blufive

From the Washington Post: Lobbyists Set Sights On Money-Making Opportunities in Iraq

Some of Washington's top Republican lobbyists are counting on ties to the Bush administration, the congressional leadership and the Iraqi provisional government to turn the embattled country into a major new profit center.
[...]
"Getting the rights to distribute Procter & Gamble products would be a gold mine," said one of the partners at New Bridge who did not want to be named. "One well-stocked 7-Eleven could knock out 30 Iraqi stores; a Wal-Mart could take over the country," he said.
[...]
Republican members of Congress are highly receptive to arguments that U.S. companies should receive a big share of the business of rebuilding Iraq. "It would be helpful for us to see how much work is being done by American companies," said Rep. Charles W. "Chip" Pickering Jr. (R-Miss.). Rep. Howard P. "Buck" McKeon (R-Calif.) said: "We've got people [U.S. companies] paying taxes" to finance the U.S. investment in Iraq.

I'm speechless, so I'll just quote Billmon, who sums up my feelings pretty well: