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Glenn Reynolds says that Robert Tagorda raises some interesting questions regarding Howard Dean and Halliburton. To which I say, “No, he really doesn’t”.

Tagorda’s contention is that Dean has been soft on Halliburton’s no-bid contracts in Iraq. He points to a relative paucity of comments by Dean on his website. Yet he does not compare this supposed lack of comment by Dean to any wealth of comments on any other comparably tangential question about our involvement in Iraq. Tagorda also seems unacquainted with Dean’s stumping style which involves frequent rhetorical mention of Ken Lay and other Bush cronies, a category that many Democrats would place Halliburton in as well.

One of Dean’s go-to applause lines is about how he conserved a bunch of wildspace in Vermont. To finish, he adds; “And no Mr. President they won’t be drilled on either”. ANWR doesn’t have so much to do with Halliburton at this point, but this merely helps to demonstrate that Dean is no errand boy of the oilman.

Instead of treating the issue properly, Tagorda instead raises questions about a Texas donor who may or may not be on the board of Halliburton. Tagorda means to imply that a donation of $2000 out of the ~$15 million Dean collected last quarter is enough to silence Dean’s criticism.

Not only is this allegation absurd, it is also patently untrue. Today, from Dean’s official blog comes Governor Dean’s Statement on Today’s Bombings in Baghdad in which he reiterates part of his plan for rebuilding Iraq, he states:

Awarding reconstruction contracts in a transparent and open process — not just to Halliburton — but to the best US or foreign bidder.

Truly Dean’s silence on this issue is deafening. So deafening in fact, that Robert Tagorda can’t seem to hear what he has to say.

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