While I've mocked Norm Coleman

So-called GOP Moderate Susan Collins has certainly been derelict in her job as Chair of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee whose job it would be to review contractor abuses in Iraq.

From Common Cause, Collins has not yet held any kind of hearing on:

*An April 2005 State Department report that found major cost overruns and "poor performance" by Halliburton on a $1.2 billion contract to repair Iraqi oil fields.

*The Defense Department's decision to override its own auditors when it decided in February not to withhold payments from Halliburton until questions about overcharges were answered.

*Allegations by an Army Corps of Engineers whistleblower that Halliburton was unfairly and improperly awarded its no-bid contract with the U.S. government.

*Findings by Pentagon auditors that Halliburton overcharged the government $61 million for gasoline imports in Iraq as well as $27.4 million for troops' meals in Iraq.

*Allegations that Halliburton employees received $6.3 million in kickbacks from Kuwaiti businessmen in exchange for subcontracting deals.

*Allegations that KBR employees abandoned trucks, each costing $85,000, due to flat tires and other repairable problems.

*Revelations by the former Coalition Provisional Authority's inspector general that KBR lost track of more than $18 million in equipment.

And, as the article points out, it is not like the Committe has never met:

Meanwhile, as head of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs panel, Collins has held eight hearings on reform of the U.S. Postal Service since September 2003, two hearings on "diploma mills," one recent hearing on waste, fraud and abuse at the Federal Emergency Management Agency and two hearings on Defense Department employees' improper use of airline tickets.

She may be moderate, but she's still covering Chimperial Chimp's ass.