DENVER - While Democrats in Congress are fighting for a budget that will work for American workers in this struggling economy and help Colorado's displaced workers find new jobs, John McCain is putting his campaign advisors and lobbyist friends ahead of the American people. Despite claiming lobbyists don't have any influence on him, the Associated Press today reports that McCain helped a European company that many of his top campaign advisors lobbied for win a $35 billion Air Force tanker contract. The European company beat out an American company that would have kept these jobs here at home. [U.S. House of Representative's Committee on the Budget, 2/4/08; Associated Press, 3/7/08; Associated Press, 3/11/08]

McCain reportedly pressed the Pentagon to ignore the fact that EADS, the foreign-owned company that received the contract, receives government subsidies from European governments that give it an unfair advantage over its U.S. rivals. After the Pentagon awarded the contract, McCain defended the process, saying he's "never believed that defense programs, that the major reason for them should be to create jobs." This isn't the first time McCain has helped ship American jobs overseas. McCain has been the leading opponent of "Buy American" rules that encourage the Pentagon to buy American-made goods for the American military. [The Hill, 3/7/08; Associated Press, 3/3/08; Senate Vote 191, 5/21/03]

It's no surprise, considering that McCain himself has said he doesn't understand the economy. Just last week, despite record-breaking gas prices, skyrocketing health care costs, and a housing crisis that has many Coloradans struggling to pay their mortgages, McCain said the "fundamentals of our economy are still strong" and that the loss of 63,000 Americans jobs in February was "not terrible." These statements and more leave no doubt that McCain just doesn't understand the challenges Colorado's families face every day. ["60 Minutes," 3/9/08; McCain Town Hall, Atlanta, 3/7/08]

"John McCain doesn't understand the challenges facing Colorado's working families," said Colorado Democratic Party Chair Pat Waak. "If he did, he would fight to keep their jobs here at home, not send them overseas. With so many families struggling to get by, Coloradans quite literally can't afford a third Bush term of failed economic policies that have hurt America, and that's why they'll reject John McCain in November."

McCain: 63,000 Lost Jobs "Not Terrible:" At a town hall in Atlanta McCain said that "Today's unemployment figures are not good. They're not terrible, but they're not good. The unemployment rate did not go up." [McCain Town Hall, Atlanta, 3/7/08]

McCain Defends Boeing Tanker Deal Despite Job Losses. "I think it was a fair and open competition as far as I can tell. I'll be glad to send you the statistics. Almost all of that investment and any aspect of it will be kept inside the United States of America. My job is to have the best quality product at the lowest price to the taxpayer. I'm proud to have saved the taxpayer some $6 billion in what happened last time when they tried to do a tanker deal that was bad for America." [Town Hall Meeting, Waco, TX, 3/8/08: http://blip.tv/file/716522]
McCain Dismissed Impact of Tanker Deal on U.S. Workforce. Asked about the deal, McCain said: "I've never believed that defense programs, that the major reason for them should be to create jobs." [Associated Press, 3/3/08]

McCain "Pressed the Pentagon" to Ignore Airbus Subsidies When Considering Deal. "They say he pressed the Pentagon not to factor into its selection criteria alleged subsidies that Airbus was receiving from European governments, even thought the U.S. had sued the European Union at the World Trade Organization over subsidies provided to Airbus." [The Hill, 3/7/08]

McCain Received Contributions From EADS "As Campaign Was Foundering." "McCain himself has received support from the EADS North America executive suite. He has received more than $12,000 in campaign donations from some of the company's top U.S. officials, support that continued even as his presidential campaign was foundering in mid- to late 2007." [Seattle Post Intelligencer, 3/7/2008, http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/business/354300_mccaintanker08.html]

McCain Sponsored Amendment that Ended Defense Department's Buy American Requirement. In May 2003, Senate Republicans voted for a McCain amendment that would allow the Defense Department to forego a requirement to purchase American-made equipment if that equipment was manufactured by Australia, the United Kingdom, Norway, Sweden, The Netherlands or Spain. [Senate Vote 191, 5/21/03]