Reply #1: Here it comes [View All]

[nomatrix]

"MCCAIN: Does it bother you when there are e-mails that have already been disclosed that say things like, for example, from Boeing, "Boeing doing good stuff. Rudy (ph), Andy (ph) met with Bill Schneider. Bill Schneider very supportive; will work issue in OSD"?

Understand Mr. Schneider is chairman of the Defense Science Board, which will be, according to what you are about to tell me, reexamining the requirement. So you've got the fox guarding the hen house.

Does it bother you: "We've ghost written several op-eds, including former CINCPAC's Archie Clemins'; will have one in Navy Times and maybe in Air Force Times and both get an Early Bird when published"?
Does it bother you when the secretary of the Air Force calls in -- these are according to the e-mails that we got from Boeing and why we need your e-mails, Mr. Secretary -- does it bother you when the secretary of the Air Force calls in the Boeing lobbyist and says, "You've got to put pressure on Mike Wynn," chastises them for not putting -- the Boeing lobbyists for not putting pressure on Mike Wynn?


Does it bother you when, even after you had put a pause on the Boeing tanker deal, that Mr. Samber (ph) sends out an e-mails, says that, "The lease should be published today because all concerns concerning Ms. Duryan (ph) have been resolved"?

Does it bother you when there are many members of the Defense Policy and Science Board were lobbying DOD and Air Force officials to approve the lease of 100 Boeing 767s? Some of them are mentioned in the Boeing e-mails: Richard Perle, Bill Schneider, General Fogleman, Admiral Jeremiah and Admiral Clemins.
Doesn't all of this bother you, Mr. Secretary, that this incestuous relationship that went on between Boeing and the United States Air Force, and the secretary of the Air Force in particular, and Mr. Samber (ph), that none of these people have been called to account for this kind of behavior?"

RUMSFELD: Senator McCain, I, personally, and we, the department, take seriously any and every allegation of wrongdoing.

MCCAIN: These are facts, Mr. Secretary. These are facts on paper of e-mails that were sent within the Department of Defense and by Boeing.

RUMSFELD: We -- as you are well aware, there's a Department of Defense inspector general's investigation of the entire aspect of this. And we are proceeding in an orderly and systematic way to try to come to the truth as to what took place.
I assure you that if there has been wrongdoing, as there appears to have been, we will take appropriate action.
I would say one other thing. When I left the Department of Defense in 1977, I made it a point not to be connected with anything related to the Defense Department that was for profit.
I did it so that I could always feel I could say whatever I wanted on a defense issue and not have someone do what you just did and suggest that simply because I was connected to a defense company therefore what I said might...

MCCAIN: I'm not suggesting...
RUMSFELD: Just a minute. Just a minute.

MCCAIN: I'm not suggesting, Mr. Secretary, I'm telling you that Mr. Clemins...
RUMSFELD: I understand.
MCCAIN: ... who was on your board, had ghost written by Boeing an article praising the tanker lease.
RUMSFELD: I understand what you said. And I say we are looking into those things.
But I do not think that simply reading off all of those names of people who happen to serve the government in a non-profit way on the Defense Science Board or the Defense Policy Board or some other advisory board of the Department of Defense that they are suddenly supposed to be in a cellophane package and not have any other thoughts or any other role in life.
We understand...
MCCAIN: I'm talking about their actions. I'm talking about their actions, not their position, Mr. Secretary.
RUMSFELD: Well, we are looking into it. If we find any wrongdoing, I can assure you we will take appropriate action as we have in the past.
MCCAIN: Well, the Senate Armed Services Committee has a responsibility of oversight of the activities of your department. And I don't see how we're going to be informed as to exactly what happened unless we see the communications and what went on in this decision- making process.
I thank you, Mr. Chairman. "