Six Lame Democrats Serve the MIC

The more things change, the more they stay the same. President Obama and Defense Secretary Bob Gates both want to limit production of the F-22 Raptor to 187 units. The Republicans on the House Armed Services Committee begged to differ and offered an amendment to produce 12 more of the planes (a combined cost of $369 million). The amendment would not have passed if six Democrats had not crossed the aisle to vote for the planes. Six Democrats decided to buck the president and his Secretary of Defense.

Reps. Jim Marshall (GA), Joe Courtney (CT), Gabrielle Giffords (AZ), Eric Massa (NY), Bobby Bright (AL), and Mike McIntyre (NC).

Rep. Marshall has the excuse that the planes are assembled in his district. It’s possible that parts are supplied in the others’ districts, but I have no evidence for that either way. This is the second time Eric Massa has pissed me off. The first time was when he panicked during the swine-flu hoo-haw and asked the government to shut the border with Mexico. Massa has been a friend of the blogosphere, but he’s losing my respect. I hope he learns to represent his constituents better. Right now, he’s representing Lockheed-Martin. That’s not change we can believe in.

15 Comments

Chris Bellomy on June 18, 2009 at 1:29 pm

Just to pick a nit, but I’m pretty sure the F-22 is assembled in Fort Worth, not Marietta. Not that this has much to do with your point.

BooMan on June 18, 2009 at 1:35 pm

The extra money would be a boost for Lockheed’s Marietta, Ga., production facility and for suppliers who have to prepare well in advance of actual production by buying parts and materials. Yet the measure presents a particularly delicate situation for Lockheed, which has publicly pledged to not combat Mr. Gates’s initiatives.

After Mr. Gates’s April 6 budget announcement, Lockheed Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Robert Stevens told the firm’s approximately 146,000 workers that the company would accept the budgetary decisions, as difficult as some were.

In an interview at the Paris Air Show on Monday, Mr. Stevens said the company had worked very hard to keep F-22 production going but once Mr. Gates made clear the program would stop at 187 jets, he felt he had to abide by the Obama administration’s Pentagon priorities.

“Our role is not to fight the decisions that others make that do not align with our preferences,” he said. “It’s not who we are professionally.”

WSJ
- Chris Bellomy on June 18, 2009 at 2:04 pm
  
  My curiosity got ramped up after seeing your cite, and now I see from the official F-22 website (f-22raptor.com) that different parts of the craft are assembled in Connecticut, Seattle, Palmdale (CA), Fort Worth and Marietta. I don’t know where Massa’s district is, but if he has folks commuting to East Hartford to work on this thing, that may explain his vote.
  - Chris Bellomy on June 18, 2009 at 2:06 pm
    
    I just looked up his district. Nevermind. His vote makes no sense at all as far as I can tell.
    - BooMan on June 18, 2009 at 2:16 pm
      
      back scratching, probably.
    - Oui on June 18, 2009 at 3:35 pm
      
      .
      Lockheed plant at Owego NY provides jobs for some 7,500 employees …
      
      Lockheed to lay off 130 workers due to DOD budget
      
      Lockheed Martin Corp. said that it plans to eliminate 130 jobs because of Pentagon budget cuts that impacted its work on programs like a new helicopter for the president.
      
      The cuts, which will be focused on Lockheed’s systems integration unit in Owego, N.Y., will likely be followed by further layoffs, the company said in a statement.
      
      "But I will not let myself be reduced to silence."
    - BooMan on June 18, 2009 at 3:47 pm
      
      make it twenty.

Ed J on June 18, 2009 at 1:44 pm

187 more than we need. Just an incredible waste of money.

What’s up with the 12 more? I guess they figured 199 expensive pieces of shit looked better than 200.

billjpa on June 18, 2009 at 1:50 pm

They aren’t “bucking” the president. They are f…..g the president! However, given the disgraceful performance of the dems in congress with regards to Health care, why should anyone expect anything else from this group of bastards?
And while I’m at it, the pres. ain’t doin too much these days that I find myself able to support.
FISA, DOMA, DOADT, Guantanamo,- to name a few!

Brendan Skwire on June 18, 2009 at 2:07 pm

What kind of representative is Eric Massa anyway??

Depends

dada on June 18, 2009 at 2:40 pm

$369m…a mere trifle, haven’t the time to worry over that, especially when you’ve got a health care bill to destroy.

chickenshits

DaveW on June 18, 2009 at 3:17 pm

For the most part, “lame Democrats” is an oxymoron.

BooMan on June 18, 2009 at 3:29 pm

i think you mean ‘redundant.’
- DaveW on June 18, 2009 at 4:02 pm
  
  Damn — I keep doing that. It gets harder and harder to navigate around the neurons that fry every time I watch the news.
  
  But redundancy it is.

robertdsc on June 18, 2009 at 4:17 pm

As an aviation buff, I love the F-22 (but the YF-23 more). But as a realist, I know it’s worse than useless. It’s disappointing to see this project kept alive.

Chris Bellomy on June 18, 2009 at 1:29 pm

Just to pick a nit, but I’m pretty sure the F-22 is assembled in Fort Worth, not Marietta. Not that this has much to do with your point.
- BooMan on June 18, 2009 at 1:35 pm
  
  The extra money would be a boost for Lockheed’s Marietta, Ga., production facility and for suppliers who have to prepare well in advance of actual production by buying parts and materials. Yet the measure presents a particularly delicate situation for Lockheed, which has publicly pledged to not combat Mr. Gates’s initiatives.
  
  After Mr. Gates’s April 6 budget announcement, Lockheed Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Robert Stevens told the firm’s approximately 146,000 workers that the company would accept the budgetary decisions, as difficult as some were.
  
  In an interview at the Paris Air Show on Monday, Mr. Stevens said the company had worked very hard to keep F-22 production going but once Mr. Gates made clear the program would stop at 187 jets, he felt he had to abide by the Obama administration’s Pentagon priorities.
  
  “Our role is not to fight the decisions that others make that do not align with our preferences,” he said. “It’s not who we are professionally.”
  
  WSJ
  - Chris Bellomy on June 18, 2009 at 2:04 pm
    
    My curiosity got ramped up after seeing your cite, and now I see from the official F-22 website (f-22raptor.com) that different parts of the craft are assembled in Connecticut, Seattle, Palmdale (CA), Fort Worth and Marietta. I don’t know where Massa’s district is, but if he has folks commuting to East Hartford to work on this thing, that may explain his vote.
    - Chris Bellomy on June 18, 2009 at 2:06 pm
      
      I just looked up his district. Nevermind. His vote makes no sense at all as far as I can tell.
      - BooMan on June 18, 2009 at 2:16 pm
        
        back scratching, probably.
      - Oui on June 18, 2009 at 3:35 pm
        
        .
        Lockheed plant at Owego NY provides jobs for some 7,500 employees …
        
        Lockheed to lay off 130 workers due to DOD budget
        
        Lockheed Martin Corp. said that it plans to eliminate 130 jobs because of Pentagon budget cuts that impacted its work on programs like a new helicopter for the president.
        
        The cuts, which will be focused on Lockheed’s systems integration unit in Owego, N.Y., will likely be followed by further layoffs, the company said in a statement.
        
        "But I will not let myself be reduced to silence."
      - BooMan on June 18, 2009 at 3:47 pm
        
        make it twenty.
Ed J on June 18, 2009 at 1:44 pm

187 more than we need. Just an incredible waste of money.

What’s up with the 12 more? I guess they figured 199 expensive pieces of shit looked better than 200.
billjpa on June 18, 2009 at 1:50 pm

They aren’t “bucking” the president. They are f…..g the president! However, given the disgraceful performance of the dems in congress with regards to Health care, why should anyone expect anything else from this group of bastards?
And while I’m at it, the pres. ain’t doin too much these days that I find myself able to support.
FISA, DOMA, DOADT, Guantanamo,- to name a few!
Brendan Skwire on June 18, 2009 at 2:07 pm

What kind of representative is Eric Massa anyway??

Depends
dada on June 18, 2009 at 2:40 pm

$369m…a mere trifle, haven’t the time to worry over that, especially when you’ve got a health care bill to destroy.

chickenshits
DaveW on June 18, 2009 at 3:17 pm

For the most part, “lame Democrats” is an oxymoron.
- BooMan on June 18, 2009 at 3:29 pm
  
  i think you mean ‘redundant.’
  - DaveW on June 18, 2009 at 4:02 pm
    
    Damn — I keep doing that. It gets harder and harder to navigate around the neurons that fry every time I watch the news.
    
    But redundancy it is.
robertdsc on June 18, 2009 at 4:17 pm

As an aviation buff, I love the F-22 (but the YF-23 more). But as a realist, I know it’s worse than useless. It’s disappointing to see this project kept alive.

Six Lame Democrats Serve the MIC

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