& Aerospace News, Flight News

20080630
John McCain - Tom Loeffler - Susan E Nelson - Gordon England - EADS - European - Military - Aircraft - Manufacturing - Politics - Government - Auditors - US - 2008 Election
"McCain’s Boeing Battle Boomerangs." ... "Government auditors ruled that the Air Force made "significant errors" when it rebid the [aerial refueling tanker] contract and awarded the $35 billion project to Boeing's chief rival, partners European Aeronautic Defense and Space Co. [Company] (or EADS) and Northrop Grumman. It's likely the Air Force will have to redo the bid yet again, which analysts say will delay the replacement of the fleet's 1950s-era refueling tankers. The auditors' ruling has also cast light on an overlooked aspect of [2008 Election Republican Presidential Candidate John] McCain's crusade: five of his campaign's top advisers and fund-raisers—including Tom Loeffler, who resigned last month as his finance co-chairman, and Susan Nelson, his finance director—were registered lobbyists for EADS." ... "Critics, including some at the Pentagon, cite in particular two tough letters McCain wrote to Deputy Secretary of Defense Gordon England in 2006 and another to Robert Gates, just prior to his confirmation as Defense secretary. In the first letter, dated [September] Sept. 8, 2006, McCain wrote of hearing from "third parties" that the Air Force was about to redo the tanker competition by factoring in European government subsidies to EADS—a condition that could have seriously hurt the EADS bid. McCain urged that the Pentagon drop the subsidy factor and posed a series of technical questions about the Air Force's process. "He was trying to jam us and bully us to make sure there was competition by giving EADS an advantage," said one senior Pentagon official, who asked for anonymity when discussing a politically sensitive matter. The assumption within the Pentagon, the official added, was that McCain's letters were drafted by EADS lobbyists. "There was no one else that would have had that level of detail," the official said." -By Michael Isikoff -Newsweek

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20080608
John McCain - Tom Loeffler - Susan E Nelson - Rick Davis - Illegal - 2008 Election - Politics - French - US - Military - Aircraft - Technology - EADS Airbus
"McCain Lobbyist Ties Questioned in Ad, Complaint." ... "The TV ad from Campaign Money Watch, set to run on Washington, D.C., broadcast and cable outlets starting Monday, focuses on [2008 Election Republican Presidential Candidate John] McCain's role in the awarding of an Air Force contract that would eventually go to the French company Airbus [EADS] instead of the American company Boeing." ... ""Seven of McCain’s staff and fundraisers lobbied for Airbus," the ad says. "And guess what? John McCain intervened, which helped Airbus get that Pentagon contract. Tell John McCain to kick those lobbyists off the Straight Talk Express."" ... "The group is also asking the Federal Election Commission to investigate two other public reports that touch on McCain's connections to lobbyists: That a lobbying company, the Loeffler Group LLP, made payments this year to McCain's national finance director, Susan Nelson; and that a company controlled in part by campaign manager Rick Davis sliced more than $100,000 off of McCain campaign's tab, when the campaign was starved for cash last year." ... "While working for Loeffler, Nelson lobbied on behalf of Airbus. Newsweek reported last month that Nelson was rehired early this year as a consultant for the company, while on the McCain campaign's payroll." ... "Campaign Money Watch alleges that the payments made by the Loeffler Group and the discount arranged by the company 3eDC could amount to illegal corporate contributions, according to an FEC complaint to be filed Monday." -ABCNEWS.com

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WATCH: "The McCain File" ad claiming, "Some straight talk about John McCain and his lobbyists' involvement in a deal that landed a French defense contractor a big-money contract." via FireTheLobbyists.com and Public Campaign Action Fund's Youtube channel.

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20080605
Secret - US - Iraq - Military - Airspace - Corporate - Law - Politics - McCain - Obama - 2008 Election
"Revealed: Secret plan to keep Iraq under US control: [Republican President] Bush wants 50 military bases, control of Iraqi airspace and legal immunity for all American soldiers and contractors." ... "A secret deal being negotiated in Baghdad [Iraq's capital] would perpetuate the American military occupation of Iraq indefinitely, regardless of the outcome of the [United States] US presidential [2008] election in November." ... "The terms of the impending deal, details of which have been leaked to The Independent, are likely to have an explosive political effect in Iraq. Iraqi officials fear that the accord, under which US troops would occupy permanent bases, conduct military operations, arrest Iraqis and enjoy immunity from Iraqi law, will destabilise Iraq's position in the Middle East and lay the basis for unending conflict in their country." ... "But the accord also threatens to provoke a political crisis in the US. President Bush wants to push it through by the end of next month so he can declare a military victory and claim his 2003 invasion has been vindicated. But by perpetuating the US presence in Iraq, the long-term settlement would undercut pledges by the [2008 Election] Democratic presidential nominee, Barack Obama, to withdraw US troops if he is elected president in November." ... "The timing of the agreement would also boost the Republican [2008 Election Presidential] candidate, John McCain, who has claimed the United States is on the verge of victory in Iraq – a victory that he says Mr Obama would throw away by a premature military withdrawal." ... "America currently has 151,000 troops in Iraq and, even after projected withdrawals next month, troop levels will stand at more than 142,000 – 10 000 more than when the military "surge" began in January 2007. Under the terms of the new treaty, the Americans would retain the long-term use of more than 50 bases in Iraq. American negotiators are also demanding immunity from Iraqi law for US troops and contractors, and a free hand to carry out arrests and conduct military activities in Iraq without consulting the Baghdad government." ... "The precise nature of the American demands has been kept secret until now. The leaks are certain to generate an angry backlash in Iraq. "It is a terrible breach of our sovereignty," said one Iraqi politician, adding that if the security deal was signed it would delegitimise the government in Baghdad which will be seen as an American pawn." ... "The US has repeatedly denied it wants permanent bases in Iraq but one Iraqi source said: "This is just a tactical subterfuge." Washington also wants control of Iraqi airspace below 29,000ft and the right to pursue its "war on terror" in Iraq, giving it the authority to arrest anybody it wants and to launch military campaigns without consultation." ... "Mr Bush is determined to force the Iraqi government to sign the so-called "strategic alliance" without modifications, by the end of next month." -By Patrick Cockburn -Independent.co.uk

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20080531
• David Lee Hobson - Ohio - Real Estate - Politics - Lawmaker - Federal - Airport - Transportation - Construction - "Rep. David Hobson steered federal money to projects near properties he owns." ... "U.S. [United States Ohio Republican Representative] Rep. David Hobson of south-central Ohio has directed millions of taxpayer dollars to two Ohio projects near real estate he owned, a Plain Dealer review of congressional, personal-finance and real estate records shows." ... "One project used federal money to build a freight transfer center at a Columbus [Ohio's capital] airport to help move goods to and from central Ohio. Hobson co-owns an office building near the project, and his tenants -- among them U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and several freight companies, including FedEx -- use that freight center." ... "Since buying into the building in 2001, records show, Hobson has used his position in Congress to obtain more than $30 million in federal transportation money to build the freight transfer station, part of a conversion involving the old Rickenbacker Air Force Base outside Columbus." ... "In a separate project, Hobson obtained nearly $2 million from Congress to widen a road in Beavercreek [Ohio], near Dayton [Ohio], in front of a condominium development in which he was an investor, the review of records shows." ... "Neighbors of his investment properties say area real estate values rose, at least partly as a result of the projects he funded through Congress. Hobson is a senior member of a committee that determines how to spend federal money." ... "Members of the budget-writing committee decide in closed meetings which lawmaker-requested earmarks will get tax money and typically give themselves a greater share." -By Sabrina Eaton -PlainDealer

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20080517
• John McCain - Thomas Loeffler - Foreign - Politics - Saudi Arabia - French - Aerospace - Military - Manufacturing - Texas - US - 2008 Election - "Mccain vs. Lobbyists." ... "Stung by the news that two aides once lobbied for the Burmese junta, [2008 Election Republican Presidential Candidate] John McCain last week rolled out a sweeping new conflict-of-interest policy for his campaign, requiring all staffers to fill out questionnaires identifying past or current clients that "could be embarrassing for the senator."" ... "One top campaign official affected by the new policy is national finance co-chair Tom Loeffler, a former Texas congressman whose lobbying firm has collected nearly $15 million from Saudi Arabia since 2002 and millions more from other foreign and corporate interests, including a French aerospace firm [EADS] seeking Pentagon contracts. Loeffler last month told a reporter "at no time have I discussed my clients with John McCain." But lobbying disclosure records reviewed by NEWSWEEK show that on May 17, 2006, Loeffler listed meeting McCain along with the Saudi ambassador to "discuss US-Kingdom of Saudi Arabia relations."" ... "Another potential problem: Loeffler's firm started paying $15,000 a month last summer to one of its lobbyists, Susan Nelson, after she left to become McCain's full-time finance director, said a source familiar with the arrangement (who asked not to be identified talking about sensitive matters)." -By Michael Isikoff -Newsweek 

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20080417
• -  - Media - Politics - Corporate - Network - 2008 Election -  -  -  -  - Torture -  - Human Rights -  - Consumer -  -  - Safety -  -  -  - Death Penalty - "Okay, Now I'm Bitter." [Mary Mapes on what DISNEY/ABC didn't cover in the 2008 Election Democratic Presidential Candidate debate in Pennsylvania with Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama] ... "In Iraq, we've seen a rebound in suicide bombings and gotten the disquieting information that Iraqi soldiers have been fleeing the battlefield in frightening numbers." ... "Americans learned that detailed discussions of torture techniques had been held in the [Republican President] White House -- our White House -- and President Bush revealed that he knew this and approved." ... "[Home] Foreclosure rates have spiked to frightening levels." ... "U.S. [United States] shoppers were told that food prices in this country are rising at a higher pace than at any time in the past 17 years." ... "The airline industry floundered through dreadful days of groundings, amidst safety concerns, economic ailments and passenger anger." ... "Oil prices are setting new records almost every day and $4 a gallon gas is coming soon to a service station near you." ... "The anguish over China's human rights record and its handling of Tibet turned the Olympic torch relay into a cross between Spain's Running of the Bulls and 3rd grade keep-away." ... "[2008 Election Republican Presidential Candidate] John McCain, acting like a mean old man trying to chase those pesky voters off his lawn, refused to endorse a new GI bill that would help those currently serving our country get a college education." ... "The Supreme Court issued a fractured opinion on the death penalty that for the first time in years raises the real possibility of a national debate on the value and morality of the ultimate punishment." ... "And we are in the middle of what is clearly the most important, most consequential election of my lifetime -- and I'm no spring chicken." ... "Instead, I sat in front of my TV open-mouthed, listening to a hodgepodge of juvenile questions about flag jewelry, the possibility of a "dream" ticket, elderly radicals, Charlie Gibson's personal tax concerns and ministers who emote too much. What, no time for a question about Cindy McCain's purloined pork chop recipe?" -By Mary Mapes -HuffingtonPost.com

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20080410
• Safety - Enforcement - Corporate - Politics - Federal - Aviation - Lawmakers - Ill - Texas - "Lawmakers blame FAA for mass flight cancellations." ... "Outrage over mass cancellations of American Airlines flights spilled into Congress on Thursday as lawmakers blamed regulators at the Federal Aviation Administration for indirectly contributing to the hardships shouldered by thousands of stranded travelers." ... "Nicholas Sabatini, the FAA's associate administrator for safety, endured relentless questions by members of a Senate subcommittee on aviation, who took turns denouncing "systematic" regulatory failures by the FAA. Several suggested that the cancellations may not have been necessary if the agency had been tougher in the past." ... "In the past three days, American Airlines has grounded nearly 2,500 flights to repair wiring bundles in the wheel wells of its MD-80 fleet. The repairs were ordered after the FAA toughened its oversight of commercial airlines following allegations that FAA officials in Texas allowed Dallas-based Southwest Airlines to fly potentially unsafe airplanes that were overdue for inspections." ... ""I don't think there is any question that the FAA has been lax in enforcing safety regulations," [Illinois Democratic Representative] Rep. Jerry Costello, D-Ill. [Democratic-Illinois], chairman of the House aviation subcommittee, said in a telephone interview." -By Dave Montgomery -McClatchyDC.com 

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20080403
John McCain - Jet - Vacation - Homes - Phoenix - Arizona - California - Va - Political - 2008 Election - "Beer heiress could be next first lady: [2008 Election Republican Presidential Candidate and Arizona Senator] Sen. John McCain's marriage has mixed business and politics from beginning." ... "As heiress to her father's stake in Hensley & Co. of Phoenix [Arizona], Cindy McCain is an executive whose worth may exceed $100 million. Her beer earnings have afforded the GOP [GOP=Grand Old Party=Republican 2008 Election] presidential nominee [John McCain] a wealthy lifestyle with a private jet and vacation homes at his disposal, and her connections helped him launch his political career — even if the millions remain in her name alone." ... "Within a few years of marrying Cindy Hensley, the daughter of a multimillionaire Anheuser-Busch distributor, John McCain won his first election. He was new to Arizona politics and fundraising in the 1982 House race, and his campaign quickly fell into debt. Personal money -- tens of thousands of dollars in loans to his campaign from McCain bank accounts -- helped him survive." ... "Cindy McCain's father, James Hensley, and other Hensley & Co. executives gave so much the Federal Election Commission ordered McCain to give some of it back." ... "Beverage industry analysts estimate Hensley's value at more than $250 million and its annual sales at $300 million or more." ... "Assets held by Cindy McCain alone or with her children also include Anheuser-Busch stock; two condominiums along the California coast worth a total of at least $3 million and Arizona investments in rental medical offices and a parking lot, according to property records and John McCain's latest financial disclosure reports." ... "Cindy McCain, through a family trust, sold the family mansion in Phoenix for $3.2 million and bought a $4.6 million Phoenix condo in 2006. The couple may also jointly own a condo in Arlington, Va. [Virginia], assessed at $847,800." ... "John McCain held a barbecue recently for reporters at a two-story cabin near Sedona, Ariz. [Arizona], that sits on 15 acres owned by his wife's family trust and a real estate partnership in her name. The property includes four single-family homes and is worth nearly $1.8 million." (1, 2) -AP via -MSNBC

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• Corporate - Government - Aviation - Safety - Audit - Transportation - Law - Texas - "FAA Whistleblower Says He Was Threatened: Tells Congress Agency Viewed Airlines More Like "Customers" Than Companies To Be Regulated." ... "The FAA [Federal Aviation Agency] last month took the rare step of ordering the audit of maintenance records at all domestic carriers following reports of missed safety inspections at Dallas[Texas]-based Southwest. The airline was hit with a record $10.2 million fine for continuing to fly dozens of Boeing 737s that hadn't been inspected for cracks in their fuselages." ... "Both FAA whistleblowers - Charalambe Boutris and [Douglas] Peters - said the agency views the airlines as its "customers" instead of companies to be regulated. They said the FAA's chief maintenance inspector at Southwest, Douglas T. Gawadzinski, knowingly allowed Southwest to keep planes flying that put passengers at risk, and that another inspector knew of the problem and did nothing." ... "Gawadzinski is still employed by the FAA, but has no responsibility for safety decisions, said Nicholas Sabatini, the agency's associate administrator for aviation safety. The FAA will "take whatever action the law will allow" when the investigation into the Southwest episode is complete, he added." ... "Gawadzinski was not asked to testify at Thursday's hearing because he was considered to be a hostile witness who would most likely refuse to answer questions that could have incriminated himself, according to a spokesman for the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee." -AP via -CBSNews 

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• Corporate - Federal - Aviation - Safety - Transportation - Law - Jobs - Politics - Censorship - Minn - "FAA Inspectors Say Jobs Were Threatened: Committee Investigating 'Culture Of Coziness'." ... "The whistleblowers who exposed maintenance and inspection problems at Southwest Airlines told Congress Thursday that their jobs were threatened." ... "They also told U.S. [United States Minnesota Democratic Represenative] Rep. Jim Oberstar, D-Minn. [Democratic-Minnesota], and other members of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee that their reports of noncompliance were ignored for years by their superiors." ... "Federal Aviation Administration inspector Douglas Peters choked up during the hearing and needed a few sips of water to tell lawmakers about how a former manager came into his office, commented on pictures of Peters' family being most important, and then said his job could be jeopardized by his actions." ... "Oberstar said FAA [Federal Aviation Administration] managers' actions displayed "malfeasance bordering on corruption," adding that if presented to a grand jury, the evidence would result in an indictment." -KCTV5.com

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