In Case You Missed It, Rep. Todd Tiahrt on CNN about Tanker Decision
Thursday, June 26th, 2008
Boeing cheerleader and Kansas congressman Todd Tiahrt (Republican) appeared on CNN’s “Lou Dobbs Tonight” this week to further politicize the GAO decision.
Todd Tiahrt and the Boeing Tanker Deal (YouTube)
Highlights:
“No, it doesn’t make any sense,” Tiahrt said. “And this GAO report was scathing. It said that the Air Force violated their own rules. They misled the Boeing Company. They miscalculated the cost and the Boeing Company was actually the lowest. So, it’s really difficult for — to understand why they would bend over backwards to outsource our national security to the French.”
(snip)
DOBBS: And no mention of the fact that Airbus is subsidized, that EADS is in the business of subsidies. But, again, this idea, I want everybody in this country to have a job. I’m sorry, that’s just me.
I’d like the folks down in Alabama to have their jobs in this. I’d like the folks in Kansas and in Washington, all around the country working for Boeing and Northrop Grumman to be working on this project together. Is that a possibility here?
TIAHRT: Well, not under the current ground rules.
DOBBS: Well, let’s fix it! Let’s fix the ground rules. You’re the boss. You’re in congress.
TIAHRT: That’s why I put this RFP together that lays out a level playing field for American workers. It would allow a Northrop Grumman and a Boeing to team together in this situation.
(snip)
It may be a good or bad thing, but the Northrop Grumman guys - Bonner, Sessions and Shelby aren’t being as aggressive as the Boeing folks - Tiahrt, Rep. Norm Dicks (D-Wash.), Sens. Pat Roberts (R-Kansas), Patty Murray(D-Wash.) and Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.) and to a lesser extent, Sen. Sam Brownback (R-Kansas).