There has no shortage of ink spilled in newspapers or entries posted to blogs over the failed Air Force tanker contest.
In its editorial this weekend, the New York Times urged the Air Force to rebid the competition between the Boeing Co. and Northrop Grumman-EADS. The Times suggests Defense Secretary Robert Gates, who has said he plans to get involved in the Air Force’s response to government auditors, will have to “work especially hard to ensure that the process isn’t further tainted by election-year politics.”
The Air Force has 60 days to respond to the Government Accountability Office, which recently sided with Boeing’s protest of a Northrop-EADS win of the $35 billion deal supplying the agency with aerial refueling tankers. The GAO found that the Air Force conducted unfair and unequal talks with the two bidders and made errors that resulted in Boeing receiving a lower score.
Don’t forget … We’ve asked to cast your vote in a reader poll on whether the Air Force should split the tanker contract between Boeing and Northrop-EADS.
More bad news for the Air Force … It has been ordered to look at lobbying as it pertains to a plan to merge military bases, The Hill reports.
An opinion piece in Mobile’s Press-Register agreed with the New York Times that Gates’ involvement in the Air Force’s decision is important. However, the writer says that while Air Force may have made some procedural mistakes but still picked the right plan. Northrop would build its KC-30 in Mobile.
Quote: “WHILE BOEING tanker supporters behave like spoiled children throwing tantrums to try to get their way, there are a couple of positive developments in the tanker contest for Northrop Grumman-EADS and Mobile.”
Finally, last week, we told you about the Alabama restaurant owner who has offered to give Boeing the finger. Foosackly’s has drawn a lot of attention both in Alabama and here in Washington state. The business is selling T-shirts and bumper stickers with its “We would like to offer Boeing a finger” message.
From WKRG.com News 5 Mobile – Pensacola:
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