From Reuters: “Bush Backs Air Force Plan to Lease Boeing Aircraft”

President Bush backed a controversial Air Force plan to lease Boeing Co. 767 aircraft as refueling tankers despite criticism from Congress, according to an interview published on Wednesday…
It also asked Rumsfeld to justify the decision to pay $10.3 million more per aircraft than the $120.7 million price deemed reasonable by the Institute for Defense Analyzes.
The Air Force acknowledges that leasing would cost more than an outright purchase, but argues the extra expense is justified to get the tankers sooner without the up-front investment that would gut other programs.
“In terms of the Boeing worker, Boeing is going through a difficult period,” [Bush] said. “We’re obviously working with Boeing on the construction of … airplanes, which should help the worker, help the economy.”

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Excerpt From President Bush’s Remarks - 9/17/03

PRESIDENT: …now, as a student of history, I remember that back in the 80’s there was a lot of criticism over what the Pentagon was paying for certain stuff. “Five hundred dollars for a hammer,” people were saying. “A thousand for a toilet seat. What’s up with that? Where’s the beef?” [laughs] I always liked that last part. Old lady wanted beef.

But that’s not the point. Point is, a lot of folks were highly criticable of what the government was paying for that stuff. They made fun of President Reagan about it, and when you consider that President Reagan is unable to defend himself nowadays, that seems a little cruel. I’ll never use those shameful tactics.

Looking back, though, we can see what the cynics just didn’t get at the time - the money for those hammers and toilet seats wasn’t going into the hands of Big Government, it was going into the hands of honest, hard-working Americans. Maybe we paid too much. Maybe we cared too much about American workers. I guess I’ll have to accept that accussertion. Of caring. Too much. [pause for laughter]

There’s a man who works at Boeing named John Johnson. Family man, five kids, loyal American. He wrote me a letter the other day, saying, “Thank you President Bush, for protecting our nation, thank you for the big tax cut, thank you. And please, Mr. President, please show the world that America is willing to pay top-dollar for a leasing agreement that will help feed my family.”

A good man. To John Thomson and all the other hard-working American workers who work to make America great, I say “Yes.” Yes, we’ll take those planes. And those hammers. And those toilet seats. Because - and maybe I’m alone in this - I believe that the American government should buy American. Whether you’re in the energy industry or the defense industry or the… or in… other industries, you can count on your government to buy American. We’re willing to pay top dollar for top-quality American goods made by American workers in America.

Maybe some folks in Congress would rather we bought discount French aircraft or something. Not me. Not me. Because when Boeing’s stock price soars like one of their proud American planes, we all win, and our government should be willing to pay for it. And we will. I tell you to today that we will pay for it.

Thank you, and may God continue to bless American.