McCain Calls For Federal Probe Of DHL

Republican Candidate Pledges To Try To Stop Shipping Company From Closing Ohio Hub

(AP)  Republican John McCain called Thursday for a federal investigation into plans by the DHL shipping company that could cost 10,000 jobs here, as he and his campaign manager took criticism for helping DHL complete a key corporate merger in 2003.

With Democrats and labor groups blaming McCain and his campaign manager Rick Davis for their role in the threat to local jobs, McCain moved to demonstrate his concern about possible job losses in this critical swing state that gave President Bush the electoral votes needed for re-election in 2004.

The Republican presidential candidate called on the Justice Department to begin an antitrust investigation into DHL's plans to puts its packages aboard the planes of a rival, United Parcel Service, before delivering them in DHL trucks. Because UPS flies out of Louisville, Ky., the plans call for shutting the DHL shipping hub here that uses the Wilmington airport and eliminating up to 10,000 jobs.

McCain met with elected officials and residents of the southwest Ohio city to discuss the DHL plans. "I can't assure you that this train wreck isn't going to happen, but I will do everything in my power to see that we avert it," McCain told the group.

"Should this happen, DHL will cede significant elements of cost and quality to one of its chief competitors. Consumers all over America would suffer," McCain told reporters later.

He said Congress may need to intervene and, if DHL is allowed to proceed, he would like to see a rapid response to help displaced workers and to try to attract other commercial development at the Wilmington site.

Since The (Cleveland) Plain Dealer broke the story, Democrats and labor groups have been eagerly pointing out that five years ago McCain and Davis aided German-owned DHL in completing its purchase of U.S.-owned competitor Airborne Express, which had long operated the Wilmington shipping hub.

During a campaign visit last month, Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama met with Wilmington Mayor David Raizk to pledge his help if elected.

In 2003, McCain, as chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee urged then-Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Ted Stevens to abandon a proposed bill to prohibit foreign-owned carriers from flying U.S. military equipment or troops. Airborne Express said the bill was aimed at torpedoing its merger with DHL, the U.S.-based shipping unit of German postal service Deutsche Post AG.

At the same time, when he was a lobbyist, Davis helped persuade Congress to accept the merger.

Davis took a leave of absence from his lobbying practice to work for McCain. A campaign spokesman said Davis had not worked with DHL since 2005, long before DHL announced plans to move its work out of Wilmington.

Earlier Thursday, McCain, who has contended that Obama is willing to lose in Iraq to win the election, said his rival would forfeit the war as part of an agenda that also promotes big government and high taxes.

McCain told those gathered for a town hall meeting in Lima, in northwest Ohio, that Obama is a talented orator with an agenda that could be boiled down to simple policies the Arizona Republican opposes.

"Government is too big, he wants to grow it. Taxes are to high, he wants to raise them," McCain said during the meeting. "Congress spends too much and he proposes more. We need more energy and he's against producing it. We're finally winning in Iraq, and he wants to forfeit."

McCain later spoke at a campaign fundraiser in Cincinnati attended by Rob Portman, a former Ohio congressman believed to be on the short list of potential McCain running mates.

[mr2258]

Unlike Obama,McCain want to help the people of Ohio now.

[armydog2]

isn''t this DHL deal one of mccain''s babies?

[hasher471]

Hilarious! More McCain smoke and mirrors.
It''s HIS lobbyist buddy that put DHL in the position of losing jobs, then McCain asks indignant about it.

What a lying, cheating, loser!

[zerato-2009]

Hypocrisy. Mccain and his campaign manager (a lobbyist) helps DHL merge with airborne, opposed a bill that would have hurt DHL and has the audacity to call for a congressional hearing on DHL shutting down a ohio shipping hub. He has no shame

[obamarama7]

Funny this story comes up right after it was leaked that McCain was going to paint Obama as "job-killer." Oh well, the newest rumor scandal will divert everyone''s attention anyway: http://tinyurl.com/6jb7l6

[kansas1946]

This is about the most transparent of BS that McCain has ever put out. How stupid does he think people are. Mr. Free Trade McCain, has no problem with jobs going to Mexico, India, and FRANCE, but is going to check into an American company merging, aided by his campaign manager. Jesus. The guys is seriously nuts.

[anvilofsteel]

"...called on the Justice Department to begin an antitrust investigation into DHL''s plans"

You gotta be kiddin? hes calling on an investigation about a company that he and his campaign manager helped complete a MERGER that might violate antitrust laws? that has led to the possibility of this location being downsized and closed??
Hes calling to investigat it?
Why doesnt he just ask to reopen the Keating 5 scandal where he blocked investigations into Keating''s bank dealings that cost taxpayers 2 billion dollars, and his IN-Laws had and have big business dealings with.
odd

[relee42]

McCain is a Mr. Magoo who operates at a snails pace. The DHL merger was a decade ago and now he brings it up. Incidently, DHL fired 5 employees here in Anchorage soon after that hand made all its drivers contract workers, which is a violation of US labor law since they must report to their place of work at a given time etc. Stevens is as corrupt a politician as you will find in Congress and is currently under indictment. He wants to be tried here in Alaska, where he will get the jury he paid for.

[liberty_1776]

This is such a non-story. McCain is just offering a band-aid to the labor union in Ohio. DHL is a GERMAN company. GERMAN = HEADQUARTERED IN GERMANY! If these US labor union members are depending on a German company for eternal employment, they have truly lost their minds. UPS, on the other hand, is an AMERICAN company! UPS is headquartered in Georgia - a state in the USA. These d@mned labor unions have destroyed every US manufacturing plant and now they want to destroy the US service industry. Labor unions are anti-American and must be stopped!

[bywill]

Is it me or is this Geezer prone to shooting himself in the foot? To all of the supporters of J MClaim, wake up please?? One true choice, One true candidate, Obama 08!!

[demwatcher]

"Is it me or is this Geezer prone to shooting himself in the foot? To all of the supporters of J MClaim, wake up please?? One true choice, One true candidate, Obama 08!!

Posted by bywill at 05:08 AM : Aug 09, 2008"

Taken in by the false messiah, I see.

Just WHAT does Obama offer other than words? His plan for something changes with the wind. He flip-flops on every issue, he is taking money from big business and foreign governments hostile to the US. In other words, he is the same old politics except that he has no plan.

Only the truly foolish would vote for such a person.

But, of course, Liberalism has done a fine job of brainwashing it''s followers. It is just like a fanatical religious cult; it even has it''s own messiah in Obama, The Chosen One.

[stn_sage]

I LOVE THIS! McCain helped to engineer this potential loss of 10,000 jobs in the Ohio area back in 2003, and NOW it''s coming back to haunt him! SO, what''s his response?---

He calls for an INVESTIGATION into DHL''s plans---as if he didn''t know they were going to do this---or, as if they''re not within their rights to do this---which they ARE!

There you have it, folks! He hasn''t even been elected to the White House yet, and he''s making bonehead moves! SO, go ahead and vote for this moron and help him finish off America! HAHAHAHAHA!

[stn_sage]

...How stupid does he think people are. Mr. Free Trade McCain, has no problem with jobs going to Mexico, India, and FRANCE, but is going to check into an American company merging, aided by his campaign manager. Jesus. The guys is seriously nuts.

Posted by kansas1946 at 08:44 PM : Aug 08, 2008
---------------------
A couple points here:

1. Yeah, he''s gotta believe people are idiots or he wouldn''t suggest such stupid action! And, concerning his own supporters---HE''S RIGHT!

2. He''s didn''t always use to be this way. He didn''t always use to be a George Bush clone. He is now, though.