Sen Shelby Holds Pentagon Nomination Over Tanker Controversy

The Hill:

Controversy over a $35 billion Air Force midair refueling tanker contract is spilling into the confirmation of the Pentagon's next acquisition chief.

Sen. Richard Shelby (R-Ala.) is putting the breaks on the confirmation of Ashton Carter over concerns with the way the Pentagon will proceed with the selection of the next midair refueling tanker for the Air Force. Shelby placed a hold on Carter's confirmation.

Read the whole story: The Hill

Comments

[TheIndependenceParty]

Seems Shelby and Sessions may be acting on behalf of foreign interests in this fight, ... as well as pandering to a huge contractor in their own state. You can always count on them to do the right thing, ... at least for the commercial interests of their patrons!

[PhilipTaylor]

Shelby gets around and average of $2 Million every four years from Defense Contractors!

He is just doing his JOB!

[ObjectiveRealist]

Senator Shelby has a clear, enormous conflict of interest and as he is evidently also not adult enough to recuse himself from matters on which he has such conflict, we need to take away his pork-barrel toys permanently; nationalize the military-industrial complex. That would also take away the incentive to wage more unnecessary wars on fraudulent claims of WMDs and baseless assertions of terrorist connections.
http://www.care2.com/causes/politics/blog/help-sen-leahy-make-bush-truth-commission-a-reality/
http://ga3.org/campaign/btcpetition

[DianeGhil]

shelby and sessions are nothing more than backward alabama boys. I am a transplant to this backward state only to be near my family and am ashamed at the religious conservative views that most people have here. Shelby and jeff sessions hold such backward views along with the governor and our latest democratic congressman for district 5. He panders to these redneck backwoods republicans and I definitely will not vote for him again. His name is parker griffith.

How can a state that is 48th in every progressive survey of the U.S. try to hold back anything.

[rsprags]

I totally agree; let unite to get these two clow** out of the state. If God see some of these folks coming to heaven he would leave. They call it religion and conservative views however, it is really prejudice and racism. They will compromise the entire State to keep certain segments of our State down. They love to see poverty and lack because they get rich and multiply off of the misery of other; they have no concept that the pie is expandable and there are enough resources in the earth for everyone to have what they like. Shelby and Sessions are total embarassments for the state of Alabama.

[smittie]

I'm in district 7 and I agree with you 100%!

[Cedman]

We should just tell Shelby we will use some TARP funds to ensure he gets his kickback if the contract does not go to Alabama. You can see by this example that Blago's actions are pretty standard in the world of politics.

[miles120]

What a disgrace: Shelby and Sessions want a "transparent" process that favors their choice. My guess is that by this point they realize the Republican brand is so worthless that they're going to grab everything they can get their hands on.

And shame on all of us for not considering people like this social pariahs. (Sorry for the hyperbole.)

[DLBSR]

I don't care much for Shelby. He appears to be an agenda-driven career politician (like too many others on Capitol Hill) that always serves his agenda ahead of the greater good of the country. The tanker controversy is just another example of exporting taxpayer dollars in an effort to benefit a small area of the country. When American owned companies win contracts, the entire country benefits. Just more of the same old same old. Both sides of the aisle are guilty of ignoring the greater interests of this country.

[ObjectiveRealist]

Each branch of the military should have a "department" or "division" or whatever they'd want to call it, analogous to the Army Corps of Engineers, such that they _never_ outsource _any_ of their work. If you disagree, please Google "KBR electrocution" before replying, or I will rip you a new one.

[DLBSR]

:-)

[Gabblog]

The real problem is the politics..­.Washingto­n (Boeing) is a blue state...Alabama is a red state...it is soooo transparent. It will take the same amount of 'jobs' to build the tankers...NGC-EADS will be held out as exporting jobs to Europe...there is nothing the Pentagon can do about it...they were already told to cancel the award to NGC one time

[darleneslee]

What do you want to bet if it was being built in Shelby's state of Alabama he wouldn't have not one single thing to say but get it built.

[newshawk14]

The only thing that the lying Shelby and Sessions care about, is that if the Airbus tanker is
selected, in will bring a fair amount of work to Alabama. What everyone forgets is that the
entire spectrum of aircraft based on the Boeing 707, is being replaced. So far all of them,
the new AWACS, JSTAR, and reconaisance planes are using the the Boeing 767 airframe.
It makes a great deal of sense to have the tanker use the same airframe, flight controls, and
engines as the other new generation aircraft, in that it greatly simplifies training, maintenance,
and parts inventory. I find their actions despicable, and not if the best interests of the military
or our country.

[DLBSR]

Hello newshawk14

The European Airbus airframe is a very competitive to the Boeing 767. We cannot deny that. However, I believe as you do we must support our domestic manufacturing infrastructure when we are spending tax dollars. If we fail to do so, our defense related industries will go the way of GE, Zenith, the Big Three, etc.. This country must learn our economy cannot survive supported by a foundation constructed of consumer spending and service industries. Spending and borrowing have played a critical role in destroying our economy. We must retain the minimal manufacturing infrastrucure remaining in this country and strive to develop more. Sessions and Shelby are two of the many self-servers, on both sides of the aisle, we employ to represent us in Washington that at the end of the day are only concerned about their re-election opportunities, the welfare of this country be dam*ned.

[newshawk14]

Hi DLBSR, you'll notice that I said nothing negative about the Airbus plane,
but what I pointed out is that with the exception of the tanker, all the new
replacements for the Boeing 707 aircraft are based on the Boeing 767. In
terms of training and maintenance, there is an advantage in sticking with
the 767 aircraft for the tanker.. The added benefit, is that nearly 100% of the
value added, will accrue to the US, we simply have to make sure that
Boeing is cost competive, and not doing a Haliburton on us.

[justice11]

I can't stand that crooked mouthed Shelby. He needs to focus on his state, Al. This backwards state refuses to move foward. Right now Gov Riley lost the right to shutdown bingo in Al, is spending over $250,000.00 for a task force, if you can believe that and has taken it to the Supreme Court! Riley won't even allow the lottery there due to his dislike of gambling all the while his state has continued to close down schools! These backward people don't know what the heck their talking about. Time to catch up with the rest of this country!!!

[darleneslee]

They both need to go float a boat across the atlantic. They both have plantation mentality. I feel sorry for the people in their state.

[larry278]

How about building a bunch of blimps to serve as air to air refueling tankers till Airbus or Boeing get the contract to build replacements for the 20 year old [or more] tankers the US now uses? The blimps could be powered by replicas of the dependable, durable engines used on WW I's JN 3. These engines could be fueled by gasahol or ersatz gasoline made from Alabama coal. Let's put American workers to work NOW.
The blimps might be slow but they would be reliable & cheap.

[JiminNC]

Howell Heflin lives on ...

[MsLiz]

He's long gone, and was much better than either Shelby or Sessions.

[Mom4Choice]

And to think that at one time he was a democrat.

The only decent member of Congress Alabama has is Artur Davis (who is awesome, BTW). And he happens to also be the only one who voted yea on the Obama budget.

Dick Shelby, please stop embarrassing those who'd like to have a sense of pride in our State. You're ruining for the rest of us.

[bongstradamus]

So basically: no earmarks, no nominee. Classy way to lead. Jeopardizing national security in order to get what he wants.

[dfranz]

This guy has no intention of being anything but a shill for his own interests. The fact that Alabama has been receiving $1.71 in government spending for every tax dollar collected shows how cozy Shelby is bellying up to the federal milk teat. Washington State, where Boeing's primary production lines are located receives $.88 for every dollar taxed. Not that that should make any difference in the selection process but it does show where his priorities are.

[pros54]

Yet does not want the stimulus package (voted against it)