Here’s an update on a dispute I’ve followed for a while. As I noted previously, we’re in the midst of a knock-down fight between Boeing (represented substantially by the lefty the Washington state legislative contingent) and an Airbus / Northrop Grumman team (represesnted in signficant part by right wing Senators Sessions and Shelby of Alabama.) Both are seeking the lucrative and prestigious contract to build $35 billion worth of U.S. Airforce tankers. In the first round, the contract went to Airbus. Today, after much agitation on the part of Boeing (and a little help from a skeptical GAO), Robert Gates, Secretary of Defense, announced the reopening of the bidding on a limited basis. If Boeing wins, you can bet Washington will see a lot of jobs; if Airbus wins, the spoils go to Mobile, Alabama. Who wins this skirmish? As with most things, it depends on who you ask. In the Mobile Register, Senator Shelby says the outcome is "the best of all options" and "an appropriate solution to remedy the minor procedural flaws the GAO found in the initial award." But ecstatic Washington Governor Chris Gregoire called it "good news for Washington state, Boeing, its workers and the nation."
In the end, it’s difficult to separate the substance from the politics. If this process drags on for long, this fall’s election returns might be a deciding factor. Alabama looks awful strong in a Bushworld; not so much under President Obama.