Tanker update: European leaders look to Bush for help
Published 11:01 am Thursday, July 17, 2008
The leaders of France, Germany and England have lobbied U.S. Pres. George Bush over the ongoing tanker competition between the Boeing Co. and Northrop Grumman and EADS, according to this report.
“All three leaders at various times raised the issue,” White House spokesman Gordon Johndroe said. “The president told all three the same thing: He has nothing to do with the contracting process, and the White House has nothing to do with the contracting process.”
Northrop and its European partner EADS initially won the $35 billion contract to supply the Air Force with aerial refueling tankers. But government auditors found several “significant” errors on the part of the Air Force. The Department of Defense last week announced an expedited rebid of the contract.
EADS executive Tom Enders apparently accompanied German Chancellor Angela Merkel on one visit to the White House.
“This is astonishing,” said Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash. “We are building tankers to meet the needs of the U.S. military. Now all of a sudden we are supposed to listen to the French, Germans and British about their needs. We should not be influenced by jobs in Germany or elsewhere.”
