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On the heels of Sen. Saxby Chambliss (R-Ga.)’s impassioned plea to Defense Secretary Bob Gates to consider production of the Air Force’s F-22 Raptor part of a responsible stimulus package, check out this website, passed along by an eagle-eyed friend. It urges readers to send President Obama and Congress this message:
Keeping the production line of this model aerospace program open currently requires no additional taxpayer dollars, and is not a rescue or bailout. Rather, it will allow us to maintain a healthy program that delivers considerable economic benefit while providing our Air Force with appropriate numbers of the best fighter aircraft ever made. Production of this aircraft is in jeopardy—and with it more than 95,000 American jobs, over $12 billion in national economic activity, and the superiority of America’s Air Force.
I don’t know who’s paying for the website, but Lockheed Martin, the main manufacturer of the F-22, is a safe bet. Chambliss certainly knew to cite the "95,000 American jobs" talking point to Gates yesterday. I note as well that Tom Donnelly of the American Enterprise Institute, a former Lockheed Martin official, recently wrote along the same lines, specifically urging Congress and the Pentagon to "maintain F-22 production" as part of a "defense stimulus." Watch this argument expand in the coming weeks.
Crossposted to The Streak.
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The domain registration is indirect, but the DNS is provided by DemocracyData.com. That looks like an astroturf group. Why don’t you contact them and ask who’s footing the bill:
Democracy Data & Communications
44 Canal Center Plaza
Suite 200
Alexandria, VA 22314
Phone: 703-684-9690
Fax: 703-683-9626
Well, sure. At the rate our enemies are knocking our F15s, F16s and F/A18s out of the sky, we sure better do something about our fading air superiority.
What?
They’re NOT?
Nobody?
Oh. Never mind…
mikey
I’m not really defending the F-22, but if their numbers are correct (and this is a big “if”), what really is the best argument against this. If 95,000 jobs will be lost by discontinuing the F-22 project, doesn’t that make this just as important to maintain as American car companies? Shuttling aside the fact that people need cars more than they need air superiority jets.
Is the argument solely “We can use that money for other better things?”
I’m not a big fan of the Defense industry, but the fact that we’re spending absolutely massive quantities of money on these things is employing Americans, and we do successfully sell a lot of these weapons to other countries. I don’t like the idea that we’re supporting our economy by making weapons, but it’s work.