The Fort Wayne News Sentinel ran an AP story on Moveon.org’s latest salvo against Chris Chocola.
The ads say the lawmakers accepted thousands of dollars in donations from defense contractors and then “opposed penalties for contractors like Halliburton who overcharged the military in Iraq.”
The article goes on to quote a Chocola spokesperson as complaining that the ads are misleading.
But, here is my real problem with the article. It left me no wiser as to the basis of Moveon.org’s claim about Chocola’s vote against penalizing profiteering defense contractors and the reality of the situation. Did Chris Chocola have the opportunity to save taxpayers money and better serve the troops by voting in favor of penalties for contractors who do not honor their contracts or who inflate their profits by overcharging? Did he take advantage of the opportunity?
Perhaps I could dig up the documents myself, but I’m a lowly blogger doing this in my spare time. The Associated Press has actual reporters and stuff. I’d prefer some facts where they’re available instead of this “he said/she said” brand of political reporting.
Actual analysis of evidence would be considered “taking sides” by the media. Plus it involves reporter time, which costs money and therefore is deemed to be wasteful by the corporate media.
As many of you know I spent some time in the Navy and I am a big fan of the military.
That being said, they waste money like few other government agencies. We have too many “no-bid” contracts, defense contractors are not held to their quotes and terms, and politicians fund projects solely based on how much pork it will bring to their district.
If you look at pork barrel spending of all kinds, military and civilian, it is spread almost exactly evenly between Republicans and Democrats. When the Democrats are in power they spend a little more pork, the same is true of The Republicans because their members have leadership positions on committees.
Neither The Dems or Reps have any reason to attack the other on this topic; both are guilty.
I know little about Chocola. I hope someone can turn up some actual facts…
Mike Syvlester
Libertarian
Check out Fort Wayne Observed for a story about another “orphan” Knight Ridder paper that actually – gasp – reported on the fact that it was being sold. This is a story that, although it similarly affected Fort Wayne’s News Sentinel, went completely uncommented on by the N-S (or the Journal Gazette) until the sale was announced. I think of it as relevant to your post, Doug, because it shows that motivated journalists DO exist. Just not at the News Sentinel, apparently.
The vote in question was a resolution to penalize contractors who overcharge the government in cases of military contracts or in disaster relief. The MoveOn ads showed Halliburton, although (admittedly) Chocola never received money from Halliburton. He did receive money from other contractors, but Halliburton is an overcharging contractor that everyone knows. The implication is clear, but the right wing nitpickers jumped all over the discrepency. MoveOn should have been more careful; next time, leave the creative license at home.