I understand that one of the liberal/DNC talking points against McCain is going to be his age. I'm not sure how hard you/they want to push that, however, given that senior citizens tend to vote in pretty large numbers and given how well it worked (or didn't) against Reagan.

In regards to your more substantive point

 Originally Posted By: whomod
Look, like it or not, outsourcing such a big contract and during an election cycle no less is an issue. Your points are certainly well thought out, written and articulated but lets say Hillary Clinton had done this? Would you be so thoughtful and articulate then? I seriously doubt it.


I think the record will reflect that I've defended Hillary against Obama sometimes and vice versa, depending on whether I think one or the other is right on a particular issue.

But more importantly, when you have to resort to "you'd do the same thing" it's usually a good sign that you've lost an argument. And that's the case here.

The simple fact of the matter is, as noted above, the law requires the government to award contracts to the lowest responsible bidder. You postulate that the US could make as good a plane (for more money) but that's just guess work on your part. And it's the kind of guess work that, if allowed, can lead to all sorts of abuses and favoritism. None of which is good for our country.

But most telling is your admission that:

 Quote:
like it or not, outsourcing such a big contract and during an election cycle no less is an issue....


With this comment, you are essentially admitting that this is about partisan politics, not good government. You want the "legal and routine" to be trumped by a particular end, even if it isn't the ethical one. You're admitting that you think this should be an election issue even if McCain did nothing wrong.

In other words, you're displaying your partisanship.