LAT: Defense nominee Robert Gates' business ties raise concerns

[DeepModem Mom]

Defense nominee's business ties raise concerns
Robert M. Gates' affiliations have some watchdogs worried about a revolving door between the private sector and government.
By Walter F. Roche Jr., Times Staff Writer
December 2, 2006

WASHINGTON — In the 14 years since he left government, former CIA director Robert M. Gates has jetted cross-country to advise 10 different companies, assessing issues as varied as Saudi oil drilling, mutual fund performance and restaurant sales at Romano's Macaroni Grill.

"I first sought him out because I considered him to be of exceptional good judgment and intelligence," said Rodney B. Mitchell, president of the Mitchell Group, a Houston investment firm that used Gates as a senior advisor. Impressed with Gates' recent performance as president of Texas A&M University, Mitchell believed Gates offered "pragmatism" to a firm that aims "to exploit the rapidly changing dynamics of world energy markets."

But as Gates awaits Senate confirmation as President Bush's secretary of Defense, ethics watchdogs worry about the revolving door between government and private business that allowed Gates to align himself with defense contractors, investment houses and a global drilling company involved with Vice President Dick Cheney's former employer, Halliburton Co.

Companies with which Gates has been affiliated have secured hefty no-bid Pentagon contracts, and "you have to wonder if these companies will continue to get around bidding requirements once Gates is secretary," said Alex Knott, political director of the Center for Public Integrity, a Washington-based watchdog group.

Common Cause, another nonprofit watchdog, believes Gates should take steps now to insulate himself, including placing his stock holdings — some of which he acquired in return for board service — in a blind trust to avoid conflicts of interest with companies seeking federal work....

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-gates2dec02,0,2079095.story?coll=la-home-nation

[Peace Patriot]

1. Common Cause is always right there. So helpful. Like, how to fix our

election system? Give more billions in electronic voting contracts to rightwing Bushite corporations for upgrades from their criminally non-transparent touchscreens, to their criminally semi-transparent optiscans. Paper trail magic will do the rest. (And, no, no, no, don't look at the man behind the curtain!)

Blind trust, my ass. They can't find somebody to run the Pentagon who isn't tied to the Thief of Baghdad?

[stillcool]

2. no one they'd accept...

I understand their need to have a player, but you'd think they'd pick one with at least the perception of a few steps removed from the big boys. I would certainly think billionaires row could spit out some virgin names to fill those slots. The prize must be very dear.