Let’s wayback to 2008, when an aggressive and ambitious young senator questioned the Pentagon’s decision-making.
“The two leading Democratic presidential contenders criticized the Pentagon for relying on a foreign business for important military equipment. Sen. Barack Obama of Illinois said Monday that it was hard for him to believe “that having an American company that has been a traditional source of aeronautic excellence would not have done thisjob.” Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York said she was “deeply concerned about the Bush administration’s decision to outsource the production of refueling tankers for the American military.” “It is troubling that the Bush administration would award the second-largest Pentagon contract in our nation’s history to a team that includes a European firm that our government is simultaneously suing at the World Trade Organization for allegedly receiving illegal subsidies, Clinton said.”
Today, Obama’s Pentagon has disqualified Hawker Beechcraft from competition to supply a new light attack aircraft, and its CEO still can’t get any answers:
Embraer, the only bidder remaining in the competition, is under investigation, just as Airbus was in 2008. Yet it stands to win over an American company with a proven track record. As Senator Obama might have asked, why?
I’m guessing that Beechcraft’s management must be Republican. Just like Gibson Guitars.
Embraer is a Brazilian company.
Here is another wayback moment:
August 18, 2009
Wall Street Journal, Online
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970203863204574346610120524166.html
Obama Underwrites Offshore Drilling
“The U.S. is going to lend billions of dollars to Brazil’s state-owned oil company, Petrobras, to finance exploration of the huge offshore discovery in Brazil’s Tupi oil field in the Santos Basin near Rio de Janeiro. Brazil’s planning minister confirmed that White House National Security Adviser James Jones met this month with Brazilian officials to talk about the loan.”
Follow the money (or alternatively: Follow the influence). Can anyone say corruption?
Can anyone say Soros?
The contract WAS awarded to Embraer. Embraer was gearing up for production, when US AIR FORCE fought for and won an injuction and review of the whole bidding, contract award process.
This was noticed in Brazil’s Exame story headlines.
http://exame.abril.com.br/negocios/empresas/industria/noticias/eua-suspendem-contrato-de-compra-de-super-tucano-da-embraer
Although in Portuguese, Headline says” USA suspends contract for purchase of Embraer’s Super Tucano.” This comes on the heels of another more disturbing report of Embaer’s lack of meeting current contracted for and non-delivery of, existing production aircraft.
Thank heaven for US Air Force’s standing up to We The Elite People’s Washington DC’s culture of corruption.
A Third World country, Brazil, with 50,000 un-solved homicides in 2011 alone and some almost 60,000 highways deaths, too , is a marxist/leninist’s country without regard for private, public or personal property. Imagine a military aircraft with lax inspection and production process and procedures, furnishing to the USA such slovenly fabricated aircraft for USA’s military arsenal and Airmen.
God Bless America’s Air Force. Amen!
Hawker is 49% owned by Goldman Sachs and 49% owned by Onex which is Canadian. Hawker has massive debt and huge negative cash flows. Much of Hawker’s manufacturing has been transferred to Asian and Mexican subsidiaries. It’s somewhat doubtful whether Hawker is in sufficient financial shape to fulfill a large contract.
Follow the money – Soros is an invester in one of these companies awarded that contract by this administration.