Raising McCain on More C-17s:

Nov. 14, 2005

Audio of this article is brought to you by the Air & Space Forces Association, honoring and supporting our Airmen, Guardians, and their families. Find out more at afa.org

Without doubt, there is strong Senate support for continued C-17 production. The vote on a plan to authorize the purchase of 42 more airlifters (DR, 11/11/05) passed by an overwhelming bipartisan margin—89 senators voted “yea.” Did you notice, though, who was among the lonely eight “no” votes? None other than Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), a leading 2008 Presidential contender. At least five potential Democratic candidates voted for the C-17. They were: Sen. Hillary Clinton of New York; Sen. Joe Biden of Delaware; Sen. John Kerry of Massachusetts; Sen. Evan Bayh of Indiana; and Sen. Joe Lieberman of Connecticut. Quite a case of political cross-dressing.

Audio of this article is brought to you by the Air & Space Forces Association, honoring and supporting our Airmen, Guardians, and their families. Find out more at afa.org

Trending Stories

Air Force Fighter Roadmap Projects Slow Growth for F-35 Fleet

Senate Passes Bill to End Shutdown, Keep Air Force Working on E-7

Unique Group of Airmen Face a Third Missed Paycheck Without Shutdown Resolution

The Pentagon Wants to Buy Weapons Faster. What Will It Cost?

Related

Record Government Shutdown Ends, Pentagon Employees to Return

Nov. 12, 2025
President Donald Trump signed legislation reopening the federal government late Nov. 12, ending the longest shutdown in U.S. history. The move sets the stage for tens of thousands of defense civilians to return to work and guarantees troops will be paid in a few days’ time.

Air Force Chief OKs Daily Callsign Nametags, Friday Morale T-Shirts

Nov. 12, 2025
Air Force Chief of Staff Kenneth S. Wilsbach is allowing Airmen to wear unit pride T-shirts on Fridays and aircrew to wear nametags with their callsigns daily. The morale-boosting gesture is one of his first official acts as Chief and comes at a time when the Pentagon is cracking down…

The Pentagon Wants to Buy Weapons Faster. What Will It Cost?

Nov. 11, 2025
The emphasis on speed in the Pentagon’s newly unveiled slate of acquisition reforms may come with increased near-term cost increases, analysts say. But according to U.S. defense officials, the new weapons-buying construct provides the military with enough flexibility to prevent runaway budget overruns in major programs.

Air Force Fighter Roadmap Projects Slow Growth for F-35 Fleet

Nov. 10, 2025
The Air Force is projecting relatively limited growth for its main F-35 fleet for the rest of the decade, according to the new fighter roadmap it provided to Congress. That roadmap also calls for the overall fighter fleet to shrink for two more years before starting to grow.

Unique Group of Airmen Face a Third Missed Paycheck Without Shutdown Resolution

Nov. 10, 2025
Congress is making moves to end the longest government shutdown in U.S. history, but lawmakers have only a few days left to clear the procedural hurdles necessary to ensure troops get paid Nov. 14. The issue is particularly pressing for tens of thousands of uniformed personnel in the Air National…

SBIR Contracts, On Hold During Shutdown, Face Long-Term Risk 

Nov. 8, 2025
The $4.26 billion Small Business Innovation Research contracting program widely used by the Air Force went into hibernation as the government shut down Oct. 1, but unless lawmakers strike a deal on reforms, the program could reach an abrupt end.