On Tue, 14 Feb 2006 12:57:33 GMT, "Jay Honeck"
wrote in
1tkIf.798152$xm3.724032@attbi_s21::

Across society, manners have become uncommon.

It starts at the top:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn...2004Jun24.html
"**** yourself," said the man who is a heartbeat from the
presidency.

As it happens, the exchange occurred on the same day the Senate
passed legislation described as the "Defense of Decency Act" by 99
to 1.


http://www.cnn.com/2004/ALLPOLITICS/06/24/cheney.leahy/
Cheney is the former CEO of Halliburton, and Democrats have
suggested that while serving in the Bush administration he helped
win lucrative contracts for his former firm, including a no-bid
contract to rebuild Iraq.


http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2004/...in620517.shtml
Halliburton took in $3.6 billion last year from contracts to serve
U.S. troops and rebuild the oil industry in Iraq. Halliburton
executives say the company is getting about $1 billion a month for
Iraq work this year.

In March, the Pentagon said it plans to withhold about $300
million in payments to the company because of possible
overcharging for meals served to troops in Iraq and Kuwait.

Halliburton's other problems include allegations of a kickback
scheme by two former workers in Kuwait that prompted Halliburton
to reimburse the Pentagon $6.3 million; faulty cost estimates on
the $2.7 billion contract to serve troops in Iraq, including
failing to tell the Pentagon that KBR fired two subcontractors;
and a separate audit that accused KBR of overcharging by $61
million for gasoline delivered to serve the civilian market in
Iraq last year. Halliburton has said the charges were proper.

Halliburton paid $2 million in 2002 to settle charges it inflated
costs on a maintenance contract at now-closed Fort Ord in
California.

Federal authorities also are investigating whether Halliburton
broke the law by using a subsidiary to do business in Iran,
whether the company overcharged for work done for the Pentagon in
the Balkans and whether it was involved in an alleged $180 million
bribery scheme in Nigeria. The company admitted in 2003 that it
improperly paid $2.4 million to a Nigerian tax official.

Previous reports indicate Halliburton studied the possibility of
privatizing Pentagon contracts when Cheney was defense secretary,
then was awarded one of the first private deals. Cheney became CEO
after leaving the Pentagon.

A financial disclosure form obtained by CBSNews.com indicates that
Cheney received deferred income from the firm after becoming vice
president.