War a Good Time to Help Good Ol' USA, er, UPS

As the $80 billion "War on Iraq" bill rolls through congress, it's picking up quite a bit of extra spending, according to the Libertarian Party. Geoffrey Neale, the party's national chairman, cites in a press release, one  "...measure intended to prevent a German company, DHL Worldwide Express, from competing with Federal Express and United Parcel Service in the delivery of military cargo." Neale, speaking from the Dan Morgan/Washington Post article, "War Funding Bill's Extra Riders," added, "During the 2002 election cycle, UPS gave $1.5 million to Democratic and Republican candidates and $300,000 to the Republican National Committee." Oops, er, "UPS."

Morgan noted, "...for example, the Senate approved a provision that sources said would effectively prevent a German company from competing with FedEx Corp. and United Parcel Service Inc. for lucrative U.S. military cargo business, at least through September.

"The one-sentence provision, which did not mention any of the affected companies by name, was passed without debate as part of a thick package of last-minute amendments offered by Sen. Ted Stevens (R-Alaska), chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee. It simply stated that none of the funds in the nearly $80 billion bill could be used to pay an air carrier 'not effectively controlled by citizens of the United States.'"

Hey, Senator, What Can 'Brown' do For You?

FMI: Post article