Updated

And now some fresh pickings from the Political Grapevine…

No Bargain Shoppers

The federal government is not getting the biggest bang for you buck.

Even worse -- some feds are not even trying.

The Government Accountability Office says an analysis of purchases made through the Federal Supply Schedules Program.
A third of contracting officers did not even bother to seek discounts – that’s a violation of purchasing requirements.

Criticism is bipartisan.
Democrat Tom Carper -- quote -- "Most Americans know that when buying a car, you should never just accept the sticker price."

Republican Ron Johnson -- "If government employees simply treated taxpayer money as if it were their own -- we'd save hundreds of millions in contracting costs."

Blast From the Past

Secretary of state Hillary Clinton -- was very clear in her condemnation -- of exactly what presidential candidate Hillary Clinton is being accused of -- playing fast and loose with sensitive information.

Here’s what she said -- in 2011 -- about Private Bradley Manning -- who was convicted of sending classified documents to the WikiLeaks website.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

Hillary Clinton: In an age where so much information is flying through cyberspace, we all have to be aware of the fact that some information which is sensitive, which does affect the security of individuals and relationships, deserves to be protected and we will continue to take necessary steps to do so.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

One anonymous Democratic source told The Hill -- the scandal is causing some to get nervous --

"I'm not sure they completely understand the credibility they are losing -- by the second."

Sinking Feeling

Finally -- ever wonder how some truck drivers get their licensees?
Apparently in California -- it just takes a bribe.

Federal authorities say at least 100 commercial truck drivers paid up to $5,000 each to Department of Motor Vehicles employees in exchange for illegal licenses.
The DMV employees falsified computer records to show that drivers had passed written and driving tests.
Officials now say as many as 23 crashes could be related to the fraud.

Those involved face up to five years in prison.