# Cheney does have monetary connections to Haliburton! **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [October 25, 2003, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cheney-does-have-monetary-connections-to-haliburton/209442 "2003-10-25T02:40:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Desmostylus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c57346/32.png) [@Desmostylus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Desmostylus)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2003, 9:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cheney-does-have-monetary-connections-to-haliburton/209442/21 "2003-10-26T09:06:44Z")
No, he didn’t. This was what Reeder quoted: > [@](#): > > The contract to do the work in Iraq, similar to work the company performed in both Bosnia and Kosovo, was competitively bid in 2001. **Part of the deliverables of that contract was a contingency plan** to fight oil well fires in case of war with Iraq. When the war began, Halliburton was **asked to implement the plan**. We were selected for this work because of our unique combination of business experience in defense contracting, engineering and construction and oilfield services. There’s a critical distinction there. They bid to **develop** a plan. Then they were asked to **implement** the plan, with no bids. ---
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2003, 9:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cheney-does-have-monetary-connections-to-haliburton/209442/22 "2003-10-26T09:13:53Z")
**reeder** , why don’t you bitch about [Haliburton selling gas to the Iraqi’s for 10 cents a gallon](http://www.npr.org/rundowns/rundown.php?prgId=2&prgDate=24-Oct-2003)? You’ll get a lot more sympathy that way. (click the link on the Haliburton story to hear them casually mention that Haliburton is paying $1.50 a gallon and selling to Iraqi’s for 10 cents a gallon.) ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2003, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cheney-does-have-monetary-connections-to-haliburton/209442/23 "2003-10-26T15:10:44Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Scylla \* > It didn’t dawn of them that people would hate them so much that they would abandon all reason and deliberately misrepresent what they did, just for the value of trying to make them look bad. Really? In the political climate that has prevailed since the Nixon debacle, it didn’t dawn on them? They’re not that stupid. But they _are_ that arrogant. > [@](#): > > No. It’s an indication fo the irrational blind stupidity and malice of the hateful stupid little people that are just looking for excuses to validate their hate. > > When they can’t find it in reality, they make it up. > > This is an entirely made up indictment of Cheney. There is nothing wrong morally or legally with Cheney’s mutual fund holdings. There is nothing “made up” about the appearance of impropriety. If Clinton had been a grown-up and just said “shucks folks, I done wrong” right up front, the whole thing would have died. My point is, _it doesn’t matter if there is nothing wrong morally or legally_. To make it go away, he needs to remove the pressure. To remove the pressure, he needs to remove what’s causing it. Arrogance will prevent him from doing so. > [@](#): > > This issue deserves a little more than a nose thumbing. The attack is pure slander. Actually, it would be “pure libel”. But it’s yet to be shown whether or not a conflict of interest exists. An ethics investigation will decide that, but in the court of public opinion, he’s already a condemned man. ---
**Author:** ![Scylla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a5b964/32.png) [@Scylla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scylla)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2003, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cheney-does-have-monetary-connections-to-haliburton/209442/24 "2003-10-26T16:29:52Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Chefguy \* > \*\* An ethics investigation will decide that, but in the court of public opinion, he’s already a condemned man. \*\* I don’t thinks so. I think the people pushing this shit have made a serious miscalculation. Back in school nobody liked the whiny little tattle tale who made up gossip and accusations. Cheney is not thumbing his nose at the people. The whiny bitches trying to create the appearance of improprietary are not the people. And in this escalating uncivil and dishonest political climate I think the people are sick to death of the muckrakers crying wolf. I think the people as a whole look at this and say “Look more bullshit.” ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2003, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cheney-does-have-monetary-connections-to-haliburton/209442/25 "2003-10-26T16:36:53Z")
Or it might be that the ongoing interlocking mutual masturbation of Big Biz and the Pubbies is so well known it hardly rates the raising of an eyebrow. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2003, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cheney-does-have-monetary-connections-to-haliburton/209442/26 "2003-10-26T16:54:05Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Scylla \* > \*\*I don’t thinks so. I think the people pushing this shit have made a serious miscalculation. > > Back in school nobody liked the whiny little tattle tale who made up gossip and accusations. > > Cheney is not thumbing his nose at the people. The whiny bitches trying to create the appearance of improprietary are not the people. > > And in this escalating uncivil and dishonest political climate I think the people are sick to death of the muckrakers crying wolf. > > I think the people as a whole look at this and say “Look more bullshit.” \*\* I don’t think any escalation is occurring. I think it’s politics as usual. The “tit for tat” game is out of control in this country, but we keep sending the same people to Washington and turn a blind eye to campaign reform legislation. Graft and corruption in politics has been every-day since politics began, but the ability to ferret it out has been raised to an artform. And we have become so desensitized to it that, as a voting public, we give a collective yawn when thugs like Cheney, Ashcroft, Rove and the rest are dragged out from under their rocks, hauled into public office, and then serve not the public, but themselves only. And I’m not just picking on the Republicans; they are just the current crop of flying monkeys occupying the White House. ---
**Author:** ![Lemur866](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lemur866/32/434_2.png) [@Lemur866](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lemur866)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2003, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cheney-does-have-monetary-connections-to-haliburton/209442/27 "2003-10-26T18:34:59Z")
I agree that it is ironic that Republicans are protected by the atmosphere that they themselves created…that all these allegations are nothing more than made-up scandalmongering. Nowadays you can’t get traction with a complicated scandal. You need a good old fashioned easily understandable scandal, like the president putting his penis in someone’s mouth, or an intern found dead in a ditch somewhere, or suitcases full of money handed out in hotel rooms, or claims for WMD that turn out to be false. Cronyism may be a problem, but it isn’t a scandal. You need more than that. ---
**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2003, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cheney-does-have-monetary-connections-to-haliburton/209442/28 "2003-10-26T19:11:00Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Scylla \* > And in this escalating uncivil and dishonest political climate I think the people are sick to death of the muckrakers crying wolf. You’re talking about [Richard Perle](http://198.65.138.161/military/library/news/2003/03/mil-030327-dod01.htm), and the whole Global Crossing impropriety thing here, RIGHT? 😉 Regardless of the ultimate legitimacy of the complaint, Cheney and company brought this scrutiny upon themselves by allowing some in the administration to play fast and loose with the conflict of interest rules. Who’s to know whether Cheney’s word is better than Perle’s if no one looks into the matter ? ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2003, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cheney-does-have-monetary-connections-to-haliburton/209442/29 "2003-10-26T23:24:04Z")
So how does it come to pass that a moderator can call a poster an idiot? Is that fair play in the pit? ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2003, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cheney-does-have-monetary-connections-to-haliburton/209442/30 "2003-10-26T23:27:48Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Lemur866 \* > \*\*I agree that it is ironic that Republicans are protected by the atmosphere that they themselves created…that all these allegations are nothing more than made-up scandalmongering. > > Nowadays you can’t get traction with a complicated scandal. You need a good old fashioned easily understandable scandal, like the president putting his penis in someone’s mouth, or an intern found dead in a ditch somewhere, or suitcases full of money handed out in hotel rooms, or claims for WMD that turn out to be false. > > Cronyism may be a problem, but it isn’t a scandal. You need more than that. \*\* Well said. The spin doctors are so adept at muddying the waters of corporate payoff and influence peddling, that it is nearly impossible to prove wrongdoing without spending hundreds of millions. And even then (as in the case of Whitewater), the taxpayer ends up with a big handful of nothing. Everyone (or everyone without a defend-Bush-right-or-wrong attitude) is fairly certain that this gang of thugs planned the Iraq war back in the 90s (I’ve provided cite on this in another thread). How large a leap of logic is it to believe they intended to profit by it? But how do you prove intent without a ‘smoking gun’ letter or other hard evidence? Unfortunately, if you gut enough prior legislation, install a barrage of security measures to intimidate the public, and bray about god being on your side, most investigative journalists will give a good long pause before tackling something that could land them in jail without a lawyer. ---
**Author:** ![Scylla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a5b964/32.png) [@Scylla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scylla)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2003, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cheney-does-have-monetary-connections-to-haliburton/209442/31 "2003-10-27T00:45:02Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Chefguy \* > \*\* > > Everyone (or everyone without a defend-Bush-right-or-wrong attitude) is fairly certain that this gang of thugs planned the Iraq war back in the 90s (I’ve provided cite on this in another thread). How large a leap of logic is it to believe they intended to profit by it? But how do you prove intent without a ‘smoking gun’ letter or other hard evidence? > > Unfortunately, if you gut enough prior legislation, install a barrage of security measures to intimidate the public, and bray about god being on your side, most investigative journalists will give a good long pause before tackling something that could land them in jail without a lawyer. \*\* Wow, that’s quite a sweeping set of beliefs you’ve instilled into everybody. Not that I don’t think you’re totally nuts, but I’ll play along. So, Cheney, who’s worth 100 million bucks or so, just doesn’t have enough. In order to get more he leaves his job as CEO of Halliburton and becomes the Vice President for like 200k a year or so. Him and George Bush have planned to start a war, get a bunch of Americans killed and cost 100 billion dollars or so, so that Halliburton and these other oil companies can get a foothold in Iraq and Middle East Oil. Then Cheney’s stock options will go up and he’ll somehow renege on the pledged to charity thing, and he’ll make another ten million or so when and if Halliburton stock goes up. Is that it? Cuz if it is, you’re a nut. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2003, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cheney-does-have-monetary-connections-to-haliburton/209442/32 "2003-10-27T02:40:25Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Scylla \* > \*\*So, Cheney, who’s worth 100 million bucks or so, just doesn’t have enough. > \*\* Of course not. No wealthy people do, nor do we poor folks for that matter. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Coldfire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a587f6/32.png) [@Coldfire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Coldfire)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2003, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cheney-does-have-monetary-connections-to-haliburton/209442/33 "2003-10-27T14:21:22Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by carnivorousplant \* > \*\*So how does it come to pass that a moderator can call a poster an idiot? Is that fair play in the pit? \*\* I was speaking as a poster, and yes, I too can call someone an idiot if they act like one. ---
**Author:** ![elf6c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/c57346/32.png) [@elf6c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elf6c)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2003, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cheney-does-have-monetary-connections-to-haliburton/209442/34 "2003-10-27T15:07:27Z")
**Reeder** could you at least try to find some unbiased cites? Or even find the _real story_- that the Congressional Research Service found that Cheney still had financial ties to Haliburton. Come on- _mutual funds_? You sound like an idiot. **Scylla** for someone who claimed they were being oppressed due to your political beliefs- you are sure quick to insults others. > [@](#): > > Not that I don’t think you’re totally nuts, but I’ll play along. > [@](#): > > Cheney is not thumbing his nose at the people. The whiny bitches trying to create the appearance of improprietary are not the people. > [@](#): > > No. It’s an indication fo the irrational blind stupidity and malice of the hateful stupid little people that are just looking for excuses to validate their hate. > > When they can’t find it in reality, they make it up. Oh, by the way, four more weeks to go on your Thanksgiving pledge. Have you decided if you are going to stand behind your pledge or not? > [@](#): > > It didn’t dawn of them that people would hate them so much that they would abandon all reason and deliberately misrepresent what they did, just for the value of trying to make them look bad. > > . . . > > No. It’s an indication fo the irrational blind stupidity and malice of the hateful stupid little people that are just looking for excuses to validate their hate. > > When they can’t find it in reality, they make it up. Admirable sentiment- I am sure you followed it during the Clinton Administration right? I bet you could even show up instances where you shot down some right wing hate zealots absurd claims against the Clintons? I bet if I searched “Clinton” and your name, I wouldn’t find anything too interesting? Because this standard of yours applies to both parties right? For those interested in the CRS report we discussed it here: [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=213769&highlight=cheney](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=213769&highlight=cheney) **Reeder** , you may want to check it out if you wonder what a legitimate Cite looks like. Preview for the lazy or bandwidth impaired: > [@](#): > > A Congressional Research Service report released yesterday concluded that federal ethics laws treat Vice President Cheney’s annual deferred compensation checks and unexercised stock options as continuing financial interests in the Halliburton Co. > > Democrats have aggressively challenged Cheney’s claim that he has no financial ties to Halliburton, despite those arrangements. > > The Houston-based energy conglomerate has been awarded more than $2 billion in contracts for rebuilding Iraq, including one worth $1.22 billion that was awarded on a noncompetitive basis. ---
**Author:** ![PhiloVance](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e19adc/32.png) [@PhiloVance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PhiloVance)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2003, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cheney-does-have-monetary-connections-to-haliburton/209442/35 "2003-10-27T19:42:44Z")
> [@](#): > > _posted by squink_ > \*\*the conflict of interest rules \*\* Dang, I read the book, but that part wasn’t in the movie. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2003, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cheney-does-have-monetary-connections-to-haliburton/209442/36 "2003-10-27T19:42:52Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Scylla \* > \*\*Wow, that’s quite a sweeping set of beliefs you’ve instilled into everybody. > > Not that I don’t think you’re totally nuts, but I’ll play along. > > So, Cheney, who’s worth 100 million bucks or so, just doesn’t have enough. > > In order to get more he leaves his job as CEO of Halliburton and becomes the Vice President for like 200k a year or so. > > Him and George Bush have planned to start a war, get a bunch of Americans killed and cost 100 billion dollars or so, so that Halliburton and these other oil companies can get a foothold in Iraq and Middle East Oil. > > Then Cheney’s stock options will go up and he’ll somehow renege on the pledged to charity thing, and he’ll make another ten million or so when and if Halliburton stock goes up. > > Is that it? > > Cuz if it is, you’re a nut. \*\* I don’t believe I have the power to instill beliefs in anyone that isn’t willing to accept them, so your statement is obviously intended to be inflammatory. The poor attempts at sarcasm that follow it are devoid of argument and merit no response. The name calling is contemptible, of course (but expected), and a transparent attempt to bait me into doing the same. Sorry. ---
**Author:** ![Hamlet](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hamlet/32/2818_2.png) [@Hamlet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hamlet)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2003, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cheney-does-have-monetary-connections-to-haliburton/209442/37 "2003-10-27T19:53:04Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Scylla \* > \*\*I think in a previous Reeder thread Reeder accidently showed that the no bid contract was actually bid… which was kind of funny. \*\* I also find your continued ignoring of the facts, even though they were pointed out to you in that very thread, to be funny. But not in a Ha-Ha way. ---
**Author:** ![Cheesesteak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cheesesteak/32/3694_2.png) [@Cheesesteak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheesesteak)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2003, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cheney-does-have-monetary-connections-to-haliburton/209442/38 "2003-10-27T20:57:11Z")
Hamlet, the funny part was how Reeder had screamed to the world that the contract was no-bid, then starts a thread with the title “Halliburton won the bid in 2001”. That title just BEGS for the “See, it wasn’t a no-bid contract.” comment, which was comedy genius. Take this thread, he’s crowing about conflict of interest. Why? Because Cheney has shares in a mutual fund. That’s stupid, the point of a mutual fund is to make sure your wealth is NOT tied to the success of any individual company. It’s called _diversification_. The REAL issue is the unexercised stock options, pointed out by elf6c, not Reeder. In the no-bid thread quixotic78 had to come along to point out that Reeder had completely misunderstood the article and put up a misleading title that confilcted with his (Reeder’s) earlier complaints. I can’t wait for Reeder’s next pit thread, they’re always a fun read. ---
**Author:** ![Scylla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a5b964/32.png) [@Scylla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scylla)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2003, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cheney-does-have-monetary-connections-to-haliburton/209442/39 "2003-10-28T00:54:08Z")
elf6c: > [@](#): > > Scylla for someone who claimed they were being oppressed due to your political beliefs- you are sure quick to insults others. Fighting back against the oppressors, throwing of the chains, it’s all good. > [@](#): > > Oh, by the way, four more weeks to go on your Thanksgiving pledge. Have you decided if you are going to stand behind your pledge or not? Ummm, Yessssss. In fact, I thought I did. I saw no reason to wait until Thanksgiving when I had that WMD report. I guess you missed it. I’d give you the link to the GD thread but there’s hamster problems right now. Hopefully you’ll have the decency to retract your insinuation that I would dare dodge an issue. Surely a man such as your self will humble himself at my feet for having the audactity to launch such an insinuation without having checked first. > [@](#): > > Admirable sentiment- I am sure you followed it during the Clinton Administration right? I bet you could even show up instances where you shot down some right wing hate zealots absurd claims against the Clintons? I bet if I searched “Clinton” and your name, I wouldn’t find anything too interesting? Because this standard of yours applies to both parties right? Well it seems to me that you should have fucking checked before you made the frivolous insinuation. Why don’t you? I’m on record in several threads. I am shocked and surprised to be impugned by such an impurator as yourself, you besmircher and vile insinuatatertotter. You make fun of my being oppressed but you besmirch and besmirch without having first checked to see if your besmirchifications are accurate. Oh vile slander, or libel, or what have you. I grow to suspect you are not much of a gentleman. ---
**Author:** ![elf6c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/c57346/32.png) [@elf6c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elf6c)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2003, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cheney-does-have-monetary-connections-to-haliburton/209442/40 "2003-10-28T14:55:45Z")
As noted more then a few times, I don’t post nor review GD. I simply don’t have the time for it. Given that you posted your thread here originally and your last position was rather unclear I was still a bit interested in your final determination. Seeing the WMD report didn’t find any weapons, active programs or anything but wet dreams and future post-sanctions aspirations, and that as of today (just checked Google News) no WMD’s have been found- I was curious. Not enough to post alone, but given that I wanted to post a response to the tone and tenor of your posts in light of your previous statements, I thought I would ask. If you give me the link I will go to GD and see what you said. > [@](#): > > Well it seems to me that you should have fucking checked before you made the frivolous insinuation. Why don’t you? I’m on record in several threads. Let’s see, you complain about the hamsters keeping you from providing me with a simple link, yet with the same breath chastise me for not bring them to their knees with such a massive search. Also, it was a bit of a retorical question based on the last Hillary Clinton thread you posted in the Pit. The point was this- you seem to operate under a double standard: one for your conduct and one for those whose opinions differ from yours. The same pattern holds true with the Bush Administration versus the Clinton Administration. While there are more then a few dipstick here that do that- I had higher standards for your posts as I do believe you have something worthwhile to say, even if I don’t agree with it. So maybe I am calling you out on your posts in political threads, but only because you seem to be sliding towards **Brutus** territory. Maybe the example of McCain can act as an example of what I am saying: Bush says something stupid: > [@](#): > > WASHINGTON – Despite two days of audacious, deadly attacks, President Bush said Monday that American successes are actually spurring the violence by making insurgents more desperate. > > But defense officials said the synchronized suicide bombings also suggested a new level of coordination by attackers, and Democrats scoffed at the president’s argument, leveling some of their sharpest criticism yet. > > “Does the president really believe that suicide bombers are willing to strap explosives to their bodies because we’re restoring electricity and creating jobs for Iraqis?” said Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., a White House candidate. “Is the president arguing that the better things get in Iraq, the more dangerous it will become for American soldiers?” [http://www.theolympian.com/home/news/20031028/frontpage/135171.shtml](http://www.theolympian.com/home/news/20031028/frontpage/135171.shtml) Rather then drink the KoolAid on the pollyanna approach, McCain spoke his mind: > [@](#): > > Democratic presidential candidates, their onetime reluctance to criticize Bush on Iraq long since set aside, were in full cry. “Does the president really believe that suicide bombers are willing to strap explosives to their bodies because we’re restoring electricity and creating jobs for Iraqis?” asked Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.). > > They were joined - in a sense - by a prominent Republican: Sen. John McCain of Arizona, no fan of Bush but a strong supporter of his decision to wage war in Iraq. In an interview with Newsweek, McCain said he saw “a parallel to Vietnam” in the gap between the administration’s optimistic statements and the harsh reality on the ground. A McCain aide said the senator was not suggesting Iraq had become a Vietnam-like quagmire and favored deploying more U.S. troops, not fewer. But the aide added McCain believes the administration “needs to level with the American people.” > **[Newsday | Long Island's & NYC's News Source](https://www.newsday.com)** > > Breaking News, data & opinions in business, sports, entertainment, travel, lifestyle, plus much more. Newsday.com is the leading news source for Long Island & NYC. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cheney-does-have-monetary-connections-to-haliburton/209442.md?page=1)