Could be they just hire smarter people who know how to get more bang for their buck. I like it when higher-ups hire smart people.
Maybe time for an education campaign for Republicans. They can't slide behind on this. Open Source is good for the government, the people and the economy, and they're the ones who are going to still be in power in 2005 so they should know it.
... Or, in other words, "when the free market fails to deliver the desired result, ask the politicians to mandate it."