Congressman Dave Reichert

Washington, D.C., Jul 30, 2008 - Congressman Dave Reichert (WA-08) responded today after learning of politically-biased radio advertisements attacking The Boeing Company, sponsored by a group calling itself “Alabamians to Build American Tankers.” Reichert issued the following statement:  

"This unfair attack against Boeing, and specifically Washington State, is malicious and should be taken off the air. I was at Boeing the day the announcement was made in February that Airbus had initially won and saw the disappointment on the faces of the hardworking employees. I truly got the sense of what a family Boeing is and how painful this process had become to them. Inserting political statements and attack ads into this process is not only disrespectful, but a deceitful attempt to tamper with a government process that has already been troubling in the past. We already have enough divisive attack ads in our country; we don’t need to see them surrounding this issue – particularly false and misleading ads like these.

“As the Government Accountability Office concluded on June 18, 2008, the Air Force made multiple errors in the initial selection. These attack ads are a direct assault on the 20,000-plus Boeing employees living in my district who only want a fair shot. These employees are some of the finest workers our country has ever produced, with a long tradition of excellence and innovation. We should all join together in being proud of how their products represent the best of America, not attack them because they are from another state! We are all Americans, after all.

“I believe that the group responsible for this ad should apologize to every Boeing worker and I urge my colleagues in the Washington State, Kansas and Alabama delegations to join me in calling for these ads to be taken down so that the bidding process can carry on in a fair, responsible and respectful manner. These ads are beneath the dignity of the country these tankers will ultimately serve.”

Politico’s “The Crypt” blog has the audio of the advertisements played today on NewsTalk 630 WMAL, an AM radio station in Washington, D.C.

URL: http://www.politico.com/blogs/thecrypt/0708/A_new_low_in_tanker_fight.html?showall

# # #