McCain camp responds to Boeing belly-aching

Let's face it, Boeing--you lost. The Chicago-based aerospace behemoth was shocked when the European Aeronautic Defense, the parent of European rival Airbus SAS and Northrop Grumman, won a $35 billion contract from the US Air Force to build aerial refueling tankers.

Boeing's complains on multiple levels, the foremost of which is that it will cost American jobs. Like most large corporations, Boeing has key operation throughout the United States: My guess is that the Boeing public relations army has leaned on key media contacts in cities where it has major operations including Chicago, Wichita, and Everett, Washington.

Congressional Democrats, probably after some well-placed whispering in their ears, are crying foul, and are blaming John McCain.

From Michael Cooper's New York Times Caucus Blog:

Ever since the Air Force decided to award a huge contract to build aerial refueling tankers to the European Aeronautic Defense and Space Company and Northrop Grumman, Democrats have sought to highlight that fact that it was Senator John McCain who helped scuttle an earlier, corrupt deal that would have awarded the business to an American company, Boeing.

Senator McCain said Tuesday in St. Louis that he was proud to have played a role in blowing the whistle on the Boeing contract, and that he believed the criteria for awarding such business should be getting the best equipment for the Armed Forces at the lowest cost to taxpayers. After he raised questions about the original Boeing contract, it was discovered that the No. 2 weapons buyer at the Air Force has been promised jobs for herself and her relatives with Boeing for steering them business.

This morning the McCain campaign sent out a memo about the tanker deal – in which several advisers to the McCain campaign lobbied for the European company that won the contract. Here is the memo:

To: Interested Parties
From: Steve Schmidt
Subject: Facts on John McCain and the tanker deal
Date: 3/12/2008

Over the past few days, there have been a number of political attacks launched by John McCain's political opponents attempting to blame him for the Boeing Company not being awarded the USAF tanker contract.

Incredibly, several news organizations have parroted the attack. Here are the facts:

John McCain uncovered a massive taxpayer rip-off and evidence leading to corruption convictions for Boeing and Pentagon officials, some of whom went to jail for their crimes. The CEO of Boeing resigned.[1]

John McCain's investigation saved the taxpayers over $6 billion dollars.[2]

Is it really possible that there are Members of Congress saying that John McCain was wrong to fight and stop the corruption? Should the fraudulent deal have been permitted? Should criminals not have gone to jail? Should the Department of Defense not be held accountable to select the most capable systems for the best price to the taxpayers? Isn't that what our security requires, and American taxpayers deserve?

Are the Democrats now the Party of no-bid contracts?

That John McCain is being attacked for uncovering and stopping corruption that sent criminals to jail speaks directly to everything that is wrong in Washington today.

All John McCain has ever cared about is a transparent, fair defense procurement process. This process, established by the DOD following the tanker scandal, allows for a fair and open competition and an appeal process — which Boeing is entitled to under law. John McCain fully supports Boeing's right to a review, and will demand that this review is fair.

The American people want leaders that put principle over politics, who value our national security interests and the good stewardship of the taxpayer's dollar over political self-interest. That's what straight talk is all about. That's John McCain.

And that's business. Sometimes General Motors wins a contract, sometimes Ford. Or Toyota. Boeing: Go through the review process so your stockholders get off your back, but the odds of your winning are slim.

Learn from your mistakes and move on.

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