ARTICLE SYNOPSIS:

The House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, chaired by Henry Waxman (D-Calif.), questioned ex-Ambassador to Iraq Paul Bremer about the fate of 363 tons of Federal Reserve Notes which were shipped from New York City to Baghdad in 2004. According to the committee report, the $12 billion in cash is mostly unaccounted for.

Follow this link to the source article: "Dems grill Bremer on billions missing in Iraq"

COMMENTARY:

Remind me again, which one is supposed to be the party of fiscal responsibility? Ironically, liberal California Representative Henry Waxman is having hearings on "wasteful government spending," a redundancy if I've ever heard one. One of the most glaring wastes of money highlighted by the committee so far is the disappearance of 363 tons of cash sent to Baghdad in 2004, amounting to $12 billion. 

Waxman's committee questioned ex-Ambassador to Iraq, Paul Bremer, (the recipient of a Presidential Medal of Freedom in December for his fine work in Iraq), about the missing money. According to the Denver Post, "Bremer acknowledged making mistakes but said that overall - given the violence and the sorry state of Iraq's economy - he did the best he could."

"The United States sent $12 billion in shrink-wrapped $100 bills from New York to Baghdad in 2004 and distributed the cash with no control over who received the money or how it was distributed," the Post reported. The money was supposed to be used to pay Iraqi government employees and private contractors. The committee's auditors raised the possibility of "ghost employees." In one case, an Iraqi ministry that had 602 actual guards had over 8,000 "guards" on its payroll.

Increasing the irony of the pot calling the kettle black, California Republican Representative Darrell Issa ridiculed the committee's hearings as strictly "a show." Apparently, the Republicans are fearful that exposure of blatant government waste might "undermine the war effort." Again, which party claims fiscal responsibility?

If you didn't hear about the disappearance of 363 tons of cash, a feat that would make David Copperfield proud, it's probably because the story got spiked due to the fact that much more important news was breaking last week. After all, a deranged female astronaut in a diaper and the death of a pitiful blonde bimbo are of much greater import to the fate of our nation than a few dollars.

However, since Mr. Waxman is apparently concerned with saving government money, perhaps I could make this suggestion. Since our neo-con friends seem very determined to make war on Iran, but don't seem to have much public support, perhaps they might consider loading B-52's with $100 bills stamped, "Uncle Sam is Your Friend," and drop them over Teheran.

In the long run, it will probably be cheaper, the results will be better, and it will save a lot of American lives.