Filed under: Boeing Co (BA), Northrop Grumman (NOC)

As he stumps for President, Senator John McCain likes to brag about how he kept Boeing Inc. (NYSE: BA) from winning a contract to build Tankers — in-flight refueling aircraft — for the Air Force in 2004. Last week, the Air Force announced that the winner of the contract was Boeing’s arch-rival, EADS, parent of Airbus which is based in Toulouse, France and Northrop Grumman (NYSE: NOC).

That decision is sitting very well with the governor of Alabama, where Northrop Grumman is based. Republic Governor Bob Riley endorsed McCain a mere three days after the Air Force contract was announced. The EADS-Northrop tanker, based on the Airbus A330, will be built in Mobile, AL, where The Associated Press reports it will produce 2,000 new jobs, and support 25,000 jobs at suppliers nationwide.

Is it just a coincidence that Riley endorsed McCain so soon after that contract was awarded? Boeing supporters in Congress may be wondering and they are angry with McCain “for scuttling an earlier deal that would have let Boeing build the next generation of Air Force refueling tankers.” AP reports that Boeing now will miss out on a deal that it says would have supported 44,000 new and existing jobs at the company and suppliers in 40 states.

Continue reading Did John McCain deny Boeing a $100 billion contract for an Alabama endorsement?

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