Posted on 03/08/2008 4:24:09 AM PST by tobyhill
WASHINGTON - Angry Boeing supporters are vowing revenge against Republican presidential candidate John McCain over Chicago-based Boeing's loss of a $35 billion Air Force tanker contract to the parent company of European plane maker Airbus.
There are other targets for their ire — the Air Force, the defense secretary and even the entire Bush administration.
But Boeing supporters in Congress are directing their wrath at McCain, the Arizona senator and nominee in waiting, for scuttling an earlier deal that would have let Boeing build the next generation of Air Force refueling tankers. Boeing now will miss out on a deal that it says would have supported 44,000 new and existing jobs at the company and suppliers in 40 states.
"I hope the voters of this state remember what John McCain has done to them and their jobs," said Rep. Norm Dicks, D-Wash., whose state would have been home to the tanker program and gained about 9,000 jobs.
"Having made sure that Iraq gets new schools, roads, bridges and dams that we deny America, now we are making sure that France gets the jobs that Americans used to have," said Rep. Rahm Emanuel, D-Ill. "We are sending the jobs overseas, all because John McCain demanded it."
The European Aeronautic Defence and Space Co. and its U.S. partner, Los Angeles-based Northrop Grumman, won a competition with Boeing Feb. 29 to build the refueling planes in one of the biggest Pentagon contracts in decades. The unexpected decision has sparked outrage from union halls to the halls of Congress over the impact on U.S. jobs, prestige and national security. EADS and Northrop say about 60 percent of their tanker will be built in the U.S.
(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...
These would be the Seattle wackos and the Chicago criminals, both of which are lefties
Exactly, McCain wasn’t getting the union vote anyway.
we are making sure that France gets the jobs that Americans used to have," said Rep. Rahm Emanuel, DEMOCRAT-Ill. "We are sending the jobs overseas, all because John McCain demanded it."
Shouldn't the article title read, "DEMOCRAT SUPPORTERS TARGET MCCAIN"??
Rep. Norm Dicks, D-Boeing
Looks like “Boing” hasn’t gotten good return on their bribes to the Democrats in Office. But, government always expects more money when they fail. Too bad, in the real world, companies should look at making profits not political hacks.
or perhaps "While close, Illinois Congress critters now seen as even more shrill than the Taxachussetts critters!"
Rahm Emmanuel, Dick Durbin, Barry (not Hussein) Obama
v
Frank, Kerry, Kennedy
yep, the new Left has spoken!
Where do we find the real details behind this as opposed to all the political BS. I heard Boeing bid to the proposal specs
while Airbus bid a bigger plane with a higher price. The AF then decided the Airbus deal sounded better without going back
and sending out a new request to the vendors based on the “new” AF desire for a bigger plane.
This does not sound fair but reeks of incompetence in the AF process if true.
Like I said, where can one find the facts?
This will be a volatile issue in the upcoming campaign...it’s not just
Washington, but Kansas and Tx...states McCain needs.
McCain was right in going after the 6billion contract that was rife with corruption. But in the politicized news cycle that won’t matter. People are losing jobs and it will resonate.
I personally disagree with the EADS contract for 3 main reasons:
1) With the economy slowing we will have billions of useless stimulus spending (The Boeing contract would be useful military stimulus spending)
2) Large military contracts should be kept on US soil for national security reasons. We need the capacity to buil our larger defense projects right here. When you lose that ability...it’s is very expensive to get it back.
3) Outsourcing: Just how far can we push the free trade outsourcing of the American economy? Now that Defense projects are included, I see a creeping erosion of military, intelligence and high tech outsourcing to unprecedented levels.
Major manufacturers such as Boeing Co., General Electric Aircraft Engines and Bombardier/Learjet often cut costs by allowing foreign suppliers to make airplane components, but do not adequately supervise the quality of their subcontractors’ work, said the report this week from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s inspector general.
http://www.washingtontimes.com/article/20080301/BUSINESS/834977225/1006
Northrop offered more bang for the buck.
Boeing’s Tankers did not perform as well as Northrop’s
http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/03/05/why-boeing-lost-the-100-billion-air-force-tanker-deal/
Boeing tried to scam the tax payers and got caught. People lost their jobs and went to jail. Their scheme went away and their second try fell short. They have only themselves to blame.
Boeing lib/dem supporters target McCain!!!!!!
Unfortunately, it isn’t just the unions affected by the loss of this contract. The small businesses those union workers spend their money with are also hurt as are their employees and the people they spend money with. This will ripple through an already slowed economy.
It will also hurt Boeing’s suppliers and their employees and the people they spend money with. Those people who work for Boeing suppliers in 40 states could be the difference between him winning in November and not winning, especially if some of the base stays home, votes third party, or leaves the President line blank in November.
You pull out a small percentage of the conservative vote and a small percentage of the moderate union vote and you have a Democrat victory.
This could sink him if the Democrats play it right.
60% is still being built in America and will probably employee as many people as Boeing would have. This is nothing but the Air Force getting more bang for their buck. Boeing seems to think they can continue to add 40% bribe money to their bids and not get called on it but this time it didn’t work. This also has to do with the Boeing “virtual fence” that they scammed the government on.
That will not matter. The press isn't going to show those people going to work. They will be showing closed stores and Boeing workers in unemployment lines.
This could hurt McCain badly.
“60% is still being built in America”
Hmm, so if Boeing moves 40% of their plant and workforce to Mexico next month...we can all be gleeful that 60% is still builit in America?
I suggest you ignore everything that eminates from a Boeing exec, a Washington (Satre of) politician, or with a Seattle dateline.
Bottom Line Northrop-Grumman/EADS brought their A game and a in existance hardware tanker they have been developing for 5 years to the table.
Boeing were hoping to get the contract because they were Boieng, and use it to pay for the development of the 767LRF.
They will be hard to find as long as a legal dispute is in the air. OBTW this wouldn’t be the first time an ‘entitled’ corporation lost out on a best-value basis, if that’s what happened. Build a better product, and the buyers will come.
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