Bob McCarty Writes

Northrop Grumman issued a news release this morning in an attempt to “set the record straight” concerning what the company calls “the U.S. Air Force KC-45A misinformation.” What the defense contractor conveniently overlooked in its effort to “spin” the news is the point I raised in a March 1 post, Medal of Honor Recipient Right on Boeing Snub:

When it comes to track records, which European country has caved under pressure most frequently during the past 100 years? France. So, what will our backup plan be if, God forbid, our relations with France — or the European Union as a whole — go sour and we lose our ability to, for instance, obtain replacement parts for this aircraft in a timely manner?

While Northrop Grumman wants us to jump for joy over the prospect of 25,000 to 48,000 direct and indirect jobs in the United States as a result of this deal, many Americans — myself included — cannot overlook the fact that those jobs are being built upon the weak foundation described in the paragraph above.

And so I remain steadfast in my belief that Congress should revisit this issue and, in turn, reverse this decision immediately.