McCaskill asks for investigation into Obama administration’s sole-source vaccine contract

The Daily Caller ^ | 11/24/11 | Will Rahn

[ColdOne]

Sen. Claire McCaskill, a Missouri Democrat, has asked The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to review the Obama administration’s award of a $443 million sole-source contract to a company owned by a major Democratic donor.

The Los Angeles Times reported earlier this month that the Obama administration has taken unusual steps to procure an experimental smallpox vaccine from a company owned by a major Democratic donor despite concerns from some experts that such a drug was unnecessary and would not be effective.

Citing “serious questions” about the contract, the Los Angeles Times reported that McCaskill has asked the inspector general of HHS to investigate. McCaskill is the chair of the Senate Subcommittee on Contracting and Oversight.

[Former Proud Canadian]

Some key points. The antiviral pill is for smallpox, a disease that only exists in two labs on the planet. The cost is $255 per dose. There is no way to test the effectiveness of the medication. The proposal is to stockpile 300 million doses. The shelf life is three years.

[vigilante2]

It takes a FReeper to figure it out!

[FlingWingFlyer]

The Obama administration’s award of a $443 million sole-source contract to a company owned by a major Democratic donor.

The most "transparent", "ethical" and "truthful" regime in the history of the planet.

[Ken522]

Holy toledo - 300,000,000 x $225 = $67,500,000,000 .. that’s money even elected members of Congress might pay attention to!

[aruanan]

Some key points. The antiviral pill is for smallpox, a disease that only exists in two labs on the planet. The cost is $255 per dose. There is no way to test the effectiveness of the medication. The proposal is to stockpile 300 million doses. The shelf life is three years.

Some other key points: the Soviet Union made tons of smallpox virus as recently as the 1990s. They also engineered variant forms of smallpox. No one has any idea whether those stockpiles have been destroyed (probably not) or where they are. No one has any idea whether the traditional smallpox vaccine will have any effect at all against the forms the Soviets made. Compare that also to the many thousands of cubic yards of botulin toxin Iraq made and spirited away, probably to Syria (which has its own advanced bioweapons research) with the Russians' help. There's plenty of bad stuff out there right now to completely eff over any particular country on the face of the earth.

[E. Pluribus Unum]

A thousand days late and a trillion dollars short, Claire.

[MCF]

Yes! thankfully

[not2worry]

She is up for election in November and she's toast!

I don't think this is going to prove anything to the folks in the Show Me State other than Claire showing how desperate she is to get re-elected.

[SERKIT]

Why do Obama scandals appear as chunks of a half a billion dollars for each occurrence?

[ColdOne]

I noticed that.

[Nachum]

Thanks Jet Jaguar

The list, Ping

Let me know if you would like to be on or off the ping list

http://www.nachumlist.com/

[marygam]

My husband just remined me that Glenn Beck had stated that Andy Stern left SEIU to join this drug company when things were getting hot with SEIU. This corruption just takes on different hats, but the players are always the same. As for Claire, well I agree she is CYA’ing and knows that Kathleen Sebelius will never do a damned thing about this. Again, we just need to clean the cess pool of DC out before they start injecting us all with crap we pay for, to do us all in! My adult children just heard my rant and think I am totally nuts. Happy Thanksgiving to my FRiends here who get me.

[Signalman]

Each Federal Dept. has an Office of Inspector General
(OIG) that conduct internal investigations of allegations of criminal, civil and regulatory violations within the Department. They also conduct external investigations of, for example, contractors who deal with the Department for any alleged violations. The OIGs are autonomous and, by law, cannot be influenced by higher-ups within the Dept. nor by anyone outside of the Dept. within the Executive or Legislative Branches. (At least they’re not supposed to be)

So McKaskill’s request for HHS to conduct an investigation is SOP.

[HChampagne]

She did not get the memo from the DNC

[Lancey Howard]

At least they’re not supposed to be

Somebody told me there's no tooth fairy, either, but I distinctly remember finding a quarter under my pillow the next morning.

[Steamburg]

When she looks into the Carnahan windpower grant that proceeded Barry’s trip to St. Louis. Then she might get a touch of traction. Otherwise, were these the people who ratted her out on her airplane scam?

[tacticalogic]

Apparently, the Ubama regime got word that this latest example of its corruption was going to be exposed one way or the other, and so this preemptive strike gives the administration an opportunity to “clean things up” and get stories straight. They are simultaneously buying some time.

Sounds about right. I'd bet serious money any FOIA request about it will now be refused because it's "under investigation".

[PghBaldy]

Good question.