C M Y K A17
DAILY 03-09-10 MD SU A17 CMYK
TUESDAY, MARCH 9, 2010 KLMNO S A17
THE FED PAGE
In contract bid, renamed Blackwater was renamed once more
Obama nominates
moved from Paravant to
outsider to lead TSA
Raytheon, would be responsible
for monitoring Paravant and
would be coordinating oversight fresh perspective to the job.”
of the contracts.”
Military retiree Robert
The Air Transport Association,
The hearing exposed yet which represents domestic carri-
WALTER PINCUS
another contracting issue: A. Harding unknown to ers, also expressed support for
Raytheon wrote to Paravant in
aviation, union groups
Harding but provided little com-
Fine Print
June 2009, saying it intended to ment.
end the contract based in part on If confirmed, Harding would
“T
he American people the alleged involvement of the by Ed O’Keefe face a short honeymoon, Lott
have a right to be trainers in the killings. Paravant said. The TSA, with 45,000 em-
outraged that we’re responded that its trainers were President Obama nominated ployees, faces significant pres-
playing this kind of game with independent contractors and that retired Army Maj. Gen. Robert A. sure to revamp the nation’s avia-
contracting. It’s wrong. It’s flat it was not responsible for their Harding on Monday to lead the tion security procedures in the
wrong.” actions when they were not Transportation Security Admin- wake of the attempted Christmas
With those words, Sen. Claire working as trainers. istration, selecting someone un- Day airliner bomb attack. It has
McCaskill (D-Mo.) voiced her McCaskill zeroed in on this, known to the aviation industry also faced several embarrassing
exasperation near the end of a saying that, if the United States is and federal unions to lead one of reports of airline passenger mis-
three-hour Senate Armed putting these trainers on the the government’s most visible treatment at the hands of airport
Services Committee hearing battlefield and they are seen as agencies. screeners, which have prompted
about a contract to train Afghan
MELINA MARA/THE WASHINGTON POST
part of the U.S. military mission, Harding retired from the mili- inquiries by lawmakers.
National Army troops last year to
use American weapons. One issue
“We’ve got two kinds of
there needs to be “a clear line of tary in 2001 after 33 years of serv- Harding would also help de-
responsibility for what they do.” ice. He most recently served as di- cide whether to grant collective
at the Feb. 24. hearing was that
organizations that are performing
She told Fred Roitz, Blackwater’s rector for operations at the De- bargaining rights to TSA workers,
the $25 million contract, former vice president for fense Intelligence Agency, where an issue that stalled Southers’s
awarded in September 2008, was
the same functions. One responds
contracts, who now holds the he oversaw security for more confirmation for several months
to a company called Paravant — amid Republican concerns that
well known to those involved as a
to money, and the other responds
same position at Xe: “If you are than 200 U.S. embassies and gov-
going to get the contracts and ernment offices around the he would support unionization.
cover name for Blackwater (now Currently, airport screeners may
Xe Services).
to duty.”
make the money, you have to take world. In 2003, he founded a de-
responsibility for what they do.” fense and intelligence contract- join unions, but those unions
Another issue was that while — Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.), talking about contractors and soldiers McCaskill also questioned ing firm, which he sold in 2009. cannot bargain on behalf of
the U.S. Army was paying for it, James T. Blake, head of Army Harding serves on the board of workers. The unions said Mon-
the contract was awarded to Orlando, and its primary job is to that “he had been on contracting for PEO-STRI, about directors of the Wolf Trap Foun- day that they, too, know little
Paravant (Blackwater) by a supervise billion-dollar training Blackwater’s own internal ‘Do the fees paid Raytheon. She said dation for the Performing Arts about Harding.
Raytheon subsidiary called and simulator contracts — Not Use’ (DNU) list since that Raytheon botched its and advised the Obama-Biden “We haven’t had the opportuni-
Raytheon Technical Services Co. though it was eight months September 2006.” oversight of the contract but that transition team on intelligence ty to research this candidate as
RTSC holds a multibillion-dollar before one of its contract officers As the hearing revealed, the there were no penalties. “Should matters. we have some of the other White
War Fighter Focus contract, arrived in Afghanistan to first two were eventually fired there be penalties for this kind of “I can think of no one more House nominees,” said John
primarily to train U.S. troops, but monitor the training. after allegedly getting drunk, failure of oversight?” McCaskill qualified than Bob to take on this Gage, president of the American
in this case the Army decided to It is not that the contract did using a Paravant sport-utility asked. Blake replied that it would important job, and I look forward Federation of Government Em-
use the company, through a not need oversight from the start. vehicle to go off base, shooting be looked into because it “was not to working with him in the ployees. “However, if the admin-
separate task order under the At the hearing, Levin said that and killing two Afghans and in the contract” and that “this months and years ahead,” Obama istration believes him to be the
War Fighter Focus contract, to the 72 trainers (six teams of 12) wounding another. (They are in issue wasn’t envisioned.” said Monday. But Harding is the best person to lead TSA, we will
hire Paravant. hired by the Paravant manager in custody awaiting trial in the April Referring to contractors and president’s second choice for the trust that decision until given a
Why didn’t the Army contract Afghanistan, Brian C. McCracken, 2009 incident.) The third of the soldiers in Afghanistan, post: Erroll Southers was nom- reason not to.”
directly with Paravant? That was included a person whose record contractors Levin mentioned was McCaskill said: “You know, we’ve inated but withdrew from consid- Homeland Security Secretary
not explored at the hearing. But during his Army service also fired after he was, as Levin got two kinds of organizations eration in January following re- Janet Napolitano on Monday
the use of a cover name, Paravant, apparently included “assault, put it, “thrown off the contract by that are performing the same ports that he might have misled urged swift confirmation for Har-
to bid on a contract when the insubordinate conduct [and] the U.S. Army” after attempting functions. One responds to Congress about a security inci- ding, calling the TSA job among
attached qualifications were absence without leave” and who, to pull rank on an Army money, and the other responds to dent in the late 1980s. the most important unfilled posts
essentially those of Blackwater after discharge, had a criminal lieutenant. duty. And if we’re going to hold Aviation industry and union in the Obama administration.
has been referred to the Justice record that included assault and In early 2009, Raytheon these guys accountable, we better groups said they know little Senate Majority Leader Harry
Department by the committee’s battery, driving while intoxicated, decided it needed to have a get busy with making sure it about Harding. M. Reid (D-Nev.) also said that
chairman, Sen. Carl M. Levin resisting arrest and trespassing. person on the scene for oversight hurts when they . . . fail to do “But that’s not necessarily a Harding “should not be subject to
(D-Mich.). Another trainer who was hired of the contract, and it chose things like this.” bad thing,” said Steve Lott, partisan delay tactics,” and lead-
Another major issue examined had been “discharged from the McCracken, a former Blackwater pincusw@washpost.com spokesman for the International ers of the Senate commerce and
at the hearing was the lack of U.S. military after he was absent manager who did the original Air Transport Association, which homeland security committees,
oversight of the Paravant contract without leave for 22 days and hiring. According to Levin, amid The columnist’s son, Andrew J. represents about 230 domestic which will hold hearings on the
by Raytheon and the Army. The tested positive for cocaine,” the military’s concerns in late Pincus, is a partner in the law firm and foreign airlines. “Certainly nomination, pledged to move
military unit responsible for according to Levin, and a third April 2009 about whether the Mayer Brown LLP, which represents someone from outside aviation quickly.
overseeing this odd contracting “was fired from Blackwater’s trainers “were performing up to Xe Services, formerly Blackwater. and transportation might bring a ed.okeefe@washingtonpost.com
was the Army Program Executive security contract in Iraq for an U.S. Army standards,” the Army’s
Office for Simulation, Training alcohol-fueled incident that chief of training and education
and Instrumentation, referred to ended in a fight between him and for Afghan soldiers said that
as PEO-STRI. It is located in another contractor.” Levin added “McCracken, who had recently
For Obama’s war policy, a test from the left
L
iberals in the House, who member of the Congressional
have spent much of the past IN SESSION Black Caucus, which has
year complaining that other
Perry Bacon Jr.
maintained rock-solid support
congressional Democrats and for Rangel.
the White House are Caucus members did not
insufficiently progressive, will Kucinich said in explaining why criticize Davis directly, but some,
get a chance this week to vent he was pushing the resolution. including Rep. Gregory W.
about one of their biggest “We want to light the fire of the Meeks (D-N.Y), one of Rangel’s
concerns: the war in American peace movement.” best friends in Congress, said
24/7
Afghanistan. (And, he added, “get out of many of those who called for the
House leaders will allow three there!”) chairman to step down did so for
hours of formal debate, probably Democratic leaders support “political purposes.”
Wednesday, on a resolution bringing the measure to a vote to Davis also stood apart from
written by Rep. Dennis Kucinich give antiwar lawmakers an the black caucus in November, as
Nuclear Energy Produces Reliable
(Ohio), one of the opportunity to register the only member of the caucus
leading antiwar voices their frustration with to vote against the House version
Electricity When You Need it.
in Congress. The Obama’s decision to of health-care legislation. He was
resolution, which has increase troop levels by condemned by the Rev. Jesse L.
16 co-sponsors, calls 30,000 before Jackson, who said that “you can’t
for the United States Congress approves the vote against health care and call
to remove all of its funding for the surge. yourself a black man,” according
troops from The administration to the Hill, a Capitol Hill
Afghanistan in 30 has requested newspaper.
days — or by the end $33 billion to boost the Davis said at the time that he
We need electricity around the clock. Average Operating Efficiency*
of the year, if it is U.S. force in preferred the Senate bill, but
by Source of Electricity
Shouldn’t our electricity sources be
determined that Afghanistan from now he opposes that version as
trying to do so in a Rep. Dennis about 70,000 to well. Davis’s office said Monday
available when we need them? Nuclear
month would be too Kucinich wants a 100,000, a request that that he will vote no if the House
Nuclear 92%
energy generates electricity 24 hours a
dangerous. U.S. pullout from could be debated and decides to take up the Senate
The resolution will Afghanistan. approved by Congress bill, as is expected, and he has
Coal 71%day, 7 days a week.
invoke the 1973 War as soon as next month. criticized his Democratic
Powers Act, which Congress A $96.7 billion funding bill for primary opponent, Alabama
Natural Gas 42%Solar and wind power generate
passed in protest of the the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan Agriculture Commissioner Ron
electricity only when the sun shines and
escalation of the Vietnam War by drew 60 “no” votes in the House Sparks, for speaking favorably of
Wind 31%
presidents without formal last year, 51 of them from the Democratic health-care
the wind blows. And while they should
congressional authorization. It Democrats. effort.
Solar 21%
be part of our country’s energy future,
requires congressional approval “There are many members in Davis’s position on health care
for a president to put troops in a the caucus who are eager to have and his rebuke of Rangel could
0 25 50 75 100we still need electricity every minute
military conflict for more than a vote soon on Afghanistan,” aid his campaign in Alabama.
Sources: Ventyx / U.S. Energy
of every day. Nuclear energy is one of
90 days. Congress passed a House Speaker Nancy Pelosi Obama received only 39 percent
Information Administration, 2008
resolution authorizing military (D-Calif.) said when Kucinich of the vote there, and Davis will
the most reliable ways to provide large
*Operating efficiency is measured by capacity
force in Afghanistan in 2001, proposed the measure. “This have to woo conservative voters
factor, the ratio of the amount of electricity
amounts of electricity. It also can lead
after the Sept. 11 attacks, and may satisfy that need.” to win. The lawmaker is
produced by a plant to the amount of electricity
that could have been produced if the plant
some congressional scholars The vote will be a measure of considered the favorite in the
the way to a portfolio of cleaner energy
operated all year at full power.
doubt that Congress can invoke the depth of opposition to June Democratic primary, but he
options that protects the environment
the act to force changes to Obama’s war policy, because it is could face an uphill climb in
President Obama’s war policy. not tied to troop funding, which November against whoever
and promotes energy security.
Whether or not it would have lawmakers in both parties are emerges from the seven-
any legal force if enacted, the loath to vote against. candidate GOP field.
resolution has almost no chance “A comprehensive, 2000-page,
of being approved in the House,
A caucus of one
near-$1 trillion dollar overhaul
where nearly all Republicans Of the Democratic lawmakers of the health-care system is just
and many Democrats support who distanced themselves from too cumbersome and too costly
maintaining or increasing troop Rep. Charles B. Rangel (D-N.Y.) , in a time of trillion-dollar
levels. the most interesting may be Rep. deficits,” he said.
But the lawmakers supporting Artur Davis (D-Ala.), who is Davis added: “I am disturbed
the resolution, a group that running for governor in his by a mind-set in Washington
Nuclear. Clean Air Energy.
includes antiwar Republicans home state. The 42-year-old that a bill with less than 40
such as Rep. Ron Paul (Tex.), say lawmaker sits on the Ways and percent support from the
Congress needs to have a formal Means Committee, which Rangel American people has to be
debate on the war. chaired until he was forced to passed at all costs.”
Visit nei.org/IQ to learn more and take our online quiz.
“We haven’t had a real debate,” step aside last week, and also is a baconp@washpost.com
a71 Lawmakers address security for federal buildings. B3
C M Y K A17
Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52