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Looks like our 'Confirmed Bachelor' Senator is a little shook up after Black Tuesday, LOL!
Posted on 11/04/2010 1:59:52 PM PDT by afraidfortherepublic
Throughout the afternoon and evening, a project known as the Littoral Combat Ship will be making news in Wisconsin. I’ve been working with the U.S. Navy on this matter for some time. And I want you to have facts and figures about why this is great news -- both for our national security and for working men and women in our state.
The Navy has announced its intent to accelerate plans to buy Littoral Combat Ships, including ten ships to be built by Marinette Marine over the next five years. This will get these valuable ships to our sailors faster, and bring 5,000 jobs to Wisconsin.
The Littoral Combat Ship, or LCS, is a new and innovative ship and the 55 ships the Navy plans to acquire will be the backbone of our 300 ship fleet. These fast, flexible ships will do a variety of missions. The Navy plans to use the LCS to hunt submarines, drug smugglers, pirates, and terrorists. It will be able to support our troops on the ground by providing fire support from the sea, relaying communications around the world, and supporting unmanned aerial vehicles like Predator drones. It will be a valuable tool in clearing mines and keeping vital sea lanes in the Persian Gulf open. It will also be able to get close to shore and insert or pick up special operations forces in hostile areas. The LCS is the ship we need for the conflicts we face today and will confront in the future.
What makes this ship a real change from the past is the way it is designed to be both capable and cost effective. It has a modular design, which means that for each different mission a LCS is sent to do – it will be able to switch out weapon systems so it has exactly what it needs. In the past a Navy ship did only one mission, but the LCS’s ability to switch out its equipment means it will be able to do many. This gives the Navy flexibility to respond to different threats – and save taxpayers’ money.
One of the reasons that the Navy has decided to change its plans for the LCS is because Marinette and its prime contractor Lockheed Martin have done an amazing job of driving down costs for the taxpayers. I have talked with Marinette Marine and Lockheed Martin’s CEO many times this last year discussing how they need to cut costs to win – and they responded. Their aggressive pricing has put this ship on track, and will get the Navy more ships faster.
The workers of Marinette Marine also made this possible with their commitment and craftsmanship. Their work ethic and ingenuity has made us all proud. This is a great example of companies and the Pentagon working together to get the best for our men and women in uniform.
For Wisconsin – this announcement means jobs. Both in Marinette where the company expects to hire 2,100 employees over the next couple of years, and around the state. Subcontractors, like DRS, Fairbanks-Morse, and other companies will see an uptick in orders. Marinette Marine believes that these ten ships will spur an additional 5,000 jobs around the state at a much needed time. Each ship Marinette builds will pump almost $300 million into our economy. This contract can help turn around the manufacturing sector in our state – and drive growth.
The Navy has confidence in Marinette and Lockheed Martin because they have seen results. The first LCS Marinette Marine built, the Freedom, is already doing well as part of the Navy, participating in anti-drug operations and on maneuvers in the Pacific. Marinette’s second ship, the Fort Worth, is under construction and expected to be finished around the end of the year.
We have worked with Marinette Marine closely to make this a reality: contacting the Secretary of the Navy, arguing for their company in Congressional hearings, working to get a winning deal. Today we are starting to see the results. Marinette Marine and Lockheed Martin have worked hard for our sailors and our country – and their success shows.
Sincerely, Herb Kohl
He saw Feingold go down and he knows he is next. I don’t think it will take much with the right canidate. Maybe he will just retire rather than get beat - that would be even better!
Doesn’t Kohl have a dry goods/department store to run back there in WI? Voters need to help him get home to mind the store.
Herb Kohl knows that all of us who voted Feingold out of office, are going after him next.
You’re toast, Herb!
It’s a whole new animal here in WI, and it’s angry at liberals who have ruined our state.
Looks like our 'Confirmed Bachelor' Senator is a little shook up after Black Tuesday, LOL!
I just like to see it in print! :)
Yes, there are (unfounded) rumors going around that he’s going to retire after this term and Feingold will run for his seat. Personally, I’m not buying it.
How many of these will be union jobs?
In Wisconsin - probably all of them and then 500 more for the voter rolls...
*snort!* That’s what I’m afraid of. Love the jobs, hate the unions.
Feingold’s concession speech closing statement was all I needed to know that he’ll be running again after Kohl retires. He was not happy and he was defiant.
Should be fun :)
I would venture to guess that he’d be facing Sean Duffy by then.
Do you think Kohl runs again, or retires? Who’s the likely GOP condidate? I’ve heard talk about Ryan..but I’d like see him stay in the House. He can do a lot of good on the budget committee..Also..lots of talk about Cantor runnign for the Senate in 2012, so Ryan could move up to #2..I can see him as Speaker some day..
Kohl might prefer to retire rather than lose his next (and last) election. That old guy should go home and spend some of his money while he can.
The dems liked Feingold a lot more than Kohl, since Feingold is so far left. It doesn’t bode well for Kohl that the darling lefty Feingold had a stunning defeat. I bet old Russ is still steaming mad about it!
I have no idea who would run against Kohl or another dem. Maybe another great grassroots candidate like Ron Johnson will step forward. We were very lucky Ron was willing to leave his business to help our country.
Paul Ryan certainly has the right stuff to deal with liberals. Hard to say how far he can go. He’s been asked to run for POTUS, but he says no since he has a young family.
The family sold Kohl's Department Stores a long time ago.
I’m just not sure... but a campaign against Duffy would be awesome!
LCS may be a major win for a Wisconsin shipyard but it’s a major disaster for the US Navy and the taxpayers.
Well, the Republicans have two years to fix the election process in Wisconsin. They should do away with same day registration and voting and add a photo ID component. I’d also like to see a fingerprint on all provisional ballots. That should keep the future fraud down.
Didn’t LCS just flunk IOT&E?
Not effective, not sustainable, not suitable...
Agreed! I like the fingerprint component. Nobody is talking about that.
I have no opinion on the LCS. I just thought that it was interesting on how Senator Silent, Senator Do-Nothing, Herb Kohl is suddenly stepping into the spotlight after Russ Feingold was kicked out on his butt last Tuesday.
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