Obama’s tie to Airbus
Published 2:53 pm Thursday, November 13, 2008
President-elect Barack Obama named some members of his transition team yesterday. He assigned Michael Warren to the group overseeing international trade and economic agencies. Warren is on partial leave from Stonebridge International LLC, where he serves as chief operating officer and managing director, according to this AP story.
From the AP story (bold added for emphasis):
Stonebridge advertises itself as the “premier international advisory firm at the nexus of commerce and public policy.” According to records on file with the Senate Office of Public Records, that apparently translates into lobbying. Records show Stonebridge has lobbied for Airbus Americas Inc., and energy companies ConocoPhillips, Dynegy and Gulfsands Petroleum Ltd.
As you might remember, Obama’s Republican rival, Sen. John McCain, was criticized for having campaign advisors who lobbied for EADS, the parent company of Airbus. McCain also won no friends from Boeing when he quashed the company’s initial tanker contract with the Air Force.
The tanker competition is expected to begin again in the first part of next year, under an Obama administration. Boeing’s defense chief Jim Albaugh is viewing the incoming administration with a wary eye, anticipating scrutiny of projects that have run over budget, reports The Wall Street Journal.
