...so says Press-Register Washington correspondant Sean Reilly this afternoon...
Alabama's two U.S. Senators are using their minority clout in an attempt to influence the decision about replacing those tankers. The Alabama Senators are blocking the confirmation of the man President Obama has selected as the Pentagon's top weapons buyer, Ashton Carter. They're trying to get him to say whether he thinks the award should be based on price, or the capabilities of the planes. If the latter is in the mix, it helps Northrup-Grummen/EADS, the group that would assemble the planes in Mobile.
Interestingly, the argument for getting the selection process moving again is that the tankers are so much older than their expected lifespan. 25% of them aren't flying at all. Why is it that we all cheer when NASA keeps vehicles exploring Mars long after they were expected to stop working, but if earthly vehicles last longer than expected we complain? Maybe it's the fact that replacing the tanker fleet is a $35-Billion contract?
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