NPR this morning features an Iraq reconstruction official complaining about the use of American firms rather than Iraqi labor to rebuild the electrical system. This calls to mind Bush's argument that only firms from coalition of the willing countries should be able to bid for contracts. In a competitive market, there are zero profits to getting contracts. Bush obviously considered contracts in Iraq a source of profits for firms and even gains for the firms' home countries. This, to me, is more blatant evidence of using Iraq to help corporate allies than the Cheney Halliburton stuff.