Hasn't this congressman heard about the Harrier jumpjet?

It is about time.

Thank you Democratic party.

This was 63 million dollars of squandered tax payer money, and it smacks of more of the buddy club mentality.
Do you really wonder why the infrastucture is falling apart?
We paid for this while Corporate like Blackstone get the big tax breaks!
WAKE UP AMERICA it's time for a new DEAL! IMPEACH THIS ADMINISTRATION or at least ask for your DAMNED money back!

For a $36K campaign contribution to Congressman Duncan Hunter's re election campaign by Anthony DuPont, the latter gets $63 million to develop an utterly useless gizmo.
I think this a fantastic ROI..I would go for it!!

So can we count on ABC News to call Rep. Hunter to the carpet?

Earmarks can be a good thing when used for maintaining bridges and promoting growth, but bridges to nowhere and planes that can't fly? These payoffs for campaign contributions are just more Republican corruption picking the taxpayers pocket. Enriching the wealthy and connected at our expense. Think tax and spend is bad? At least the bridges and levees weren’t falling down. How about tax and steal?

Impeach

I have a friend that builds planes, his fly. I wonder what he could do with 63 million of our tax dollars. Maybe, they should give him a call. Oh, he's a work with the rest of the overburden middleclass, take-at-advantage-us-smucks.

ABC news will handle this the same way they handled the DC Madam case- If you recall the big build up to releasing the phone records on their Prime Time show and then Brian Ross saying that no phone numbers of any prominent people were found- then low and behold, it turns out that a US Senator's phone number was in the records multiple times- I am sure that ABC will conduct a complete investigation and then give Duncan Hunter the same pass that they gave Senator Vitter! ABC is more concerned with appeasing congress due to their FCC license than they are with uncovering the truth!

Boy, talk about half-truths. The airplane mentioned by rep. Hunter that has the crash record has to be the Osprey; the only other VTOL aircraft in inventory (other than helicopters) is the Harrier, and it has a pretty good record. The military has shown that using VTOL aircraft (ie: Osprey) for airborne troop movement isn't safe. Helicopters have always worked. As far as fighters, Harriers have worked as a good battlefield platform for the U.S. Marines for the last twenty years, if not more; but, many of those airframes are at the end of their service life & need to be replaced. Why are we dumping $millions$ into a design that can't even fly, when we need to be building new ones (Harrier or Harrier variants) and/or rebuilding what we know works. That $65 mil. would by at least 2 new harriers, or 2 or 3 new Blackhawk helicopters.

I say we stick Hunter into that ridiculous airplane he keeps dumping money into and let him take it for a test flight. That'll change his mind real quick.

cpr

Guess no one bothered to check that the latest fighter, built around existing technologies, has some $40 BILLION developement cost. Only $63 mil for a totally radical design... seems like e bargain to me?

$63 mil for a plane that doesn't fly - doesn't anyone in Washington have a brain? That money would have been better spent to help people in New Orleans or people facing foreclosure of their homes. This administration needs to be impeached, hopefully the next person that gets into the White House has gotten their by the peoples vote - NOT by BUYING the state or votes! Word to the wise - NO MORE Bush’s in the White House - Middle class America (what little is left) can't afford it!!

All I have to say is everyone should watch the movie Pentagon Wars because this sounds like a repeat of that movie; except its a plane that only costs so far $63 million with an "M". (you will have to watch the movie to understand that part).

Oh C'mon only a 1/3 (33.3%) of these aircraft have crashed. What do you mean you don't want to pay for another 20 years of that kind of performance?

Heck I bet they could get the crash ratio down to 1 out of 4 by say 2027.

Yes..a boondoogle. What is incredible to me is that it was an earmark..other abuses of earmarks include the multimillion dollar bridge to no where cancelled after a Senator from Oklahoma exposed the project. Other boondoggles include hundreds of earmarks for local museums, study of sex lives of insects, an other stupid projects. Government should concentrate on Defense and Infrastructure, not extraneous pet projects.

"For a $36K campaign contribution to Congressman Duncan Hunter's re election campaign by Anthony DuPont, the latter gets $63 million to develop an utterly useless gizmo"

Once again we are reminded of the moral abyss that is the Republican party.

The morals of most the politians in either party should be questioned. Most politians seem to have their own agenda for their financial supporters and to h*** with the people they're supposed to represent. After all, its not actually their money that they are playing with, why not reward the ones that backed them financially.

More ABC news spin. What a shock! The article implies that only the Republicans are wasting taxpayer dollars for useless spending programs/money on earmarks and pork. You have got to be kidding me!!!! Worse yet, the lefty morons who frequent this site are buying the garbage you are spewing - hook, line and sinker.

Wake up maroons! THE EARMARK INSANITY IS A BIPARTISAN DISASTER!

The funny thing is they all do it. Not just the "neocons" but the bleeding heart "libs" too. Hell, now that they have congress they were suppose to make earmarks public record before they get passed.

What happened to that?

Oh yeah, they are all corrupt now that "they" have the power. Sorry politicians.

Last time I check NO was a liberal town. What happened to those tax dollars? Oh yeah, in his refrigerator...sold to special interest.

What we forget here is that we have a brand new fighter which is capable of puropses from air/ ground support, Vtol capabilities for the Marines and Carrier take offs and landings for the Navy. This is F35 desinged by the Famous Skunk works and built by Northrup Grumman. Had the Defense Department ever been serious about the other project, they would have asked for the project to be part of the DARPA projects. this has provven on many occasions to be a far more innovative path for new technologies. this thing looks like a Cesna with air vents where the lights would go. I just wonder how many other projects like this one go one each year. Kind of like that Star wars missle defense system HMMM! where has that gotten us yet?

They all do it! Yeah, but the Republicans earmark for corporate buddies.

It is the same with lobbyist. The Republicans say both sides do it. But you can’t put a lobbyist that represents 3 pharmaceutical companies, in the same basket with a lobbyist representing a million nurses or teachers.

The Republicans pervert valid practices such as earmarks (bring money home to a state to build something important is good) and lobbyist into freebies for their friends and big donors.

Now if we can just cancel the rest of Hunter's little games, we'll be getting somewhere.

Duncan, just go away. Even those of us who are living in your district can't stand you anymore.

The military has a track record of rejecting 'not invented here' items that latter turned out to be the best thing happening. As one example, the US Army didn't want the 'not invented here' M-16 rifle yet, it has been now been in use since the Vietnam war.

Donna,
You live in his district? Any chance of him getting voted out?

Only because the majority is no longer the Lie, Cheat and Steal party is the corrupt Rep. Hunter stopped from stealing money from the the taxpayer to siphon to his friends. But not to worry Republican's ... your party has managed to end a successful critically needed program in California to help the mentally ill... whilst preserving a tax break for large yacht owners. Keep up the good work!

Wondedduck,
His son is running to take over his seat. Talk about nepotism ...

Duke Cunningham was the San Diego congressaman now in prison for taking bribes from military contractors.
Now we have another Republican congressman take checks for earmarking 68 million to a San Diego Military contractor. This time there will be no investigation and no prison as the US Attorney has been replace d in San Diego.

VTOL is still a worthwhile endeavor. (BTW, heard about any osprey crahes lately? No? It's because they have fixed the problem - or most of 'em anyway.)

Helicopters have to evasive ability or getway speed - you can bring them down with a grenade launcher. The Harrier is old technology, which will be replaced by the VTOL system in the new JSF, if it ever gets built.

$63M on research? A pittance in the current US budget. They spend more on lunch at the capitol. Re-appropriate the amount it to pure VTOL research, not development for a plane no one wants. (I wish the corp jets flying over my house to get to an airport 5 miles away had VTOL!)

BTW, I am a peace love and justicenik. For the record.

This story is much ado about nothing.

The security and oversite of this administration is amazing.
In the beginning of the war with Iraq they simple left a building full of plastic explosive ungarded and the enemy just walked off with it.
Their security information and all the personal information on the soldiers , troops and military plans and equipment was being sold outside of the military base in Iraq.
They have 2 or 3 airplanes loaded with 100,000 AK-47 vanished.
The security information on our atomic weapons , other military equipment , war plans , soldiers personal information , you name it and it has been breached or stolen.
The no bid contracts given to Cheney and Bush's friends and family have has given not the best armor availible for our soldiers, charges for meals our soldier never received , $1 over priced for gas , sewer water given to our soldiers to wash , bath and eat with , the billions of dollars they can not account for , billions of dollars they knew that contractors has stolen from our tax money.
Giving our tax dollars to a religious , conservative , private mercenary army at 12 times the amount they pay our soldiers.
This republicans administration have proven that they have abuse our country's security , military , defense , economy , democracy , freedom and rights more and to an extent that has lead to a dictatorial government.

All the lies , deceit , corruption , thief of Tax dollars by Halliburton , and other contractors , breach of security information and equipment , loss of military dollars and equipment (vanishing of 100,000 Ak-47 , plastic explosive in the beginning of the Iraq war which was left unguarded , security documents with information about of troops plans & about our most secure equipment , Billion of dollars lost and stolen by the war contracts and contractors , contracts never finished by the war contractors)
This is the largest thief and corruption of our tax dollars in the history of our nation and the only reply is ""not big deal.""
What would be said and done if a democrat and specially Clinton would have let one or two of this type of corruption or thief happen on their watch?
This administration has been run with more deceit , corruption , propaganda and BS then the Mob in the 1930"s and news media still refer to they as people with family values and Christians.
I immage they have a different bible and teaching then I have....

Man, that is one expensive Cessna!

Maybe one third of our vertical takeoff aircraft have crashed........but at least they have flown. I believe the one that money was "earmarked" for has never left the ground. $63 million bucks!! The way he went for the money is corruption. What a jerk!!

Guess no one bothered to check that the latest fighter, built around existing technologies, has some $40 BILLION developement cost. Only $63 mil for a totally radical design... seems like e bargain to me?

Posted by: Steve | Aug 24, 2007 12:58:00 PM
---

hey Steve? I work on CAD designs all day... tell you what, even better bargain... you give me $4 mil and I'll design you a totally radical plane, that won't fly either.

sound like a great deal??

Do you think that the reason that Republicans don't care about wasting tax money on expensive big government programs is that "only the little people pay taxes"?

I find it odd to read all the Republican bashing going-on here. If you naive people would do your homework, there are many independent political/tax-payer watchdog groups that have proof of Democrat requested and backed 'earmarks' also known as PORK! The Dems are just as responsible. Get over yourselves and point the finger at all instead of a selective few just because you disagree with their party affiliation.

Hunter is a crook like the Republicans, either gay or a crook.

Soundboy_Jeff: I'll underbid that by $1m and my design will not fly twice as fast as yours!
Scratch

I am wondering what that 63 million can do for the families in Louisianna. Hmm, maybe congress can get the finger out of their butts and use our taxes on something that actually works.

hey for 500000 to 1 mil you can buy a spy to get the latest and greatest russian or chinese designs..they are better than many of the US technical "advances" and there are many who will go and get them for ya....at least they work..63mil what a waste...

Maybe Congressman William Jefferson (D-LA) could donate some of the bribe money he took (i.e the $90K found in his freezer), to the the Louisianna families. Oh thats right, only Republicans break the law and are involved in shady politics. I guess the FBI having him on tape taking money is a right-wing conspiracy? I guess I dare not mention Murtha and his millions in 'earmarks' huh? Like I said before...get over yourselves and wake up naive people, both parties (Not just Republicans) are crooked and are robbing us blind.

Perhaps if we were talking about Hillary/Dems, it would be that they would be giving away our technology to Foriegn campaign contributors like Bill did with our missile technology going to China after giving huge contributions to the Dems during the '96 election.

THEY STEAL FROM US NO THEY ARE STEALING FROM US ON AND ON . HOW ABOUT ELIMINATING CAMPAIGNING ALTOGETHER. I AM REALLY ONLY INTERESTED IN THIER VOTING RECORDS. CAN NOT FIND AN EASILY UNDERSTOOD RECORD ANYWHERE. NEW IN TOWN ? OK . TELL ME WHAT YOU ARE GOING TO DO AND THEN SHOW ME THAT VOTING RECORD THE NEXT YEAR. ACCOUNTABILITY IS THE ONLY WAY TO TRY TO FIX THE PROBLEM WE HAVE ALLOWED TO HAPPEN WITH OUR GOVERNMENT. NO MORE PORK. NO MORE LINE VETO. OF THE PEOPLE FOR THE PEOPLE AND BY THE PEOPLE. IF THEY WERE OUR EMPLOYEES WE WOULD FIRE THEM ALL . HEY ! THEY ARE OUR EMPLOYEES !

The stench from all politicians is STRONG. The stench from Republicans is OVERWHELMING!! My, how easily these guys can be bought is astounding too, it takes a mere $36000 or so to get $29million? Sign me up, sounds like an excellent return on bribe...i mean investment.

That plane sucks & blows.

I'm all for this project, with one stipulation: The plane must have a 2000 point font emblazoned on the side that reads "PORK AIRLINES."

Has anyone esle noticed the DuPont connection or is that just me??????

Jsut to clarify yes its the same Dupont Family that you will find get paid royalties everytime you stock up on new boxers and socks. The Lycra revolution and now they are making planes that are not commisioned by the Department fo Defense, suspiscious, no, not from our elite convert ruling families, never.

Humm...Yea impeach all of them, in both parties. Ever noticed that anytime theres a load of elected boneheads in Washington our tax money starts to disappear down rat holes. When their on vacation two positive things happen.
(1) the country runs just fine without their meddling, and (2) our tax money for the most part is not wasted by them and the special interests that lobby them. Throw them all out to hell with'em!

Speaking of "boondoggles", at least the Howard Hughes wooden plane, Hercules better known as the Spruce Goose, actually flew and the Democrat Administration of FDR and Democrat Congress approved that appropriation. So the "earmarked boondoggles" go both ways, Dems and Repubs.

That is why I am a Libertarian.