More evidence today that the Program Assessment Rating Tool (PART) is really not used to inform the president's budgeting decisions. Ryan Grim reports for The Politico newspaper that President Bush requested a 31 percent increase in funding for the Youth Anti-Drug Media Campaign, a program within the White House Office of Drug Control Policy that runs advertisements to encourage kids not to take drugs.

The New Standard reports that neither the FDA nor the pharmaceutical industry have proven the safety of hundreds of drugs already approved for the market. How does such a regulatory gaff occur? From the article by Michelle Chen: Under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, the FDA can approve drugs despite unresolved safety concerns, but it can also require further studies by the manufacturer once a drug is released onto the market. The problem is manufacturers aren't holding up their end of the bargain. According to an FDA notice in the Federal Register, for FY 2006, 71 percent of the required further studies are pending and 3 percent are delayed. Meanwhile, only 15 percent are ongoing and a mere 11 percent have been submitted.

The New York Times had a good article summarizing the rise of federal contracting. It's definitely worth a read.