Air Force Tanker Deal Leaves Congress In Turmoil

Reuters:

A U.S. Air Force decision awarding a $35 billion aircraft contract to a team including the European parent of Airbus landed like a bomb in Congress on Friday, drawing howls of protest from lawmakers aligned with the loser, America's Boeing Co.

The Congressional delegation from the Seattle area said they were "outraged." Kansas Republican Rep. Todd Tiahrt vowed to seek a review of the decision "at the highest levels of the Pentagon and Congress" in hopes of reversing it.

Read the whole story: Reuters

Comments

[joemac1114]

Maybe, just maybe it is time we taxpayers start to insist that our tax dollars go to buy things made in the USA. Until we start to care enough to do that quit your complaining.

You might be surprised just how much stuff our government uses is made overseas as our nation barrels forward toward third world nation status. Yep we are making sure we get the right the right guys elected, those who care about American jobs. (For the republicans reading this is sarcasm.)

[Perdurabo]

Errr... you mean people like Bill Clinton who voted in favor of NAFTA?

Or his wife, that has commented favorably on it, several times?

[joemac1114]

Or the republican congress that voted for it. Unfettered free trade is really bad for your employment health. Further, Bill and Hillary look an awful lot like Richard Nixon to me. The only people worse are the Bush crowd.

[Perdurabo]

According to Boeing's own website, much of their parts are made overseas anyway.

http://www.boeing.com/commercial/news/feature/evt_tour.html

"The city of Everett, located about 30 minutes north of Seattle, is home to the Boeing "Queen of the Skies" -- the 747 -- as well as the Boeing 767 and 777. Each day, parts and subassemblies arrive at the manufacturing plant from all over the globe. More than 1,000 suppliers transport components by truck, rail, air and ship from around the United States and throughout the world."

Regarding Airbus...

http://www.spiegel.de/international/business/0,1518,521138,00.html

"With the dollar as weak as ever, European companies are trying to avoid disaster. Factories in North America are becoming more attractive, and over the weekend, both Airbus and VW hinted they might take the plunge."

"According to a report in the Monday edition of the Munich daily Süddeutsche Zeitung, Airbus is looking into building a final assembly plant in Mobile, Alabama. The prerequisite for such a move, the paper reports, is a contract for 180 refueling aircraft the United States Air Force has tendered. Airbus is competing against Boeing for the sale, and a final decision won't be made until the beginning of next year. Airbus is targeting the relatively poor state of Alabama in an effort to win political support for its bid."

So it seems that both companies source parts and subassemblies overseas and assemble the planes in the US.

What was the problem again?

[Perdurabo]

Well, I see that all the Congressmen (and women) that have taken payola, bribes and campaign funding from Boeing, ar having a bit of a tizzy.

[BJB6521]

You people?!? I cannot fathom how persuaded you are by the local media. Of course they are going to tell you all the bad things about this contract and how it effects the Northwest. You say that our tax dollars are being spent overseas on this project. You are gravely mistaken.

Airframe assembly: Mobile, AL
Powerplant: GE (South Carolina)
Avionics: Rockwell-Collins (Cedar Rapids)
Outfitting: N-G (Los Angeles)

The plane is being manufactured by Americans for Americans, in a place that needs the revitalization (Gulf Coast). I am sorry for some of you Northwesterners who are only receiving 250K instead of 400K equity in your overpriced homes, but allowing someone to finally make enough to repair their roof after the 2005 hurricane season seems a little more important. This contract was not a luxury for the people of the Gulf Coast; it was a neccessity. For Boeing, losing this contract is just a drop in the bucket compared to its commericial sector.

Gov. Bob Riley: "There are only two places in the world where large airplanes are built: Seattle, Washington and Toulouse, France. Now, there will be a third: Mobile, Alabama," Riley said. "To say this is a great day for Alabama is a monumental understatement. This will go down in history as one of our greatest days."

[Airborne2]

Not sure what everyone is worried about, Airbus couldn't beat Boeing (an American Company) so they come in the back door via our good ole patriotic American Repugs and sale the Airbus 330 to us so our Air Force can break Boeings back.

With these kinds of patriotic Americans watching out for you good citizens no wonder Ohio and other states have sky high unemployme­nt........­......reme­mber McCain wanted Boeing busted he got it.

++++++++++­++++++++++­++++++++++­++++++++++­++++++++++­++++++++++­++++++++++
The following is are comments from the BBC News, the French papers are even more glowing...­..........­..........

The planes will be assembled in Alabama but constructed largely in Europe.
The new aircraft, named the KC-45A by the US Air Force, is based on the Airbus A330 and will be manufactured in partnership with US defence firm Northrop Grumman.

[PrdAmerican]

Not exactly a drop in the bucket. I'm happy for those in Alabama, I'm less happy for the peopl in France. Although I do wonder if Cheney were a boeing insider as he is with Haliburton if that contract would have turned into a nobid win for Boeing.

As for your characterization of those of us who live here, perhaps you need to rethink your dumbass assumptions. Your are correct that homes are overpriced, but you neglect to see that the over priced homes have made property taxes soar, food costs have more than tripled in the last three years, not to mention the energy crises that more than tripled our energy costs (ENRON)..were' still paying those bastards off, and most of us who were born here can't even afford a house thanks to the massive influx of Californians who were in bidding wars paying 2 to 3 more than the actual cost of a house....I wish I had a roof of my own that needed repair.

[BJB6521]

This whole arguement against this contract is nauseating and really shows why America is so hated by others. I am an active duty military pilot with over 10 years of service and I can still read between the lines here.

Also, you must have forgotten just how much money is being invested by the Europeans in the U.S. Before we start to consider France-bashing we might want to look at the facts:

European firms account for 70% of direct investment in the U.S. The UK is the largest single foreign investor in the U.S., with some $252 billion invested (16% of the total stock of foreign direct investment in the U.S.)
Asia and the Pacific firms had the next highest level of investment in the U.S., at approximately $219 billion (14% of U.S. investment).
Japanese investors account for 12% of foreign direct investment in the U.S., and rank second to the UK. The Netherlands, followed closely by Germany and then France, hold the next biggest positions.
Direct investment from Latin American investors totals some $86 billion; while large absolutely, this is 5.6% of total foreign investment in the U.S.
Investment in the U.S. from Africa and the Middle East is less than $10 billion, only 0.6% of the total foreign investment in the U.S.

Specific Countries
Six European countries -- France, Germany, Luxembourg (a financial center), the Netherlands, Switzerland and the UK – each hold U.S. investments worth over $100 billion dollars.
The UK's $252 billion investment represents almost a fourth of total European investment in the United States.

So before we start complaining about a few aircraft being built in the U.S. by EADS, we might want to look at the entire picture.

[BJB6521]

Boeing's 500 planes per year commerical output versus 170+ planes over 10-15 years from this contract.....where is the comparison? Also, you assume too much, I was born in the NW, went to high school and college in the NW and served in the NW in the Armed Forces (currently active duty 10+ years).

[tmay]

Sorry, that was AgustaWestland, the European helicopter consortium, not Aerospatiale, the French aerospace company.

[tmay]

I doubt there is much of a connection, but considering that Aerospatiale won the contract for the replacement Presidential helicopters, beating out Sikorsky in Connecticut that had built every one of the previous fleet, one would have to consider that there is a bit of political poison in these contracts for the Blue states.

Everything is political in Bush world. Military contracts most certainly are.

[Deborah]

So, what the big deal? This is what NAFTA is all about isn't it?

signed
The Midwest USA

[elpollo]

We don't need no stinkin' tankers. I really couldn't care less who builds this crap.

[JerryJef]

Jobs in Washington state and in Kansas versus jobs in Alabama. Who should get them? Tough choice.

An article on this topic last night at HuffPo referred to a scandal a couple of years ago wherein a civilian Air Force procurement officer went to jail over a shading deal with Boeing. Maybe the Air Force is wary of being burned again and has Boeing on the s**t list.

I think we would be shocked if we knew the extent of American miliatry equipment being made in foreign countries by foriegn companies. BAE is a scandal ridden British company that is just about the largest single supplier of military goods to the U.S. armed forces, foreign or domestic. I read several months ago that some of our missile components are being made in China. I thought at the time it was a real good idea to have our missles built by the country we are most likely to wage the next world war against. Kinda like having the Nazi's build our Norden bombsights for us in World War II. The Germans are great at optics, don' cha know.

Some foreign countries make things not made in America or make things that are made in America better. Like the MRAPS that have much in the news lately. The American counterpart will not be ready for several more years. Or body armor. I think its the Israeli's who have a superior version to anything made in America.

If the Pentagon would not buy MRAPS and body armor because they were foreign made, why the hell are we allowing the French to get invovled in building our airplanes?

Sorry, Alabama, you lose. While I think it a good idea to bust up the Boeing monoply on military aircraft, I got to go with All-American on this one.

[MajorKong]

Boeing is hardly "All American". There's a lot of foreign content in a modern Boeing.

[therealredstateblues]

Indeed, as well as chinese content in the new dreamliner - what with all the quality and safety problems with chinese made goods, does not sound like the kind of plane I want to fly in

[Americanabroad]

Actually, during the 1930s, American industry regulary shared important developments with Nazi Germany.

To deal with deflation and drop of demand leading up to and during the Great Depression, cartels were created involving IG Farben, Alcoa, oil companies etc. They allocated market shares and shared technologies. When he Hitler came to power, he stopped the flow of knowledge out of Germany, but the US did not reciprocate until around 39 or 40.

[themodernleader]

This ignominious Bush Administration has not only bankruptedf our middle class, he now rubs our faces in it with using borrowed money to make our military equipment for us with foreign owned organizations and managers. Is this guy really an American? The decisions he keeps making benefit our enemies and detractors while pulling our Republic into a cesspool. American leaders, heretofore, have not been known for such treasonous actions.

[ReasonIsMyReligion]

Well said.

Support our troops.
Support our workers.
Support REGIME CHANGE IN AMERIKA.

[GeoLee]

Well, Airbus monies go to Britain ,too, and this is probably the thank you for joining in on our stupid war. 35 billion dollar payoff. Maybe since Senator "Intellingence Committee chairman during the Republican rule" Roberts and Todd "I worked for Boeing" Tiahrt could not bring home the bacon even with Secretary of Defense Wichita, Kansas Native Robert Gates in charge of the Pentagon, Wichita Kansas will get smart and vote out Tiahrt, finally. Meanwhile, Boeing workers can start eating Spam.

[Airborne2]

Oh well, at least George and McCain are training working people to be in the Army and Marines. We make damn good citizens for "cannon fodder" no big thing a 30 year work contract and 35 billion.

Hell it ain't that much money anyway, thats only 3 months worth of money being spent in little Bushman's war. Don't understand what all the BS about.....­..........­..........­.... Fxxxing Repugs

Go Anybody but these assholes..­..........­..........­..........­..........­.

[bushisanAhole]

economy is in the shitter, jobs are disapearing, and the govt. gives a 35 billion dollar contract to a foreign company. Enough said.

[drkazmd65]

Couldn't have said it better myself bushian,...

How is sending more of our overleveraged dollars to a company overseas a good idea?

[almoguy]

Yeah but don't you feel so much safer...

[nomoredead]

Plenty of money and jobs for the US via Northrup. The problem is the big Boeing lobbyist got punked, now their pissed.

[therealredstateblues]

Less than half the US jobs that a Boeing deal would have created.

Not to mention turning over the ability for us to manufacture the ability to defend ourselves to foreign interests

[Birdman]

Actually Northrup has no aircraft of this type, they partnered with Airbus to use thier plane. I imagine all Northrup will do is provide the interior stuff like the tanks, pumps, and refueling boom. Airbus supplies the plane last time I checked the plane is the bigger portion of the contract . So much for your theory huh.

[WIpatriot]

"Air Force Tanker Deal Leaves Congress In Turmoil"

Are you implying that Congress was NOT in turmoil prior to this news?

[FreedomCorpse]

indeed. What congress? Do they mean the one that has no mind of its own and a spine like a jellyfish?

[Blutus]

Didn't France agree just a few days ago to send 1500 troops
to Iraq?
Maybe this is the payoff.