"Cancel Your Chopper !" : McCain to Obama | FISCAL SUMMIT - Washington DC | FEB 2009

From the audience, the Senator suggests a cost saving idea to the President. ------ [FEB 23 09]

President Barack Obama never had a helicopter, which he says might explain why he's perfectly happy with the current White House fleet and doesn't need a more costly one. At the conclusion of a fiscal summit Monday, Obama faced questions from Republican and Democratic lawmakers, including his former presidential rival, Sen. John McCain.

McCain bemoaned cost overruns in military procurement. The new fleet of 28 Marine One helicopters being built by Lockheed Martin Corp. — now over budget at $11.2 billion — will cost more than Air Force One.

Obama said the helicopter he has now seems adequate, adding that he never had a helicopter before and "maybe I've been deprived and I didn't know it."

Obama said he has already talked to Defense Secretary Robert Gates about reviewing the program and its ballooning costs.

"It is an example of the procurement process gone amok, and we're going to have to fix it," Obama said.

The Navy — which is in charge of overseeing the helicopter program — reported to Congress in January that its price tag had nearly doubled. That notification triggered a formal process mandating the program be re-certified as a national security requirement by senior Pentagon leadership.

The Navy waited nearly a year before formally disclosing the information to lawmakers as it sought to find ways to keep the program within budget. Those efforts failed.

Gates already has warned of tough cuts in the upcoming fiscal 2010 budget as the Pentagon faces the pressure of paying for two wars during a recession.

Lockheed Martin spokesman Troy Scully said in a statement, "We are committed to the program's success and are confident we can deliver the required number of helicopters compliant with the specifications that emerge from the ongoing review."

A Navy spokesman could not be immediately reached for comment Monday evening.

The helicopter, which will be outfitted with communications equipment, anti-missile defenses and hardened hulls, is dubbed Marine One whenever the president is on board. The aircraft is expected to be similar to Air Force One, unlike the 30-year-old helicopters they would replace.

[ ASSOCIATED PRESS ]

CONTINUE STORY : http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory?id=6941714
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[lisalinke]

The audacity!!!! McCain, how obvious can you be? Why didn't you say something to Bush when HE ordered the choppers four years ago???? BTW, you and the Bush regime made the deficit due to the defense spending. Obama was eloquent and you're a sore loser to bring this up!

[labro361]

That is why McCain lost the election, our country is facing the worst finical crisis since the Great Depression, and he is worried about a fricking Chopper. He is totally out of touch.

[smp894]

did the dumbass at the top of the highest rated comments say that bush made the deficit? the stupidity of some people is amazing! just google "US Deficit chart" and you'll see that we've had a deficit since FDR's new deal. Democrats AND republicans built that deficit.

[wellerocks]

Man, did Obama whoop McCains ass on that one or what?

[catndryer]

Obama just has one problem. HE doesn't have a helcopter NOW. We give him rides on OUR freaking Helicopter. What a worthless Baztard.......that ego needs to go.

[Battery9876]

Does MC have have a problem with his jaw?

[Whiteberry77]

His words don't make sense to people that do not want to hear what he has to say. They make perfect sense to people that are smart enough to understand how Obama is destroying this country with his out-of-control spending.

[bullcityhoops94]

I love how much he just goes on searching for words and making no sense.

[charadester]

Funny how it isn't mentioned that this was a project approved during the Bush Administration, and Obama inherited its completion. Politics as usual in the USA.

[allgoo19]

lisalinke: "The audacity!!!!.."

Truly true.

And don't forget the new and upgraded Air Force1 that W. Bush ordered. Incredibly, nobody objected to it!!!

On top of all that, it's a good idea to eliminate health care for all the congress members. It's such a waste and in-efficient government plan.

[Deathnotez123]

mcain and obama were on same grounds it was nice to see how happy mcain was to see obama agreed and replied nicley to him he knows that his campaign against him was just mean/unfair and i honestly think he was not leading the majority of the mudslinging mcain is a generally nice man

[kahl777]

the presidential helicopter program costs 6.8 billion dollars. What a crazy amount of money and waste of tax money.