Jim’s Daily Rant. RFB and RFP. Moon Walking.

I just watched this podcast: DEMS IN SHOCK as Elon Musk & Trump DISCOVERED MIDTERM RESULTS were RIGGED!!?  

In the middle of it the pod-castor focused on all the Democrats leaders saying that they were going to investigate Eon Musk for his involvement in contracts with DOGE to investigate fraud and his contracts with Space X and the government.

I took a formal class in Department of Defense (DOD) Contract Law and had the pleasure of working in that environment. It was a lot of fun delving in something that precise and detailed. I really enjoyed it.

While listening to the podcast, these thoughts occurred to me. First was the difference between “RFB” and “RFP”. In order for the government to get contract bids it can be done in two ways. The first is to issue a public notice for an RFB. That is where their engineers submit designs and specifications of the exact product they wish to have; exactly the way they want it. It is then published as a Request for Bids.

The other way is they need something designed by others that will accomplish exactly what they want to have accomplished. This might be a wish for what we now recognize as an army tank to obliterate the enemy. In that case they might send a Request For Proposals to just a few, such as Ford Motors and Chevrolet. The bidders would then design and build a prototype and submit the proposal with a price schedule. If their proposal is accepted, they get the contract.

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Here’s my second thought, a mind experiment:

Suppose the Army’s best marching band leader just saw Michael Jackson’s first appearance performing his Moon Walking. He might issue a RFP for a teacher to teach his band the trick. Who do you think they might send that RFP to?

So now what do you think the Democrats will learn when they investigate how Musk and his Space X got its big contract with NASA to land a rocket on Mars?

See: Michael Jackson Moonwalk  (1 Minute Video)