Re: AT&T, Clipper, & Saudi Arabia

[paul@poboy.b17c.ingr.com (Paul Robichaux)]

> > I have great respect for you, Steve, but in this case I must humbly
> > disagree with you. The US government does have a very long record of
> > promoting US products for foreign sales, but it is certainly rare for
> > the President himself to get involved so publically.

> No it is not.  This is the second time Clinton has lobbied the Saudi's in
> favor of US companies (the first was when he helped McDonnel-Douglass and
> Boeing get a $6B contract for jet transports.)  The other companies
> competing for the contract were Northern Telecom (Canadian), Siemens AG
> (Germany), Alcatel NV (France), and Telecom AB L.M Ericsson/NEC (joint
> Swedish and Japanese venture).  As long as the U.S. still has points in the
> region it seems reasonable for us to use them in favor of US companies,
> doesn't it?

"Is too." 
"Is not."

In this case, "rare" is accurate when applied with respect to the long
history of US government involvement, not to this particular
president; as you point out, this is the second time that Clinton has
inserted himself into the loop. It wouldn't be too surprising to see
him do it again.

However, this sort of intervention *is* rare by past standards. Do you
recall any non-FMS contracts where Presidents Bush, Reagan, Carter, or Ford
went to bat so overtly for US products?

-Paul