Bush ENRONed the cost of Iraq reconstruction

"Accounting shell games." That's how an inspector general's report describes the way the Bush administration deceived congress and the public about the reconstruction of Iraq.

A report by the independent Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction said the U.S. Agency for International Development listed project overruns as overhead or administrative costs.

USAID is the agency is charge of administering foreign aid and began working on Iraq reconstruction soon after the 2003 invasion began.

The inspector general's report did not give details on all projects being conducted under the $1.4 billion budget, but noted several examples including a children's hospital in Basra and a power station in Baghdad.

Bechtel, the contractor in charge of the Basra hospital, said in April construction costs would be $98 million, up from an original budget of $50 million, due to escalating costs for security and other problems. USAID pledged to cut contractor overhead, but the inspector general found no effort to do that.

With the Bush administration, the first answer to any question is a lie.

This was supposed to be the age of accountability, remember? The "grownups" were in charge again, they said.

Turns out, the Bush administration is nothing but a frat house full of idiots and bullies. They're partying with credit cards and not paying attention to the balances. Then, when they're caught, they lie.