As promised…

…some thoughts on the saga of Bunnatine "Bunny" Greenhouse, the Corps of Engineers Principal Assistant Responsible for Contracting (PARC) charged with overseeing contracts related to provisions for our troops in Iraq and for the Iraqi reconstruction.

Over the last year or so, after a string of exemplary performance reports, Greenhouse, who came to her job with two decades of procurement experience, both in the private sector and for the DoD, has found herself demoted and under fire.

Her sin?

She has asked many questions: Why is Halliburton - a giant Texas firm that holds more than 50 percent of all rebuilding efforts in Iraq - getting billions in contracts without competitive bidding? Do the durations of those contracts make sense? Have there been violations of federal laws regulating how the government can spend its money?

Umm, isn't that her job? Isn't that the whole point of Federal Acquisition Requirement 3.101, which dictates that "Government business shall be conducted in a manner above reproach ... with complete impartiality and with preferential treatment for none," is all about?

Wingnut conspiracy theorists may muse about Greenhouse (a registered independent, and the wife of a career Army officer) being some kind of liberal plant, but isn't carefully monitoring federal expenditures, making sure that full measure is delivered for every dollar expended, and that every dollar is allocated and awarded in strict compliance with the law an inherently conservative process? Or is this just one more piece of evidence that there are no more conservatives in charge of Republican policy, but a cabal of radical destructionists out to loot our national treasure regardless of the damage left in their wake?

Decribed by General Joe Ballard (USA, Ret.), who originally hired Greenhouse during his tour as the head of the Corps of Engineers, as "...probably the most professional person I've ever met," the treatment Greenhouse is receiving at the hands of the administration is simply a disgrace. Even assuming that Haliburton had a reasonable response to each of her questions, they are still questions worth asking, questions that anyone who fulfills their oath as a federal employee is bound to ask. Greenhouse is very mindful of that oath.

"I took an oath of office. I took those words that I was going to protect the interests of my government and my country. So help me God," she says. "And nobody. Has the right. To take away my privilege. To serve my government. Nobody."

Her hustband, Aloyisus...

...watches what is happening to her and tries to bite his lip. "Bunny has a lot of faith. She really believes that someone will stand up and say, 'This is wrong.' But I don't think a person exists like that in the Department of Defense."

Not a single person? Who's running that place?

Oh, yeah…



Bunny Greenhouse is under political attack, and she needs some backup. As Gen. Ballard puts it…

What Bunny is caught up in is politics of the highest damn orde. This is real hardball they're playing here. Bunny is a procurement officer, she's not a politician. She's not trained to do this.

She needs, and deserves, all the help she can get. Contact your representatives in Washington and encourage them to join Congressmember Henry Waxman (D-CA), who has spoken out in support of Bunny Greenhouse. Write a blog post. Write the editor of your local paper. Call some talk shows. Make some noise.

Bunny Greenhouse has our financial back at the DoD. She needs us at her political back today.