Murtha, Gates meet to discuss tanker

Rep. John Murtha, chairman of the House defense appropriations subcommittee, met with Defense Secretary Robert Gates on Thursday in an effort to secure Pentagon backing for dividing the $35 billion aerial tanker contract between Boeing Co. and Northrop Grumman Corp. (Source: New York Times, 04/02/09) Gulf Coast note: Northrop teammate, EADS North America, plans to assemble the tankers in Mobile, Ala., if it wins the contract.