Jeb Bush asked to explain post-Katrina cruise ship deal

Posted 2/28/2006 9:54 PM

Jeb Bush asked to explain post-Katrina cruise ship deal


The Carnival Cruise ship Sensation has been housing Katrina victims.
By Mario Tama, Getty Images

WASHINGTON (AP) — A top House Democrat released e-mails Tuesday detailing Florida Gov. Jeb Bush's role in pushing a $236 million federal contract for Carnival Cruise Lines to house Hurricane Katrina victims.

In a letter, Rep. Henry Waxman of California called on Bush to explain his role in the award of the "lucrative contract," which was given to the Florida-based company without a full competitive bid process. The e-mails Waxman released were provided to Congress by Michael Brown, former director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

The Carnival Cruise Lines contract has turned out to be enormously expensive," Waxman wrote to Gov. Bush, the president's younger brother. "The e-mails from Mr. Brown provide the first confirmation of your involvement in the award of this contract and the first details of your contacts with Carnival and FEMA."

A spokesman for Bush's office, Russell Schweiss, called any charges of impropriety baseless.

"The governor's involvement was merely facilitating contact with a corporate citizen of Florida that was seeking to provide immediate housing relief," Schweiss said. "Any assertion the governor had to do with any contracting negotiations or further action by FEMA is unfounded."


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http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2006-02-28-cruise-bush_x.htm

Like "baseless," neither means 'untrue.' Both merely claim that those making the allegations have insufficient valid evidence upon which to make such claims - probably because any evidence is either destroyed or well safeguarded.

That "deal" was one of the more blatant giveaways associated with Katrina. Those ships, noormally sailing out of Mobile, New Orleans, and Galveston, were going to generate nearly no business whatsoever for many weeks. Nothing but the expense of upkeep and whatever measures they took to prevent or ameliorate any storm damage to the ships. The "sweetheart deal" made more money, by at least double, for the cruise line than they could've possibly made by actually offering a service. Intolerably disgusting.

piranha, the Bush families favorite food, particularly if they are getting their palms greased one way or another..