This Friday CNN's Wolf Blitzer will interview Senator Barack Obama (D - IL). CNN is accepting questions from the public. In nearly two years of campaigning, Senator Obama has answered thousands of questions from the public and the media. It will be difficult for Wolf Blitzer to come up with questions Senator Obama has not answered before.
However, there is one question Senator Obama has not answered and has apparently even tried to distance himself from. During this campaign, Barack Obama has successfully been able to avoid any questions on the subject of the diversion of government small business contracts to Fortune 500 firms.
Wolf Blitzer should ask Senator Obama, "What would you do to stop Fortune 500 firms from receiving billions in government small business contracts?"
As recently as last Wednesday, the Washington Post published a story that found the Bush Administration had diverted 40 percent of all government small business contracts to Fortune 500 firms. Based on the Washington Post's statistical sampling, approximately $450 billion in government contracts earmarked for middle class firms actually went to Fortune 500 firms. The Washington Post sampling was only looking for Fortune 500 and other clearly large firms; what about other large businesses that are not household names? If all of those firms were considered, the percentage of those contracts could even be 60, 70, or 80 percent.
The Washington Post only looked at prime contracts from federal agencies; what about all the subcontracts from prime contractors? How many billions in small business subcontracts are actually going to Fortune 500 firms and other large businesses?
As the saying goes, "a billion here, a billion there, pretty soon you're talking about some real money." It is highly likely the Bush Administration has intentionally diverted over a half a trillion dollars in federal small business contracts to Fortune 500 firms and hundreds of other large businesses.
It is extremely unusual for a Democratic candidate for President to miss an opportunity to respond to a major story in the Washington Post that would provide a legitimate justification to criticize the current Republican administration. Why has Senator Obama avoided this issue?
Neither Senator Obama nor Senator McCain have been asked even a single question on this issue. Wolf Blitzer could rectify that situation on Friday.