"In early 2001, before September 11, Halliburton won the Defense Department's 'Super Contract,' which covers food, maintenance, construction, and other services worldwide. (Halliburton) bid a price that was shockingly low. In addition to being reimbursed for what it spent, Halliburton would get a base fee of 1 PERCENT and a maximum performance award of just 2 PERCENT. After September 11, that already awarded 'Super Contract' meant that Halliburton received an avalanche of unexpected business - at very low profit margins. -- Certain unforseen costs (additional security, hazzard pay, soaring insurance rates) are NOT COVERED. When those unreimbursable costs exceed 3 PERCENT -- the cost-plus contract becomes a MONEY LOOSER."

- Fortune Magazine 18april2005 P.Elkind

"Halliburton earned $85 million from $3.6 billion in Iraqi contracts, a profit margin of roughly 2.4%, in 2003"

- Washington Post 09March2004 J.Spinner

"In the second quarter of 2004, Halliburton reported that it earned 1.4 percent profits on $1.7 billion worth of work in Iraq."

- Business Week 04Oct2004 S.Forest

"Consider Halliburton's stock price. When CEO David J. Lesar took over from Dick Cheney in August 2000, the company's shares were trading at $54. They sank to a record low of $8.70 in 2001. By August 9, 2005 (two years into the war) they were trading at $58.

- R. Miniter Contributor New Republic, Atlantic Monthly, NY Times, Washington Post.

"As a result of poor performance, Halliburton wants to sell the division that runs Iraqi operations, KELLOGG, BROWN & ROOT (KBR)."

- R. Miniter Contributor New Republic, Atlantic Monthly, NY Times, Washington Post.

"In 2004 Halliburton was strained by borrowing to pay the unexpectedly large expenses (and) thought about getting out (but) concluded it COULDN'T LEGALLY DO IT."

- Financial Times 22june2004 J.Chaffin

"KELLOGG, BROWN & ROOT (KBR) has become an ALBATROSS for them (Halliburton)"

- Jason Putnam of Victory Capital Mgmt. [owner of 2 million shares of Halliburton]

"Could Halliburton be burying its Iraq profits elsewhere in its vast conglomerate? Not likely. The parent company itself is not very profitable: Mergent (formally Moody's) reports that the company LOST $979 million on total world-wide sales of $20.4 billion in 2004."

- R. Miniter Contributor New Republic, Atlantic Monthly, NY Times, Washington Post.

"A MoveOnDOTorg ad claimed that 'the Pentagon caught Halliburton overcharging $61 million for gasoline.' In fact, the Defense Contract Audit Agency found 'POTENTIAL overcharges of UP TO $61 million for gasoline.' So $61 million was the UPPER LIMIT on the ESTIMATED overbilling. And it was HALLIBURTON'S OWN AUDITORS who caught the two Middle Eastern SUB-CONTRACTORS overcharging for gasoline and turned them in. Halliburton offered to return $6.3 million to the Pentagon."

- R. Miniter Contributor New Republic, Atlantic Monthly, NY Times, Washington Post.

"The truth is that the conspiracy theories about the vice president's involvement in Halliburton's Iraq contracts are either unproven or flatout wrong. And while the company's Middle East operation is the subject of scathing (Congressional) audits and investigations,it's hardly raking in scandalous profits. Indeed, KELLOGG, BROWN & ROOT, the part of Halliburton's business that America seemed to hate because it was raking in far too much, is the part of the business Wall Street hates because it is making far too little."

- Fortune Magazine 18april2005 P.Elkind

"Halliburton has been a bad bet for investors - and for conspiracy theorists. Its Iraq operations have been barely profitable and the company has performed poorly. There is no evidence that Vice President Cheney had a hand in awarding the Iraq contracts."

- R. Miniter Contributor New Republic, Atlantic Monthly, NY Times, Washington Post.

SOPHOCLES: "My Lady ??"

PORTIA ORALGASMONIAN: "Yes Master?"

SOPHOCLES: "Have you so quickly forgotten the Third Law of the Medes?"

PORTIA ORALGASMONIAN: "Huh?"

SOPHOCLES: "That Self-Inflation ALWAYS leads to Self-Flagelation."

PORTIA ORALGASMONIAN: (blushes) "tee-hee-hee . . ."

- - - I would Tip me hat to the one who calls himself "BALOO" for his Right-on-the-Mark 12:08pm post this afternoon.

It most certainly deserved a liberal peppering of Redstars - - -

However ..... such is not to be .....

... for the young 'Tool' who authored the article was undoubtedly .. what? .. rubbed?

- - haven been royally exposed for his membership in that ever growing Club of - - -

.... now what was that word for "USEFUL IDIOTS" ? ?

b. hussein obama is a muslim person . . .

- - - pass it down

What has set this witty writer apart from ALL other writers . . . is the fact that he has NEVER failed to entertain, --- ever.

STILL ......... his essays (as clever as essays come) will, in time, be swallowed up in The Great Ocean of Literature --- and be lost to a dispersed obliteration.... forevermore.

What may well survive for some time to come is his serialization of the American Empire (1775-2000), as seen through the august eyes of the Sanford-Schuyler-Day family. A classicist himself, Vidal's intent was to tell our republic's founding, as Homer had done for the Greeks and as Virgil had done for Rome.

Unfortunately, like Virgil who passed on without having completed the Aeneid, Vidal's epic seems fated for stillbirth, having left the 1840s period of Manefest Destiny (Mexican & Injun Conquests) and the Imperialist Polk wholly unfettered.

The author has, for all practicality, left a hole in the republic's history, that is as wide as a barn door.

Still ..... Vidal has seen things few others forsaw. I recall his warning in the early 1970s that while we were obsessing on the Soviets --- we should be keeping our eyes on the Chinese economic basketcase that now dazzles the world.

He knew that the Chinese were to be our own Gothic downfall.

My cousin was eating a bowl of cereal watching the Telly before his penthouse window (not so far from The Family's namesake Bleecker Street) when the 1st big bird slammed into the 1st big bldg --- a front row center seat from which to witness any shinannigans ----

This nation is filled to the brim with Paranoids (always was ... always will be).

People believe whatever they want to believe.

And if nothing else, this great nation will be remembered as a Land of True Believers - - - - regardless of whatever may be "Truth"