Paul Bedard's Washington Whispers column at US News - Office Depot, Microsoft bow to Bush's bargainer:
In what's likely to be his final bargain score before leaving, President Bush's budget chief Mitch Daniels has convinced Office Depot--and, soon, Microsoft--to give Uncle Sam bulk-rate discounts on the millions of dollars of goods the government buys each year. "Over time," says Bush's coupon-cutter, the savings will add up to "very significant money." He's talking hundreds of millions of dollars. When Daniels--who's resigning to run for governor of Indiana--arrived in Washington, he was shocked to discover that each agency had separate deals with suppliers. That meant higher prices. "In many cases," says Daniels, "government agencies have been buying at rates higher than a midsize corporate customer might be getting."It's nice to hear about the occasional government employee who has a clue.
