Paying for performance

Give me a break. The corrupt Kuwaiti contractor that is building (if you want to overstate what they're actually doing) the new U.S. Palace Embassy in Baghdad which is way over budget, way overdue, is not bomb proof as it was supposed to be, is not properly wired, and has a faulty fire detection system, is getting new lucrative contracts from the State Department to build other things at our taxpayer expense:

WASHINGTON — The Kuwaiti contractor that's building the new U.S. Embassy in Baghdad — behind schedule and plagued by allegations of shoddy construction and safety flaws — is still winning lucrative new contracts to build U.S. diplomatic installations overseas.

Late last month, First Kuwaiti General Trading & Contracting Co. was part of a team that won a $122 million State Department contract to build a U.S. consulate in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, according to contract documents.

That's one of at least three State Department jobs, in addition to the Baghdad project, that First Kuwaiti won in association with a U.S. firm, Grunley Walsh LLC of Rockville, Md.

I suppose this is what the Bushies mean when they talk about rewarding performance. Teachers take note!