« previous | MUCK HOME | next »
Prince: "I'm Not A Financially Driven Guy"
Two bits of testimony Prince would come to regret: He said earlier today that Blackwater gets about 90 percent of its business from federal contracts, and he said that, "as an example," under some of the contracts Blackwater has, it earns about a 10 percent profit margin. But Prince balked at saying how much money Blackwater actually makes in Iraq. Since the beginning of the war, Blackwater has been awarded contracts worth roughly $1 billion. "We're a private company," he said. "The key word there is private."
Reps. Peter Welch (D-VT) and Christopher S. Murphy (D-CT) pounded on the question. "How can you say that information isn't relevant?" Murphy said, saying "my constituents pay 90 percent of your salary. Welch, "just trying to do the math," pointed out that 10 percent of $1 billion is $100 million, but Prince repeatedly backed off the figure, saying that he couldn't factor in "depreciation" off the top of his head for when, for instance, Blackwater loses armored cars or helicopters. Murphy said Prince's plea of ignorance is "hard to believe."
Prince's reply? "I'm not a financially driven guy." He did, however, offer that, last year, his salary was in the ballpark of $1 million.
Comments (18)
Emma Zahn wrote on October 2, 2007 2:21 PM:Prince: "I'm Not A Financially Driven Guy"
I believe that. He was rich before he became a Navy Seal. But isn't Blackwater an even more unsettling enterprise because it is not about the money?
totallynext wrote on October 2, 2007 2:33 PM:Thanks right - I am driven with the overpowering belief that the apocalypse is neigh.
totallynext wrote on October 2, 2007 2:34 PM:Thanks right - I am driven with the overpowering belief that the apocalypse is nigh.
Yossarian wrote on October 2, 2007 2:39 PM:No, apocalypse ain't nigh! What is nigh is the prosecution of all the repukelicans. They should all be sent to jail. Every single one of the repukes is a traitor to the American way of life and as such should be sent to jail.
moondancer wrote on October 2, 2007 2:44 PM:I believe that too. Which makes it worse. He in essence is admitting that this private GOP army of his, is based on ideology, not profit. Very scary.
Yossarian wrote on October 2, 2007 2:45 PM:Wow, just watched the clip above and I am just amazed at the level of arrogance displayed by this "dude" Prince. He just told a whole committee to go f@&k themselves and that he wasn't going to give them any numbers. Oh, my lord! The repukes aren't just bad asses in the congress even their contractor buddies and just bad freaking asses. Dems have no chance of winning the next election.
Matt wrote on October 2, 2007 2:47 PM:Erik Prince believes that America is meant to be a Christian, Corporatist State. If you look at statements he makes he believes:
-That only Christians should hold office in the U.S.
-That Christians have rights that others are not entitled to.
-That the US should be ruled by Christian Sha'Ria law.
-That a unitary executive should hold dictatorial powers (fascism.)
He is a very dangerous man. No man in America should be allowed to have a private standing army. He needs to be tried and hung, he's more than a war criminal, he's a monster and needs to be stopped.
Richard wrote on October 2, 2007 2:51 PM:Ballpark? That is a lie. This guy made more than 1 million on 500 million is sales..
moondancer wrote on October 2, 2007 2:58 PM:Matt@2:47
Yes and no coincidence that this is the primary resume for virtually every controversial figure in bushco admin.
TheraP wrote on October 2, 2007 3:00 PM:Doesn't that list sound like everybody at Justice that resigned recently in disgrace? Or the entire CPA, before they tucked tail and came back to the US.. in disgrace? Or the entire non-career State Dept?
This isn't an enterprise run by a republican, its a republican enterprise run by a fanatic.
This story has got legs like a centipede!
kozmik wrote on October 2, 2007 3:06 PM:One thing is for certain, he comes off like a real a$$hole and it's pretty clear he considers himself an extension of the administration and somehow above Congress and beyond their reproach. With his outlook, he'd be happier in Myanmar or such, rather than the USA.
Matt wrote on October 2, 2007 3:07 PM:The pathetic thing is the Congress has to ask him how much government money he has been given in contracts. Aren't they technically the one paying him through their funding of the State Dept. and other institutions that contract out such work. The numbers we have are just estimates, who knows how much of the "black budget" Blackwater gets. I was checking out Blackwater videos on Youtube and their website and someone wrote me an email asking, "Why are you looking at Blackwater sites?..."
JDD wrote on October 2, 2007 3:20 PM:wow. that is like the scum on a bathtub..
Lois wrote on October 2, 2007 3:32 PM:If you have not yet read Scahill's book BLACKWATER, I advise you to do that. These people are totally representative of the NEO-CON minority of fanatical Christian Crusaders who are intent on wiping out the Muslim world as much as possible. To believe for a moment that their high rate of violent incidents in Iraq are drummed up by Liberals, is to believe that this military privatization is just some harmless little phenomenon that Americans need not fear! This is one of the scariest books I have ever read! The only way to fight this trend is to "arm" ourselves with the truth and then switch the power in Washington away from this lethal trend by voting these kinds of people out of office!
Legalize wrote on October 2, 2007 3:46 PM:Not financially-driven, huh? I'm sure his shareholders love hearing that.
Anonymous wrote on October 3, 2007 12:49 AM:Not financially driven? Well, then, what makes him do this work? What is his payment, his remuneration? Blood lust? Obedience to Bushco? What?!!? Let's hope it isn't religious zeal.
jimijazz wrote on October 3, 2007 12:49 PM:Of course he's financially driven. It's this combination of wealth and neo-con religion that drives the Prince family and anybody involved with them. But his daddy created all his wealth. He just inherited it. Just like Bush II.
APISHAPA wrote on October 3, 2007 5:57 PM:I am glad to hear Prince is not financially driven. That means he is willing to take a cut in pay.