[CharlesWayneCT]

This is a good, balanced article, although it presents mostly Boeing arguments on the first page, and requires a jump to the 2nd page to see Northrup's side. For example, it mentions a bunch of think-tanks (mostly liberal but not presented that way) siding with Boeing on the 1st page, and then presents other think-tanks supporting Northrup with attacks on those think-tanks for ties to the issue.

Most interesting is the take about this not so much being union jobs (union jobs are at stake for Northrup as well), but that it shifts jobs to republicans states, maybe states (I don't know) where people have choices about joining the unions, certainly states where the jobs will help republicans, not democrats.

[Old Retired Army Guy]

It’s the same old story of trying to protect high paid union jobs. It has been a failed strategy for decades. The Auto industry is a good example. The Unions caused plant closures in the north that moved jobs to union free plants in the South and overseas. Now the Machinists and their allies who have contracts with Boeing are afraid the jobs will move to union free plants in Mobile Alabama and elsewhere in the South. This bull about Boeing being an “American” company is just that. Boeing outsources to other countries as many parts as would Grumman/EADS.

[Non-Sequitur]

“Why not reinvest here at home?” he asked. “Boeing is an American company." Because the defense budget is not an economic stimulus package and we should be buying the aircraft that represents the best solution for the money.

I will stand by my prediction that this will result in a typically Washington compromise: split the order between the two companies so that we wind up with fewer aircraft but pay more for each one.

[Redleg Duke]

Sounds like an excerpt from "Atlas Shrugged". The unions and RATS will be the death of this country.

Boeing crapped in their messkit. They blew the proposal and now they want to tip over the game board and demand that they deserved to win anyway because they are an American company.

Our Warfighters deserve the best capability, not come throw-away from a fatcat.

[Jonah Hex]

And there will be questions about Northrop Grumman’s ability to move into the airplane business, which has traditionally been Boeing’s forte.

Northrop aircraft

Grumman F-14

[calex59]

When did Northrop become a foreign company? I always thought they were American.