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Why Northrop Backers Are Quiet

By Tiffany Craig Investigative Reporter

Boeing backers are dancing in the street and celebrating the GAO's announcement. Why is no one yelling off the rooftops for Northrop Grumman? Why Northrop Backers Are Quiet

Published: Thu, June 19, 2008 - 6:28 pm

Tiffany Craig

Many of you have been firing off on this website with comments about the tanker deal.

You are making your opinions known since the Government Accountability Office sided with Boeing in its protest of the 40 billion dollar tanker contract.

The GAO decision could prompt the Air Force to re-bid the contract and a lot of you want our leaders to fight back!

So, why is it a one-sided war of words?

Congressman Jo Bonner says verbal mud slinging is not the answer. "We decided early on that we were not going to play into Boeing's hands! If we had gotten into a war of words and responded to a Boeing press conference or statement, then I think we would have been playing not only into their hands, we would have been taking our eye off the ball."

But in the world of perception, Boeing supporters are getting a lot of attention. Members of Congress from Washington State and Kansas clogged a podium after the announcement. They fired shots at the Northrop team and no one from the other side has fired back!

Mobile Mayor Sam Jones says this is not a case of the squeaky wheel gets the grease. "This is not something that the person who makes the most noise gets the contract. It's not like a TV show like American Idol. You call in and vote on who you wanna get the contract. It's not that kind of situation. I would hope our government procurement process is a lot more responsible than that."

Until the Air Force decides what to do in the next two months, Bonner says we're in a dead heat. 'If you look at the scoreboard, right now it's tied. We won the first round if you want to... you can say they won the second round. At the end of the day, there's gonna be another game to be played."

Bonner believes the next game to be played will be some type of re-bid.

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BamaBob Says:

Fri, Jun 20, 2008 at 5:14 pm

We know that Sam “American Idol” Jones is too busy picking out a new refrigerator for his private bathroom, because the one he just got for his private conference room is just too far away from his desk and walking through that new 100,000 dollars worth of carpet can be hard on a person, but what is Bonner’s excuse?

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BamaBob Says:

Fri, Jun 20, 2008 at 12:05 pm

Well Bonner and Jones just explained why this contract is slipping through our fingers! Their big strategic plan is to sit on their thumbs while Dicks, Murray and Tiahrt pound Alabama and EADS nonstop!

The BIG picture is that Boeing has a strong presence in this state and none of our politicians are going to rock that boat. They will sit quietly on the sidelines with their fingers crossed, but never risk taking a stand against Boeing!

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Opinionwriter Says:

Fri, Jun 20, 2008 at 8:53 am

I do agree that mud slinging isn’t the answer, but making the truth known will help pave the road for equal playing ground if the project is re-bid. Someone has to stand up and keep false information in check or else politicians start running with it held high on a banner. People (especially in DC) love to believe something and try to look strong by making a stand. Problem is they don’t always get their facts straight, and then because of ego won’t change their position even in the face of the truth. That’s where the spin game starts and it becomes a futile war of words. Thanks Tiffany for pressing our leaders for action with good questions.

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rosepetal Says:

Fri, Jun 20, 2008 at 6:45 am

Mobile Mayor Sam Jones says this is not a case of the squeaky wheel gets the grease. “This is not something that the person who makes the most noise gets the contract. It’s not like a TV show like American Idol. You call in and vote on who you wanna get the contract. It’s not that kind of situation. I would hope our government procurement process is a lot more responsible than that.”

dear mayor jones, would you please relay the above message to boeing, according to them we are more french than france. then go to congress and set the record straight. if our military from the country of france in alabama can risk their lives for the people of the united states, they should be able to chose their equipment.

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