Posted on 02/25/2011 7:16:37 PM PST by sukhoi-30mki
Merkel deplores, EADS angry over US tanker contract
Berlin/Paris - German Chancellor Angela Merkel deplored Friday Washington's decision to award a 35-billion-dollar tanker contract to Boeing Co instead of rival European Aeronautic Defence and Space Co.
A Merkel spokesman, Steffen Seibert, said an opportunity had been missed to improve the partnership between the European Union and the United States. But he said Berlin would not be taking any action and it was up to EADS and its US partners to analyse what had happened.
The contract to build 179 Boeing KC-46A planes is one of the largest in the Defence Department's history. The Pentagon announced Thursday Boeing had won the first phase of a three-phase contract that could reach a value of 100 billion dollars.
In Munich, EADS chief executive Louis Gallois said he was 'disappointed and astounded' at the Pentagon decision.
A spokesman quoted him telling a telephone conference, 'We missed our chance.' He insisted the business future for EADS remained solid and it would try to develop US sales by other paths. He mentioned US orders for military helicopters as a hope for the future.
Asked if EADS would file an appeal against the tender award, Gallois said EADS would wait till after a conversation with the Pentagon scheduled for this Monday before deciding its next step.
A senior German Economics Ministry official said he still held out hope that the ruling was not final, though Berlin would not interfere.
(Excerpt) Read more at monstersandcritics.com ...
waaaa...
Come on boys, you have to add some greenbacks, I mean skin in the game.
WTO: Boeing Received Some $24 Billion in Illegal Subsidies From U.S. Government
By Curtis Cartier, Mon., Jan. 31 2011
The latest ruling in the Europe/America-gives-illegal-money-to-its-principal-aircraft-manufacturer saga has been handed down. And the score stands at 1-1.
The AP reports today that the World Trade Organization has released a report to U.S. and European officials that shows that Boeing received almost $24 billion in illegal subsides from the U.S. government in the form of free services, research grants, and the use of technology.
The findings come almost a year after the same organization found that European countries were doing pretty much the same thing with Boeing’s main competitor, Airbus.
The report hasn’t been made public yet, and likely won’t be for several more months.
On cue, an Airbus spokesperson swooped in to blast Boeing and its wicked doings. Per AP:
“From today, Boeing can no longer pretend that it doesn’t benefit from generous and illegal state subsidies. It has been doing so from the start and it’s time to stop the denial,” said Rainer Ohler, Airbus’s head of public affairs and communications.
Both Airbus and Boeing have appealed previous rulings, as they each seem not to relish the idea of a trade organization rifling through their government-subsidy accounting.
But with trillions of dollars in aircraft contracts up for grabs, it seems unlikely that the under-the-table financing will cease, but rather that people will just get sneakier about it.
http://blogs.seattleweekly.com/dailyweekly/2011/01/wto_boeing_received_24_billion.php
Pi$$ on EADES - Boeing is an American company...this should be American business.
I thought the EADS deal would generate jobs in America as well.
They couldnt be lying to us could they?
Here are some of Boeing’s lobbyists (many of whom may never have lobbied on the tanker deal):
* Former Rep. Bill Paxon
* Former House Minority Leader Dick Gephardt
* Linda Daschle, wife of former Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle
* Scoop Jackson aide Denny Miller
* Former Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Stewart Verdery
* Tony Podesta
* Former Obama aide Oscar Ramirez
* Former House Approps Spokesman John Scofield
* Former Bush Treasury Aide Tara Bradshaw
Read more at the Washington Examiner: http://washingtonexaminer.com/blogs/beltway-confidential/2011/02/who-were-boeings-lobbyists#ixzz1F21JGuG7
There would have been close to 2000 jobs here in Mobile (which BTW is a part of the US) and 48,000 jobs nationwide. But all one has to remember - Obama, Chicago, Boeing.....welcome to the corrupt Chicago political machine now firmly in place in DC.....
Boeing is no different than Government Motors. Look at the virtual fence that didn’t work. That was a billion dollar boondoggle that Boeing’s friends in DC gave it.
Boeing is no different than Government Motors. Look at the virtual fence that didn’t work. That was a billion dollar boondoggle that Boeing’s friends in DC gave it.
EADS is European owned, thats all I need to know. I don’t doubt that Boeing worked the angle through Chicago. I’m also quite sure that EADS was working their angles.
The Tanker award is a disgrace.
Obama went to Copenhagen in 2009 in a useless attempt to persuade the Olympic Committee to put the 2016 Olympics in Chicago. Before leaving Washington Obama knew Rio de Janeiro was a done deal and he wasn't going to change the Committee's mind. But his bosses in Chicago told him to get his skinny butt on the plane and try anyway no matter how weak and stupid he might look. People in the Chicago political machine had millions to gain by landing the Olympics.
EU has been screwing US corporations for years- looks like payback time.
I keep hearing this accusation. It’s time to put up or shut up. 0bama is corrupt and so is Chicago, but that doesn’t automatically mean that this contract award is corrupt. I don’t see American or EU whining over the fact that Russia only awards their military aircraft contracts to 3 companies: Tupolev, Sukhoi, and Mickoyan-Guerevich.
The fact that EADS isn’t going through with a protest should tell you something. They were so blatantly the Air Force’s fair-haired boy last time, to the point that the Air Force ran roughshod over contract law, that Boeing had a rock solid case in their protest and the Air Force made no attempt to contest the GAO’s findings.
To head off your next question: it’s true, I don’t give a fat crap if the EU or the French have a problem with this award. They can go back to France and make A380s, or go to the Jolly Pirate Donuts and take a 4-hour toilet break for all I care.
And I’m sure that EADS doesn’t have any lobbyists. Surely they don’t wine and dine any American dignitaries that vacation in France.
When Northrop-Grumman, partnered with EADS, got the contract award last time, people all over FR were madder than snot about it. It just goes to show, you’re going to have your angry detractors crying corruption (true or not) no matter who wins.
Boeing won the protest last go-round, so it’s been proven that it is possible to successfully protest. If EADS has such a superior design and they were oh-so-screwed, why aren’t they protesting?
Instead of whining you should be looking for ways to entice Boeing to build plants in Alabama.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.