Takes Flight

22 Apr 2008
Air Force Calls Meeting with CEOs of Northrop Grumman and Boeing
The Air Force, concerned about the tone of the debate over Northrop Grumman's win of a contract to build America's next generation of aerial refueling tankers, called a meeting last Friday with the CEOs of Northrop Grumman and Boeing to talk about the issue.

Reuters is reporting that Boeing's attacks against the Air Force and Northrop Grumman were a key focus of the discussion.

Reuters quotes Loren Thompson, a defense policy analyst at the Virginia-based Lexington Institute, as saying that Boeing's conduct could have harmful repercussions.

"The tone of the tanker debate has turned so negative that Air Force leaders are concerned that it could damage their long-term relationship with Boeing," Thompson tells Reuters.

Reuters, citing Pentagon officials briefed about the meeting, said the meeting was called Friday by Gen. Duncan McNabb, the Air Force vice chief of staff, "to voice concern about the 'vitriolic' tone of public statements" about the dispute.

A key element of Boeing's effort to overturn Northrop Grumman's win has Been to attack the integrity of the Air Force. For example, Mark McGraw, head of Boeing's tanker program, alleged in an NPR interview that the Air Force "manipulated" the bidding process to favor Northrop Grumman, and then stood by that statement when repeatedly questioned by NPR.

"It's really gotten ugly," one Air Force official who spoke on condition he not be identified told Reuters.

To read the entire Reuters story, go to:
http://www.reuters.com/article/ousiv/idUSN2146273020080421

Meanwhile, Senator John McCain, who was instrumental in exposing the corruption underlying Boeing's initial attempt to force the American people to accept an overpriced leasing arrangement for its inferior tankers told reporters in Alabama, "if the process was legitimate, and I have no reason to think it was not we should get on with it ... There is a need for an Air Force replacement tanker. We shouldn't delay this any longer than necessary."

McCain's comments were reported in today's Mobile Press-Register.

The presumptive Republican Presidential nominee was also critical of Congressmen Norm Dicks (D-WA) and Todd Tiahrt (R-KS). He called "irresponsible" comments Dicks made at an event last week in which he announced that Congress should overturn the tanker award to Northrop Grumman.

Dicks, who also criticized southern workers, alleging they will not be up to building the tanker, said, "..we think that the Air Force should be stopped from going forward with this project." Dicks says the Air Force decision should be overturned no matter what the GAO finds.

The Press-Register story can be found here:
http://www.al.com/news/press-register/index.ssf?/base/news/
120885570762110.x ml&coll=3

Finally, we note that Congressman Dicks and Tiahrt, today, have been named by the government watchdog group Citizens Against Government Waste as "Porkers of the Month", for their attempt to overturn the Air Force decision and effectively pass a $35 billion earmark requiring the Air Force to buy Boeing's inferior tanker.

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