WASHINGTON – There might have been a raised eyebrow or two when some Alabamians opened their newspaper and saw an Associated Press story with Rep. Jo Bonner quoted as saying the “patience of the American people has worn thin” on the Iraq War issue.
“You know, these dadgum reporters – I’m just going to stop talking to them because they take my comments out of context,” Bonner said to Lagniappe. Bonner said he isn’t making those sorts of judgment calls until after Gen. David Petraeus gives his report later this month, but he did clarify his position on Iraq.
“I think the American people have grown very frustrated with the lack of overall progress,” Bonner said. “I think you have to segregate what the military has accomplished and I’m hopeful based on the preliminary reports that General Petraeus is going to give us some, I won’t say upbeat, but encouraging news in terms of what the surge has been able to do in terms of stabilizing some of the regions”
According to Bonner, other members of Congress he has spoken with who traveled to Iraq over the August recess claim there has been considerable progress made.
“I think that where country’s frustrations are showing is with the political leadership in Iraq and in fairness, it is probably showing with the political leadership in America as well,” Bonner said.
Waiting to see Shelby act on subprime/credit crunch issue
Alabama hasn’t been hit as hard by the subprime mortgage woes that have plagued the rest of the country. According to the most recent report from RealtyTrac, a firm that tracks foreclosure activity, Alabama was ranked the fourth lowest state in the country by number of foreclosure activity.
However, Sen. Richard Shelby will play an important role in how the federal government deals with the problem. He is the ranking Republican on the Senate Banking Committee.
Shelby’s counterpart, Sen. Christopher Dodd (D-Conn.), the chairman of the Senate Banking Committee has been vocal, suggesting vigorous legislation might be necessary to combat predatory lending.
However, indications show Shelby believes there might be a need for some government action, but not to the extent of Dodd. It is important to note Dodd is one of the second-tier candidates for the Democratic presidential nomination.
“We haven’t seen anything beyond a summary at this point,” said Jonathan Graffeo, a Republican spokesman for the Senate Banking Committee. “As such, all I can say at this time is that Senator Shelby looks forward to reviewing the details of the Chairman’s plan when they are made available.”
KC-30 decision possibly delayed until the spring?
The on-again-off-again routine of the EADS/Northrop Grumman Air Force refueling tanker status has left Mobile economic development in limbo for the time being. There was pessimism from the EADS side when the Air Force said they were not going to split the contract up between the EADS/Northrop Grumman partnership and Boeing, but Rep. Jo Bonner told Lagniappe there’s no reason to give up hope.
“I think it is going to be delayed until the end of the year and I wouldn’t be surprised if it wasn’t delayed until sometime in the spring of next year,” Bonner said. “I don’t think the delay hurts our cause.”
According to Bonner, no one really knows the dollar amount this bid is going to fall in at – including EADS, Northrop Grumman, Boeing and possibly even the Air Force.
“We know what the two planes are like, we know that the different technology is like, we know based on our view what performance capabilities the KC-30 would allow for as opposed to the KC-767 [the Boeing prototype] would allow for and would do,” said Bonner. “What we don’t know is what the two proposals are going to come in at in terms of cost. I think the fact it will be delayed until the end of the year – possibly beyond gives us added time.”
The total dollar figure for the Air Force project has been estimated at as high as $140 billion.
“I think the longer they take, the more the need is going to become apparent and the pressure is going to build that they need to do it right,” added Bonner.
A funny thing happened to me when I got off the elevator…
The first time I met Congressman Jo Bonner, back in January 2005, he told me someone mistook him for their mailman on a flight to Washington. Well, he just took a step up.
“Someone mistook me this morning for Fred Thompson [newly-announced Republican presidential candidate],” Bonner said. “I got off the elevator and at first I didn’t think it was that much of a compliment. I went and looked at pictures of him from the Tonight Show and he is a handsome-looking fellow. I’m especially impressed with his hairline.”
Bonner said he was more impressed with Romney’s hair, but favored Thompson’s hairline.
It could have been much worse – he could have been mistaken for Hillary Clinton.
Contact Jeff Poor at jeffreypoor@yahoo.com.
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