"A capable and qualified nominee." That's how Senator Jeff Sessions describes Ashton Carter, the man nominated by President Obama to be the top weapons buyer for the Pentagon. Sessions and Alabama's other U.S. Senator, Richard Shelby, had been blocking Carter because---let's put the cards on the table-- they want to make sure EADS/Northrup-Grumman gets the Air Force tanker contract and assembles the planes at a $600-Million plant in Mobile. The Press-Register reports this morning that the Senators dropped their "block" of Carter after meeting with Secretary of Defense Gates. Both Senators insist they only want a fair process, and now that they've been assured the selection will be handled fairly, they can let the nomination go forward. Shelby says he wants the best plane for the Air Force, even if it costs more. So much for competitive bidding.
No comments:
Post a Comment