriors and audit the entire military industrial complex. There has to be more of this down there somewhere.

  • gescove

    From the Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction report 7/27/2010:”Weaknesses in DoD’s financial and management controls left it unable to properly account for $8.7 billion of the $9.1 billion in DFI funds it received for reconstruction activities in Iraq.”Weakness? More like deliberate blindness. War profiteers of every corrupt stripe need to be prosecuted.

  • Irish Girl

    Sadly, these shenanigans don’t surprise me. After Blackwater, now Xe, and Halliburton behavior came to light, is there anything that they a$$holes can do that will stop their contracts from getting renewed?I sometimes think we’re so focused on the wingnuts of the far right that we’re missing one of the biggest threats to our democracy….the rise in power of mercenaries. The role of the hired soldier and their lack of loyalty to anything but the mighty dollar has played a significant role in the downfall of many an empire.

  • Irish Girl

    oops, meant “these” a$$holes can do

  • indyinwc

    The fact that this guy got away with so much before actually getting caught is a testament to non-accountability. I’m assuming if he had stopped at a few million he wouldn’t have set off any alarms. When did he get busted I wonder? Gotta look him up. The recent story in the Washington Post about the growth of intellegence contractors goes along with this. Billions in defense contracts put out with no questions asked, and we’re surprised when the crooks show up?

  • ec

    If the Democrats framed unemployment compensation and defense contracts, there wouldn’t be a problem any more.

  • likala

    He said “pussy.” I didn’t know that was allowed. Color me surprised :)

  • likala

    Oh another surprise was Rachel saying “wingnut” last night. Things are really heating up on the teevee these days.

  • Allen Frederick

    Oh – and Bob’s post on Obama’s ending bringing home the Iraq troops? Turns out it’s not entirely true.———The reason Obama avoided saying this today likely stems from the fact that the units deployed in Iraq after August 31st 2010 will all be fully functional combat units. The only difference is that we will now call them by a different name, in which the word “combat” no longer appears. They are now termed “advise and assist brigades” by the administration, and the press dutifully reported this new term in their stories.No wonder the press missed it. They can’t be expected to take dictation and fact-check it too.———That was blogged by a “Firebagger” (copyright, bobcesca.com). Was it reported on bobcesca.com? No siree. We can’t let the facts get in the way of a good snarky post by Bob. And we certainly can’t let facts get in the way of a good White House press release.Obama – Just Like Bush, Only Worse.

  • Alan4s

    All of us schmucks who only get thier news from bobcesca.com would have missed that Mr. Frederick. You are so helpful. I mean really, we all thought they were shipping in the maids and accountant brigades, and sending the “real soldiers” home.Of course they are fully functional combat units. It’s the fucking Army!

  • likala

    Seriously Bob,How do you put up with this person?

  • likala

    Sorry Alan,I meant the other one.

  • Alan4s

    I knew that. ;-)

  • Pixie

    Bob, I love the power you have over the poor allen.

  • http://cousinavi.wordpress.com cousinavi

    Rage sharks are circling.

  • Allen Frederick

    Also note that Cenk Uygur is following up Bob’s spot by inviting a real progressive on today, David Sirota. Not coincidentally, the topic will be “The Value of Confrontation Over Conciliation”. As Sirota notes today:”The idea of confrontation is one that the American Left once valued. As evidence, just look at the tactics and subsequent successes of the civil rights, environmental, labor and women’s movements (to name a few). In the Obama era, however, confrontation is something the Left has seemed to shy away from. Many so-called “veal pen” groups that should be organizing issue-based confrontation with the Democratic Party have put their faith in a conciliatory posture, betting that a Democratic administration will ultimately do the right thing on its own”.Looking forward to seeing David today on Cenk, returning some much need credibility to the show and to give voice to a real progressive – not a veal pen member.

  • nicole473

    —>>>cousinavi……One of your incredibly delicious rants aimed at the idiot Allen Frederick would be so appropriate and enjoyed. :) —>>Allen FrederickYou are nothing but a republicon in disguise. Go away, you moron-Firebagger. http://www.obamaachievements.com/

  • nicole473

    Ya know, Bob, I believe that Allen-the-Witless-Frederick is actually jealous of your continuing/increasing success.Bawhahahaha……poor little Allen-the-Witless-Frederick.

  • Desert Crone

    And Cheney & Rumsfeld are the real Welfare Queens.

  • likala

    “Firebagger” (copyright, bobcesca.com)Did Bob really come up with that term? If so, good on ya Bob!At any rate,FIREBAGGER, FIREBAGGER, FIREBAGGER, FIREBAGGER,

  • http://www.politicalruminations.com/ nicole473

    LOL @ likala! :)

  • http://www.politicalruminations.com/ nicole473

    Allen Frederick said:—>>Looking forward to seeing David today on Cenk, returning some much need credibility to the show and to give voice to a real progressive – not a veal pen member.Hahahaha….”veal pen”. I might have used that term to describe yourself and your idol, Jane H. who teamed with Grover Norquist.On the other hand, “real Progressive” is certainly not a term I would use to describe you, Jane Hamsher, Ed Schultz or the rest of the minority of so-called Libs who seem to feel that allowing Recons to take control again is just peachy keen. After all, children have tantrums too.Make us laugh, you moron.

  • Pixie

    It makes me sad that people like jane, ed and others have hijacked the term “Progressives”; I cringe at people who aren’t looking for progress (isn’t that the base/root word of Progressives?), but for instant and complete fulfillment of their own agenda and desires. I don’t agree that we haven’t made the right kind of progress.And thank you, nicole473 for the link to the Obama Achievements. If we only hold someone’s feet to the fire and never acknowledge the positive things they’ve done, we’re poor caretakers of progress. Of course, allen is so deluded he thinks that Obama hasn’t accomplished one useful thing…poor allen.

  • http://tarackian.deviantart.com J M Ashby

    Well, when you see 10 billion paper dollars just magically dissapear from a pallet in Iraq, the immediate reaction (if you’re a douchebag) is to get in on the action.Allen, you’re a broken record. Give it up.

  • http://www.politicalruminations.com/ nicole473

    Pixie —>>It makes me sad that people like jane, ed and others have hijacked the term “Progressives”Yes, I feel the same way. As if we aren’t liberal enough if we disagree with their hammering on the President.I see them as less liberal, less progressive. I don’t know of any real liberal who would team with Grover Norquist. Gag me.I believe I first coined the term “Firebaggers”, Allen. I used it on Huffpost, and then here. I could be wrong, but I don’t think so. Everything you dislike is not Bob’s fault.

  • ec

    Is there any way that we could put his horses in a line with him facing them and let the horses tromp on loaded weapons until one of them gets a hit?

  • http://www.osborneink.com OsborneInk

    I think we should ask the families of dead vets and the wounded surviving vets to sit on his jury.

  • Desert Crone

    Every time bad Allen, not good Alan, gets on a thread,he gets us off the topic. He becomes the center of attention. Negative attention is better than no attenion for some folks. (I’m guilty of letting him distract me, too.). So unless his comment adds to the discussion, let’s just ignore him. You know, boycott him like we do Ed. I’m just saying . . . .