Bush Housing Secretary admits he's breaking the law, hands contracts to only republicans

Another Bush administration official ignores the laws of the United
States and uses a political litmus test to hand out contracts for King
George. Do the Bush republicans even care any more about the law?

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Wednesday, May 10, 2006; Posted: 8:09 p.m. EDT (00:09 GMT)

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Housing Secretary Alphonso Jackson apologized
Wednesday for telling a business forum in Dallas, Texas, he had spiked a
contract bid of a critic of President Bush.

Jackson has led the Department of Housing and Urban Development since
2003.

His comments at an April 28 real estate conference have spurred calls
for investigations from Democratic lawmakers, and the department's
internal watchdog said it is looking into the matter.

"I deeply regret the anecdotal remarks I made at a recent Texas small
business forum and would like to reassure the public that all HUD
contracts are awarded solely on a stringent merit-based process,"
Jackson said in a written statement Wednesday afternoon.

Jackson told the real estate conference he killed a deal with a
prospective HUD contractor after the owner told him he had "a problem
with your president," the Dallas Business Journal reported earlier this
week.

Even though the contractor had "made a heck of a proposal," Jackson
reportedly said, "he didn't get the contract."

"Why should I reward someone who doesn't like the president, so they can
use funds to try to campaign against the president?" Jackson was quoted
as saying. "Logic says they don't get the contract. That's the way I
believe."

The remarks prompted Democratic Sen. Frank Lautenberg of New Jersey to
call for Jackson's head.

In a letter to Bush, Lautenberg said imposing "political litmus tests"
for government contracts violates federal law, "undermines the integrity
of our government and leads to the waste of taxpayer dollars."

"If the secretary's statements are an accurate report of his actions, it
would be appropriate that he be asked to promptly resign from office,"
Lautenberg wrote.

He added, "It is abundantly clear that public confidence in government
is on the wane, and swift action against this breach of law and common
sense is critical."

Bush picked Jackson to lead HUD after Mel Martinez resigned as secretary
to mount a successful Senate campaign in Florida.
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