SAIC at the Trough

That's short for the Science Applications International Corporation, which sounds very, uhhhm, scientific. Tell me if you heard about this one in the news.... They were responsible for implementing the FBIs new computer system, which was to facilitate the sharing of intelligence on such high-priority issues as terrorism. Turns out that it's a dud. The system is being scrapped. The government spent $171,000,000 on the project. (That's $171 million, folks.) SAIC will still retain $100 million of that amount.

Here's a little info on SAIC*

They have contributed, in the last four years,
$45,000 to the National Republican Congressional Committee
$45,000 to the National Republican Senatorial Committee
$30,000 to Bush's re-election effort in 2004.
And last but not least......
$600,000 to Republican candidates since the year 2000. (NOTE: they contributed $400,000 to Dem candidates during the same period. Smooth.)

Their distinguished staff?

One Admiral William Owens, who went from being an SAIC CEO to join Rumsfeld's Defense Policy Board (which includes such luminaries as Newt Gingrich and Richard Perle).
A former senior VP, Christopher Henry, went on to become an aid to Doug Feith-- the man responsible for coordinating *cough* SAIC's no-bid Iraq contracts. Like their efforts to train Iraqi security forces. You know-- the force that the prez and Con-job Rice estimate at 125,000, and others estimate at...... 4,000.

*This information comes from Christie Harvey of the Center for American Progress, and I'm relating it as it was heard on a radio appearance of hers on January 19 of this year. Kiss kiss, Christie.