The Hill:
Thirteen House lawmakers are pressing President Obama to buy a cheaper, less sophisticated version of the controversial new presidential helicopter.
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My question is WHY is it that these contracts always double or triple from their original costs? If the corporations cannot build it based on their original bid, then they lose any opportunity for bids in the future. Done deal.
We are really tired of supplementing the income of these defense contractors. It is absolutely ridiculous.
ENOUGH!
It's all about socialism. Isn't that what the defense industry is?
Corruption, bribery, making worthless, though expensive, widgets. Sounds like the USSR back in the day.
I think the signatories are right. Keep the first batch, scrap the second. The Pres gets new choppers and saves the taxpayers some money.
Why can't he use a modified Osprey? Faster and more exciting.
That's a pretty good idea, actually! They are awesome aircraft.
But, I think they crash a lot compared with regular choppers.... so maybe they're not ready to ferry POTUS around yet.
But I'm sure the V-22 is getting better by the day, so it may only be a matter of time.
Osprey is a death trap. Cool on paper but impractical in reality.
This presidential helicopter business was NONSENSE just the typical MSM allowing Rethuglicans to determine that Oh its OK for Bush to have a highly sophisticated helicopter but its NOT for President Obama. They let John McCain cause them to make a story out of NOTHING. Apparently President Bush needs a sophisticated helicopter but President Obama dont.
The republicans have turned the media into a joke they spout petty nonsense and the media just eats it up like a fo ol. They are more important stuff happening but they obsessed over a helicopter birth certificate Obama's so called socialist policies. Apparently they only have mind for the small and petty.
Carol
Amen...nailed it..
He's the President, keep the choppers, it must be a gas to ride in them.
The contract for the second phase super state of the art helicopters should be cancelled. The Congressmen are right in wanting to replace the Italian manufacturer with a US firm. Even with Lockheed Martin's involvement, it still in an ex-US company who is the manufacturer. Our President should ride in a “built in American.” The current version of Marine One being used by the President is getting long in tooth.
I agree with Lieberman (shocking even myself) that Sikorsky should be building the President's helicopters. Lockheed got the contract and subbing it out to the British-Italian company in exchange for the UK and Italy providing bogus intelligence to support the Bush administration's lies leading up to the invasion of Iraq.
Hello ccairnes, I'd like to throw in an earlier post that might illuminate your concerns.
I just got off the phone with another former aerospace engineer, and we had a good laugh
over the new presidential helicopter. He is of the opinion, that while the Lockheed skunk
works, might do an excellent job, the rest of the company is turning out garbage, that is over
budget, and can't meet specifications. Not exactly a ringing endorsement, from a very sharp
engineer.
My brother in law is an engineer with the Air Force, and the general consensus is that they HATE Lockheed. They refer to them as "the devil".
I think everyone should realize that this program was hatched in someones fundament, start
over and come up with a program that is not idiotic. Also, I might add that if we need 28
helicopters to insure that the president has one capable of flying, someone is out of their
ever loving mind.
They have to fly three at a time for his safety, Sets have to be kept at strategic locations. They have to have spares..oh never mind, clearly your name is just for effect, not based in any reality concerning the President's safety. I am surprised no one has expressed any concern about the fact that he is flying around in helicopters that the previous administration deemed unsafe five years ago when they had repeated mechinical problems.
Having been a former aerospace engineer, I am well aware of the machinations
of the aerospace industry, I doubt if you can make a similar claim. This program
strikes me as a gigantic boondoggle that will at best be a minor improvement in
capability, and at worse endanger the life of the president. Apparently some of
the Marines who would be involved in flying and maintaining the new helicopter,
have described it as a pile of s**t. That is not a glowing recommendation to me.
Besides the FACT that REPUBLICANS ORDERED and FUNDED them . . . the REAL issue is that generally the Republicans would rather Obama hitch rides on single engine private owner planes and drive himself around in a 1977 Cadallac Sedan DeVille with 24s, stuck open windows, 3 bald tires and a primered fender . . . .
After rereading the article. The Republicans have some nerve. Politics is about give and take, and the GOP continually voted against the President, why now should he stick his hand out to the GOP. Had they get onboard they could have been apart of the CHANGE. CHANGE does meant if it isn't needed, NO NEED wasting money. If they quote a certain price, then keep increasing, then you go with the lowest bidder. Also, why is an Italian (FOREIGN) nation/company building the "PRESIDENTS" helicopter. That is a NO-NO and should be a reason for cancellation. The plans are already compromise, mostlikely sold to Russia already and other nations. The Bushite Cheney Cabal is beyond contempt. CONGRESS should vacate those old plans. an increase from 6 to 13 billions is a rip off. I am sure we need only one phase of choppers, why waste money on "interms", next year is 2010, I am sure the president is fine with waiting for the ones needed. WASTE, FRAUD AND ABUSE, that is the history of GOP GOVERNANCE IN AMERICA AND THE GOP. CORRUPTION STINKS! END DEFENSE CORPORATE BS!
I have no problem with some new choppers but TWENTY EIGHT OF THEM? Seriously why hasn't anyone talked about getting just 8? Or 6?
I can see the need for two at the WH, and Two to take on trips and maybe a couple for back up.
BUT TWENTY EIGHT at that horrendous cost?
So why isn't that on the table? AND more importantly since when is a foreign country building our most secure transportation for the leader of the free world? Seriously. WHY?
There are certain things that should be handled at home (yes I know anything could happen here too) and Flags and AF 1 and Marine 1 are definitely at the top of thelist.
ask the guy who ordered them 5-6 years ago
They ordered them becasue the current fleet is getting old and they had experienced some scary moments because of mechanical failures. Those are the ones President Obama is on now, and they are five years older and now even less reliable. I, for one, would like for him to be safe, the Repubs not so much, so they try to embarras him into keeping the current mechanically deficint fleet and when there is an accident they will all cry big crocodile tears. And I guess all the people who thought his safety was too expensive will cry too, that they let the Repubs shape their thinking without knowing the facts and helped to push the Repub agenda..
I must also ask for an explanation, why is a fleet of helicopters necessary for ONE man, even if he is our President? I can even see 10 or 12 of them, but 28???
The question of 'why so many' has been asked & answered many times. Look around.
It's basically because they fly several at once for security, and helicopters take a whole
lot of constant maintenance to keep them 'air worthy', and the cost is because they
have so many additional 'presidential' requirements & of course because that's
what the military-industrial complex does best.
Despite the populist sentiment that Obama shoudl skimp on his helicopter. He is wrong--if anyone should be at the cutting edge of technology and mobile operations its the POTUS.
Those old AF1s are decades old--keep people working and properly maintain the best systems available.
This is a secret service/DoD decision more than Obama's. Keep the new fleet and stay prepared to face the latest and greatest threats to this nation. No excuses.
More than likely PO's greatest threat comes from within.....K K K! Now that's a shame.
The issue is that McCain was trying to score cheap points and it backfired. The GOP decided to upgrade to help their DEFENSE corporate pay for a 1million helicopter with 1 Billion each. Now, it will cost jobs in someone district if the President Kill it. If the building will be in GOP districts or Blue Centrist Dems that are DINO's, I say KILL IT. If they are progressive districts, save it. I guess since Cheney/Bush approve this waste as per McCain, then it is in Red States and RED DISTRICTS. END THE OUTSOURCING. I am sure the helicopters are fine. Down with the Corporate Cabal. I love the Europeans Germany/France standing their ground. We need global reform of the financial Industry and end the IMF and World Bank, they are stock with Economic and Financial Globalist Neo-Imperialist and Bushite Cabal aimed to distroy America and create a Global Society of economicslavery. "UNITE THE UNION" end the GOP, end the Global Elite and Corporate Cabal of evil men and women! NO HELICOPTER!
Come on! If anyone should be as well-equipped as possible, it's the PRESIDENT! This criticism about the helicopter is adolescent. I can't believe anyone is listening to it!
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The Hill | 03/16/09