While your assesments are correct, this corruption did happen and someone is now spending time in Prison for it. I am a firl beleiver that Fellow Conservatives should be the ones to Police ourselves. Say what you will about McCain, what caught my eye was this No-BID scandal, and what might happen if it becomes a big issue, yet again.
What was wrong about it was the fact that Boeing decided it needed to cement the deal by effectively bribing the procurement officials by means of fat post-DOD employment and 'consulting' contracts.
Boeing has effectively lost the contract for the moment and the DOD officials directly responsible have been or are being prosecuted.
What McCain wanted is more (possibly innocent) personnel scalped as a means of having Rumsfeld kiss the Royal Senatorial Arse.
Rumsfeld told him where to go.
I'm not sure when this whole deal with Boeing was hatched or if it was even under the Bush administration. Anyway, I don't question McCain challenging excessive costs but that doesn't mean he needs to publicly challenge the entire Pentagon at a time of war.