I just heard on the news that the Air Force may have to put the tanker contract back up for bid again.

Apparently they found some errors.

I hope they award it to Boeing this time. USAF aircraft should be built HERE by an AMERICAN company!

I'm surprised even the Bush people couldn't "fix" this, unless of course, Cheney owns stock in Airbus.

Apparently, McCain helped spearhead the Northrop/Airbus joint venture getting the bid on this ... which really looks bad on McCain. Granted the bid was awarded to Northrop Grumman, an American firm .. but the fuselage and frame are to be based from an Airbus A330, instead of Boeing's bid, which called for a 767-based setup.

Sometimes it just does not make sense to do everything on the cheap:

---

quote:

Hey Harry. Did you know we are sitting on 2 million gallons of fuel, a nuclear weapon and a thing with 270,000 parts that was built by the lowest bidder? Kinda makes you feel good dont it?

---

It shouldn't surprise anyone that the Air Force went with a company with its base of operation in Alabama. People used to joke the Senator Robert Byrd wanted to move the federal government to West Virginia. In this case, a Secretary of the Air Force, appointed by a Republican president, would most assuredly want to grant the tanker contract to a firm with ties to a loyal Republican state -- Alabama. And they don't get any more red than Alabama.

I'm surprised Halliburton wasn't listed as a possible sub contractor in the deal. That would have kept Dick Cheney's hands sufficiently greased.

I just realized that Sec. of Defense Robert Gates fired the Air Force Secretary who made the final decision about the tanker award. Perhaps a fresh set of eyes will do well for Boeing.