Home » Policy » Hill Loses; Pentagon Wins

Hill Loses; Pentagon Wins

By Colin Clark Tuesday, November 10th, 2009 8:14 pm
Posted in Policy

Erin Conaton, presumptive undersecretary of the Air Force, is the outgoing majority staff director of the House Armed Services Committee. I’ve known Erin — not well since she is always working — and the Pentagon’s gain is great.

Erin is passionate about the job of ensuring that America fields the best military possible. She also understands the crucial political limits of what can be done, something a shockingly few senior Pentagon officials know until they absorb the lessons at the school of hard knocks. If any service needs that sort of canny leadership, it’s the Air Force. Secretary Donley and Chief of Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz are so closely tied to the defense secretary that the service can use a voice that comes with something of an independent power base. Be assured that Erin can call on Rep. Ike Skelton, chairman of the HASC, or any of the committee’s influential staffers any time she might need a helping hand or a bit of understanding.

As proof of her relationship with Skelton, read this comment from him: “I have come to depend upon Erin Conaton as a trusted advisor and friend since she joined the House Armed Services Committee staff in 2001. Serving as the committee’s Majority Staff Director since 2007, Erin has consistently demonstrated her leadership ability, mastery of national security issues, and dedication to our men and women in uniform. Erin’s work ethic is unparalleled, but more importantly, she has a rare gift for getting along with people. Despite the demands of working on Capitol Hill, Erin is unflappable and approaches every challenge with a level head, whether working with Members of Congress, Congressional staff, or Administration officials.”

Erin joins Loren Dealy, former HASC spokeswoman, in the Pentagon.

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	Aurora November 11th, 2009 at 1:29 pm Perhaps Ms. Conaton will teach the Air Force leadership how to count, as in count votes on the Hill for the tanker? That type of advanced mathematics has been sadly lacking — especially by the last administration. I see where McCain has again entered into the tanker fray. This procurement is already past bitter and on is way to venomous. If the USAF wants a tanker before 2020, then sole source is the only way they’re going to get it. The “airbus solution” does NOT have the political support. Only the KC-767/777 is going to be able to navigate this political morass. Besides, isn’t this the team that is now concerned about the industrial infrastructure? I hope they are referring to ours and not that of the euros?
	Arorua November 11th, 2009 at 2:39 pm How is the Boeing option going to navigate the “political morass?” Like it’s navigating the morasses in Italy and Japan?
	Guest November 11th, 2009 at 4:25 pm Airbus is the best option and will create more US jobs than Boeing and all Boeing wants to do is suck off the government teet as they will need a big government contract to keep the Union bosses happy in WA and KS. Speaking of KS it is so nice to see Rep Todd T and his run for Senate, what is he going to say when the people outside of his home district see him in pictures at the Airbus ribbion cutting and how happy he was for Airbus to come there and now he is so against Airbus, answer will be a huge defeat as Americans and Kansans are tired of Politicos that talk out of both sides of thier mouth.
	Colin Clark November 11th, 2009 at 5:46 pm Dear readers, Our new commenting system seems to have left some of you confused about how it works. Please do NOT report comments with which you don’t agree. Please only report comments that are abusive, offensive or irrelevant to the story. If you disagree with a comment’s substance please click on the up or down thumbDear readers, Our new commenting system seems to have left some of you confused about how it works. Please do NOT report comments with which you don’t agree. Please only use the report function for comments that are clearly abusive, offensive or are irrelevant to the topic. If you disagree or agree — or just plain admire the writer’s persuasive powers — with a comment’s substance then please click on the “thumbs up” or on the “thumbs down.”
	A. Nonymous November 12th, 2009 at 12:06 am Excellent! Hopefully this system will put an end to all of the Ugg boot spam postings. And the poorly translated Chinese existentialist poetry.
	JCitizen November 13th, 2009 at 2:35 am Very true, a large portion of Airbus business comes to America, and either design would be a winner, but Boeing got arrogant, and deserved to have at least a wrist slapping. I know Rep Tiahrt and he is fully aware that Airbus employs more workers than Boeing in Wichita now. Besides, Boeing left KS anyway, they ran off to Everett, Washington, and Spirit now runs the old Boeing plant. They are just a sub-contractor now.