A group of Saudi investors has bought a controlling interest in one of the firms with a contract to provide absentee ballot services for American military personnel stationed overseas. I have no objection in principle to contracting-out for the provision of certain public services, but if there was ever anything you’d like to have subject to public-sector accountability, it’s the handling (and counting) of the votes. Even if you’re prepared to allow some role for contractors in the ballot process, for certain you don’t want foreign-controlled companies — and in particular enemy-controlled companies — in a position to influence the outcome of our elections.
[If after 9-11 you still doubt that the Saudi ruling clique is the deadly enemy of the United States, don’t give up: you can probably be taught to perform simple, repetitive tasks in a sheltered workshop, and if that doesn’t work you could settle for a job on the Bush foreign policy team.]
[Previous post on election shenanigans here. Post on the money flow from the Saudi Embassy to al-Qaeda operatives linked to 9-11 here.]