That from Buck McKeon, Chairman of the Armed Services Committee, on Obama’s defense cuts:
Perhaps it was a symbolic accident. On the 40th anniversary of President Nixon’s announcement that America would build a space shuttle to explore new frontiers, Obama announces the results of his typically grandiosely-named Defense Strategic Review.
Readers here will be shocked to learn that Obama remains very much into spending hundreds of billions more dollars on union infrastructure jobs and teachers. But that his new defense policies involve fewer troops and reduced spending.
“Yes,” says the current commander-in-chief, “our military will be leaner, but the world must know the United States is going to maintain our military superiority with armed forces that are agile, flexible and ready for the full range of contingencies and threats.”
The world will, however, also know that the United States will no longer be capable of handling two simultaneous conflicts, not that China, Russia, Iran or North Korea would care. And they will know this because the Obama administration proudly announced this as part of its defense budget package, which should please a wobbly chunk of the Chicagoan’s base.
This has become a familiar dodge for the Obama Democrat administration. Want a “reset” in Russian relations with no quid pro quo on Iran and with no allied consultations? Then, kill Bush’s missile defense system in Eastern Europe and claim you can do it some other way in a smarter and cheaper fashion. Which can be seen now where, by the way? And how’d all that resulting Russian help go?
Think that America’s pioneering engineering and scientific leadership in space is passe and want the money for something else? Then, proceed with retiring the space shuttles, rent seats on dubious Russian rockets and claim that through some grandiose partnership with profit-making companies, someday maybe an American could land on an asteroid. Ah, the romance of that!
Don’t want any more Mideast military confrontations? Slap sanctions on a nuclear-weapon-building Iran and call it engagement, extending a hand instead of a fist. Name it progress when others follow the same timid trail. And exactly how well have those sanctions stopped Iran’s progress?
“This,” said Rep. Buck McKeon, chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, “is a lead-from-behind strategy for a left-behind America. The president has packaged our retreat from the world in the guise of a new strategy to mask his divestment of our military and national defense.”
Head over to the post and read the pic’s caption. Priceless.
I don’t doubt our defense budget may be ripe for well thought out cuts targeting bloat and inefficiencies or areas where duties overlap and are redundant. I do doubt Obama’s cuts have anything to do with that.
The Republican field has been handed an opportunity, one that should be taken advantage of sooner rather than later.
Does anyone really believe that a President who has ridiculed the notion of American exceptionalism has this country’s future and well being in mind when he proffers up defense cuts?
Anyone?
