Are private contractors a new branch of Government?

The Project on Government Oversight asks: "Are contractors the 4th branch of Government?" in response to their latest findings (pdf)which uncover six CACI consultants were hired at $104 per hour for 3 ½ months to help determine if other federal contractors should receive future contracts! This means CACI was paid to determine governmental spending on potential competitors of CACI itself.

The POGO article goes on to ask why governmental functions which should be performed by civil servants are being outsourced to contractors which are so obscenely expensive to taxpayers. Read the full article.