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
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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...