Written by March 2, 2008, 1:37 pm
Obama Expresses Disappointment over Air Force Tanker Deal
Nick Timiraos reports on the presidential race from Nelsonville, Ohio.
Sen. Barack Obama expressed his disappointment Sunday that Northrop Grumann and the parent company of Europe’s Airbus beat out Chicago-based Boeing Co. for a contract worth up to $40 billion for the next generation of U.S. Air Force refueling tankers.
Obama said it was hard for him to believe “that having an American company that has been a traditional source of aeronautic excellence would not have done this job.” He preempted his comments by saying that he had not examined the deal carefully.
The Illinois senator made the remarks after an event to promote green jobs in rural Ohio, where he and rival Sen. Hillary Clinton have been blamed the loss of manufacturing jobs to free trade deals.
Boeing had been heavily favored to win the contract, and Friday’s decision gives the European Aeronautical Defence & Space Co. a big boost within the U.S. military market. Under the contract, the Air Force will buy 179 tanker aircraft over the next 15 years as it replaces its Boeing-built KC-135 tankers, which are an average 47 years old.
The result could still be challenged by Boeing or members of Congress, and comes after an ethics scandal cost the company another tanker deal that it had expected to win. Sen. John McCain, the likely Republican nominee, steered the epic battle that derailed the proposal and he frequently cites his willingness to challenge the aerospace giant clash as evidence that he is tough on spending and special interests.
Already, several senators, including Kansas Republican Sam Brownback and Washington Democrat Patty Murray, have expressed their outrage over the decision. Northrop and EADS have vowed to assemble the tankers in Mobile, Ala., to allay concerns that the U.S. would lose jobs over the deal.
At the Ohio event, Obama promised to fight for tougher standards but whacked his rival for calling for a pause in new trade deals. “The world will not pause. China’s not pausing. India’s not pausing,” he said. “Not all of the manufacturing that has left Ohio … is coming back. And that’s just the truth.”
Permalink | Trackback URL: http://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2008/03/02/obama-expresses-disappointment-over-air-force-tanker-deal/trackback/
Save & Share: Share on Facebook | Del.icio.us | Digg this | Email This | Print
Read more: Campaign 2008
More related content
Recent Comments