UPDATED: Tanker deal makes way into WA-8 politics

The Air Force tanker deal that caused so much uproar among Washington's elected officials because a large military contract was given to European Aeronautic Defence and Space Co. and Northrop-Grumman instead of local firm Boeing has not been used to score political points until Monday.

Politico.com reports on a new development where the campaign of Darcy Burner (D-Carnation) is accusing Rep. Dave Reichert's campaign of trying to have it both ways on the issue.

Reichert has been an outspoken critic of the deal, attempting most recently to get pro-EADS advertisements off the radio in Washington, D.C., but Burner's campaign is airing the fact that a recent fundraiser organized for Reichert was arranged by a group called Club 218 which is led by lobbyists for, among other organizations, EADS and fellow Boeing competitor Alabama Aircraft Industries.

"The fact that Congressman Reichert is benefitting from fundraisers organized by lobbyists for corporate interests trying to strip thousands of jobs from our district is the height of hypocrisy," said Burner spokesman Sandeep Kaushik told Politico.com. "It raises questions about his commitment to the district."

Reichert's chief of staff Mike Shields called the attacks a smear, and insisted that the 8th District congressman has not and would not accept any money from Mike Chappell, the EADS lobbyist who helps to run Group 218.
"That is an absurd accusation and ridiculous...Dave is not interested in taking money from a representative of EADS," Shields said, although he acknowledged the idea that Reichert does accept money from fellow Republicans even if they do not agree with him one hundred percent of the time.

Furthermore, Politico.com reports that Boeing supports both candidates in some way or another, with the corporation's PAC having donated $7,000 to Reichert while their main labor union has given $5,000 to Burner.

Reichert has also received $1,000 from Rep. Jo Bonner (R-Ala.) according to Politico.com. Bonner was recently named to the House Appropriations Committee over Reichert, and whose district would directly benefit from Boeing's tanker loss. Still, despite Burner's accusations of foul play, Reichert has no direct influence over any military contracts.

"Reichert has 19,000 employees in his district and is absolutely committed to defending them," said Shields.

UPDATE: Club 218 contains a number of young Republicans, among them a lobbyist for Boeing, Erin Book, who works for Sonnenschein, Nath & Rosenthal.