The story of this "tanker deal" has much broader implications than simply awarding a contract to build planes. This is a story about the priorities of our nation. It is a story about national secrets and about providing jobs for the workers of this country. It is also story about selling off one of the last remaining industries in this country. We've already sold off manufacturing, textiles and even our telephone support industry. The only industries we haven't sold yet are entertainment and aerospace. If this refueling tanker contract goes to a French company, we have then sold our jobs, our national security and our secret weapon to a foreign country who has no interest in keeping our secrets secret.

The GAO should be applauded for seeing through this farce of a procurement process. The main cheerleader for Airbus/EADS was none other than John McCain and his top aides, who were paid lobbyists for EADS. This is the man who wants to be Commander in Chief of our nation. But this is the man who doesn't consider the selling off of our remaining industry, who doesn't consider the 44,000 American jobs that would be shipped overseas, who doesn't consider that the refueling tanker is the weapon that gives our military an edge and that allows our fighting forces to go those extra miles.

John McCain says he is saving money for the American taxpayer. But if we are investing $100 Billion dollars into an economy, shouldn't it be the American economy that gets the benefits, not the economies of Europe?