Thursday, September 11, 2008

Red & Blue Fight Over PEU's


Republicans and Democrats compete for the right to send trillions in federal spending in the direction of their favored private equity underwriters. The Blue team favors green corporations, while the Red squad likes anything with the potential to provide gargantuan profits.

NYT's Dealbook reported on some of the latest draft choices by notable PEU's:

Governor George Pataki-MidOcean Partners
Vice President Al Gore-Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers
President Bill Clinton-Ron Burkle's Yucaipa Funds
President George H.W. Bush-The Carlyle Group*
General Colin Powell-Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers
General Peter Pace-Behrman Capital
Governor Jeb Bush-Lehman Brothers

*The Carlyle Group has a scroll like list of ex-government insiders. They even have one of their own, Dov Zakheim, on the President's Commission for Wartime Contracting in Iraq & Afghanistan.

This portends a continuation of the disastrous contracting of critical U.S. government functions and infrastructure. Those who cannot lead or manage, contract. Will they ever learn?