outside observations

excerpts from politically-minded emails today:

Bush Suspended Requirement for Katrina Contractors to Have an Affirmative Action Plan for Veterans, Minorities, Women, and Disabled Persons. Bush's Labor Department has suspended requirements that government contractors have a written affirmative action plan addressing the employment of women, minorities, Vietnam veterans, and the disabled if the companies are first-time government contractors working on post-Katrina reconstruction. According to the New York Times, "the move comes as President Bush has tried to address the perception of unfairness in the government's response to the hurricane." According to Shirley J. Wilcher, the interim executive director of the American Association for Affirmative Action and former deputy assistant secretary for federal contract compliance, "It is not simply a paperwork exercise. It is the basis for companies to be mindful of their obligation not to discriminate." [New York Times, 9/20/05]


Bush Suspended Davis-Bacon Prevailing Wage Rules, Allowing Contractors to Hire Employees at Depressed Wages. Bush issued a proclamation for parts of Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida that suspends the Davis-Bacon Act of 1931- which requires employers to pay locally prevailing wages to construction workers on federally-financed projects- for Katrina-related work. While touted as a method to save taxpayers money, Bush's proclamation does not require contractors to pass on savings they accrue as a result of cutting wages. According to a Denver Post editorial, "Bush is now using Hurricane Katrina as an excuse to trash more than seven decades of labor law, allowing Katrina contractors to hire employees at whatever wages the depressed local conditions might warrant." [San Francisco Chronicle, 9/20/05; Columbus Dispatch, 9/19/05; Denver Post, editorial, 9/19/05]


This week the Bush Administration prevented witnesses from providing public testimony to the Senate Judiciary Committee about Able Danger, "a secret military unit that is said to have identified four of the Sept. 11 hijackers more than a year before the terrorist attacks." [Foxnews.com, 9/22/05] Even Republican members of Congress blasted the White House's unwillingness to be open and honest with the American people about our fight against terrorism.

The Bush White House has once again shown a preference for playing politics rather than protecting the American people from terrorist attacks. At every turn, this Administration has been unwilling to investigate its own officials, their friends and their cronies. Now, even Republicans in Congress are rebelling against Bush's inability to tell the truth about his Administration's failures. It's time for President Bush to stop stonewalling and demonstrate genuine leadership by working with Congress to independently and thoroughly answer the serious questions about our national security raised by the failures of Able Danger and the failed response to Katrina.

GOP Senator Arlen Specter (R-PA): Bush Administration Owes American People an Explanation. Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Arlen Specter blasted the Pentagon's decision not to allow five key officials to testify in front of his committee. "I think the Department of Defense owes the American people an explanation of what went on here. The American people are entitled to some answers." Specter also noted, "that looks to me like it may be obstruction of the committee's activities, something we will have to determine." [Reuters, 9/22/05; AP, 9/22/05; Foxnews.com, 9/22/05]

GOP Senator Charles Grassley (R-IA): Pentagon Wants to Avoid "Egg on Their Face." "A Pentagon spokesman had said the decision to limit testimony was based on concerns about disclosing classified information, but Senator Charles E. Grassley, Republican of Iowa, said he believed the reason was a concern 'that they'll just have egg on their face.'" [New York Times, 9/22/05]

GOP Representative Curt Weldon (R-PA): "There's something wrong with the system, and we should be able to discuss that." [Portland (Maine) Press-Herald, 9/22/05]