David Brooks sounding like the most naive big-government apologist: “The fact is that unlike the Congressional pork barrel machine, the federal procurement system is a highly structured process, which is largely insulated from crass political pressures.... some parts of our government really do make their decisions on the merits.” Clearer statements of the facts concerning the Bush-Halliburton connection are here, here, here, here, and just about everywhere. State Department spokeman Richard Boucher is certainly right that the process is transparent.
