First we wondered at Dick Cheney’s ties to Halliburton. Now we hear about a new firm — New Bridge Strategies — with deep Washington roots. These companies are vying for some of the $20 billion President Bush requested from Congress to rebuild Iraq. Tonight, On Point: Political parrying? Or competitive bidding? Winning Washington contracts.

Guests:

Steve Schooner, associate professor of law and co-director of the Government Procurement Law Program at George Washington University, former associate administrator for procurement law and legislation at the Office of Federal Procurement and co-author of “The Government Contracts Reference Book: A Comprehensive Guide to the Language of Procurement”

Steve Kelman, professor of management, Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government,
former administrator at the Office of Federal Procurement Policy, author of “Procurement and Public Management: The Fear of Discretion and the Quality of Government Performance” and “Making Public Policy: A Hopeful View of American Government”

Danielle Brian, executive director, Project on Government Oversight, a watchdog group;Bob Grace, president, GSM Consulting, a small consulting company in Amarillo, Texas, that has fought oil well fires all over the world