— A couple of weeks ago, the Mercury News broke the story of a $95M no-bid, sweetheart deal between California and Oracle for some software that few agencies wanted or needed. Gray Davis, who’s established the reputation for being an autocrat who micromanages all aspects of state government, is now pretending to be outraged, as Dan Walters explains:
It stretches credulity to the snapping point for Davis’ spinners to insist that the governor was completely unaware that his administration was signing a massive software deal with Oracle, especially because Oracle delivered a $25,000 campaign contribution to the Democratic governor’s treasury just days after the contract was signed.
But the question that’s now begging an answer is who can investigate this deal that’s not already tainted by it. Probably not Att’y Gen. Bill (gasbag) Lockyer:
Davis, as part of his effort to deflect attention from himself, says he wants Attorney General Bill Lockyer to investigate what happened. But Lockyer received a $25,000 check from Oracle less than a month after the contract was signed last May, and leaving it to Lockyer is a surefire way to keep the matter bottled up until after the election.
The Legislature should pursue this matter vigorously — as vigorously as it did the scandal enveloping former Republican Insurance Commissioner Chuck Quackenbush — but if it is unwilling to do so, perhaps the U.S. attorney’s office should be brought into the case.
I concur, and it would be nice if the indictments went out about Oct. 1 or so.