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Tiahrt Talks To News 5

By Tiffany Craig Special Assignment Reporter

M30o93H7pQ09L8X1t49cHY01Z5j4TT91fGfr Tiahrt Talks To News 5

Published: Wed, March 19, 2008 - 6:30 pm
Last Updated: Wed, March 19, 2008 - 6:52 pm

Tiffany Craig

If Northrop Grumman and EADS are able to keep a military contract to build Air Force tankers, thousands of jobs will be created along the Gulf Coast.

That won't happen of one Congressman gets his way.

Kansas Representative Todd Tiahrt says Boeing wasn't treated fairly and Northrop Grumman and EADS have an unfair advantage.

Reporter Tiffany Craig sat down with Tiahrt to uncover the reasons behind the rhetoric.

Todd Tiahrt is a Kansas Congressman with a lot to say. From the House floor to national television, he is very outspoken about the Air Force choosing the Northrop Grumman and EADS over Boeing.

Tiffany asked, "If you're saying that an American company should be the ones to build this tanker, Boeing has no competition here! Tiarhart responded, "I do believe in competition, no question about it but I also believe in fair competition. We don't have that in this contract."

This Kansas Republican not only wants to change the tanker outcome but the process the Pentagon uses to award contracts. "Well, we should have questioned it when the Presidents helicopter was lost to a foreign supplier. We should have known there was a real problem when the light utility helicopter was lost to foreign manufacturer. Now it's just so blatant that we can't ignore it any further."

Tiahrt started a website in protest and has written countless letters. Last week he sent one to the President and another one is hot off the press to the Air Force. He told the Commander-in-Chief that "If (contract decision) not overturned it will negatively impact the United States for generations."

Tiffany pointed out what the Air Force brought their A game and won 4 out of 5 categories. Tiahrt says the Boeing team was misled about what the military wanted. "They thought that they were bidding for a replacement for the KC-135. What the Air Force actually bought was a replacement for the KC-10 so they were vastly misled before the competition was announced."

It's no secret that Tiahrt's district would benefit from a Boeing win. We also learned that the Congressman also once worked for Northrop's competitor. "I did work for Boeing and dealt with federal government on federal acquisitions in trying to bring jobs back into the Wichita area."

Now, Tiahrt is fighting for jobs again. This time he's doing it from his office on Capitol Hill.

Tiahrt only accepts emails from residents in his district. However, you can pick up the phone and call his office toll-free at 1.866.668.8478

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I have no horse in this bidding, however, what everyone seems to be missing in these comments is that Airbus which is the company that is supposed to be getting this contract is backed by a 5 million subsidy from countries such as France and others. This is not fair bidding on any scale. If we want to believe in fair trade then everything should be even across the board. This is why the US cannot compete with China, India, and other countries. If everything is even then it is fair.

Posted by Grayghost on 03/20/08 - 3:48 pm • Report Abuse

I appreciate that the Gulf Coast doesn’t want to lose potential jobs any more than Wichita and Seattle folks.
But does it make sense to have a foreign company subsidized by a foreign government in charge of manufacturing our military equipment? We’re not talking about toys or personal electronics here.
What’s to guarantee the foreign company based jobs would stay anywhere in the US?
As for Tiahrt’s looking out for his folks, wouldn’t you expect that of your own Congressmen? You might disagree with him, for whatever reason, but give him credit. He’s doing his job! And is very well versed while doing it.

Posted by Little Apple on 03/20/08 - 3:32 pm • Report Abuse

First thank you Tiffany Craig for the great interview with Congressman Todd Tiahrt. It’s apparent that these people stand to loose money, a great deal of money. As we all know, it doesn’t matter if Alabama is still part of the United States? When it comes to money, you do not count in the game. Boeing thought they had this in the bag and were they surprised.

Posted by cork on 03/20/08 - 3:17 pm • Report Abuse

With all the “outsourcing” this country does in many industries from toys and customer service to clothing manufactuers and many more, why should it be such a big deal for a foreign company to build these aircraft? It is obviously okay for all our other products...even toys with lead paint for example and sweatshops where children make clothing we buy in horrible conditions. We haven’t shut anyone else out simply for being foreign companies, why start now? At least the jobs will be here for our citizens. Does he really expect us to believe it was a problem before though noone spoke up, but “this is where we draw the line” as he stated?

Posted by leahp on 03/19/08 - 10:23 pm • Report Abuse

i’m curious how much stock Tiahrt has in Boeing ?

Posted by justapit on 03/19/08 - 10:12 pm • Report Abuse

Let’s face it, Tiahrt was bought and paid for by Boeing, properly groomed and sent off to Washington D.C. Now Boeing expects their investment to payoff!

I find much of this argument being made by Tiahrt and Dicks to be extremely insulting and nonsensical. They keep running the American flag up the pole and shouting about giving away jobs and security.

Boeing is one of the biggest players there is in the outsourcing of computer related products. In this day and age military intelligence and weaponry is totally dependant upon computerization.

These people are trying to play us all as fools and I resent that!

Posted by BamaBob on 03/19/08 - 6:54 pm • Report Abuse

Unfortunately, the Congressman from Kansas will only accept comments from his congressional district!!!

Congressman,

You opposition to the tanker contract award is pure protectionism at its worst. Comments that imply that participation by France in this contract will jeopardize national defense is ridiculous! Boeing will outsource part of it proposed production to Japan and Italy both our “enemies” in WWII yet France has been our ally since the Revolutionary War. Somehow you ignore this. You also say that assembly in Mobile AL will not be with American workers who are unskilled. If you bothered to check you would find that there already is an overhaul facility for major carriers as well as a Teledyne aircraft engine manufacturing facility on the same complex where the new tanker will be assembled.

Posted by agtrader on 03/19/08 - 6:33 pm • Report Abuse

I’m glad the reporter let Tiahrt know that we are aware of his employment at Boeing and his lengthy association with the executives in that company. More research needs to be done in that area, including his position before he moved into the political arena and also how much influence he has had during his tenure as a Representative as it relates to Boeing contracts.

Norm Dicks should also be thoroughly investigated!

Every congressman’s constituency expects them to go to bat for their respective states, but there should be an ethical line drawn and I have a strong feeling that line does not exists when it comes to Boeing.

Posted by BamaBob on 03/19/08 - 6:16 pm • Report Abuse