'Doomsday' defense cuts loom large for select 12 (on super committee)

[PoliticAverse]

WASHINGTON (AP) — For the dozen lawmakers tasked with producing a deficit-cutting plan, the threatened "doomsday" defense cuts hit close to home.

The six Republicans and six Democrats represent states where the biggest military contractors — Lockheed Martin, General Dynamics Corp., Raytheon Co. and Boeing Co. — build missiles, aircraft, jet fighters and tanks while employing tens of thousands of workers.

The potential for $500 billion more in defense cuts could force the Pentagon to cancel or scale back multibillion-dollar weapons programs. That could translate into significant layoffs in a fragile economy, generate millions less in tax revenues for local governments and upend lucrative company contracts with foreign nations.

Read the rest at: http://news.yahoo.com/doomsday-defense-cuts-loom-large-select-12-085458548.html

[Lasher]

1. Quite the coincidence that poeple from big MIC states would be cosen, ya think?

$500 billion in Pentagon cuts sounds like a great idea to me but I'll bet these 12 will do just about anything to avoid that.

[xchrom]

3. +1

[Lasher]

8. This Supercommittee requires closer analysis.

I know already that all of the Senators have the maximum amount of time remaining before they face re-election - except for two: John Kerry's current term is up in three years and the other Senator is going to retire at the end of his current term.

I have read, but have not personally verified, that every one of the Republican Senators and House members have signed Grover Norquist's pledge not to raise taxes.

[thelordofhell]

9. Only 1 republican has not signed that pledge

[DCBob]

2. could be the best end result of this debt fiasco..

finally might force significant cuts to the war machine and the military industrial complex.

[Warren Stupidity]

4. I'll go way out on a limb and predict essentially ZERO defense cuts.

There will be a fig leaf measure.

[Owlet]

5. The Military/Industrial Complex Rulez!

What a nightmare the American Dream has morphed into. What a shame.

[The Straight Story]

6. kick (NT)

[Donuelhakman]

7. three decades of consecutive defense bidget increases

Should one year out of thirty increases be a bit less, it couldn't matter less.
When audits are done there are frequently times in which a trillion dollars goes missing.
The black budget is not to blame, it has a seperate ledger.
Perhaps the money is the the couch cushions.
They could just say "we found the missing trillion"
Tis the nature of creative accounting to play hide and seek.

[AntiFascist]

10. Sounds like a great argument for military socialism....

let's forget all the other social programs, fixing infrastructure...anything else that might actually benefit society.