Obama is so pro defense spending

[dennis4868]

NOT!

AP: Obama, GOP freshmen win in jet engine budget fight

WASHINGTON – Determined to reduce deficits, impatient House Republican freshmen made common cause with President Barack Obama on Wednesday, scoring their biggest victory to date in a vote to cancel $450 million for an alternative engine for the Pentagon's next-generation warplane.

"Right here, right now was a surefire way to reduce spending," declared Rep. Tom Rooney of Florida, a second-term lawmaker whose summons to cut money from the F-35 fighter jet was answered by 47 Republican newcomers. Speaker John Boehner and other House GOP leaders back the funding.

The incursion into the defense budget occurred as the Republican-controlled House debated legislation to cut federal spending by more than $61 billion through the end of the current fiscal year. Nearly all of the reductions are aimed at domestic programs, ranging from education aid to nutrition, environmental protection and farm programs.

Obama has threatened a veto if the measure reaches his desk, but he and the GOP newcomers were on the same side when it came to the engine for the F-35, the costliest weapons program in U.S. history. The House vote was 238-198.

Two successive presidents as well as the Pentagon brass have tried to scrap funding for the alternative engine, arguing it is a waste of money. In a measure of his opposition, Defense Secretary Robert Gates told a House committee earlier in the day that overall costs could reach $3 billion, and he vowed to "look at all available legal options to close down this program" if lawmakers fail.

More here....http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110216/ap_on_re_us/us_congress_spending/print

Thanks to DU I am learning which publications and websites to trust (and not to trust) because there are alot of left wing sites that will, no matter what, make Obama look like an anti progressive when that is simply not true...

[TheWraith]

1. I wish they'd cancel the entire damned F-35.

It's designed as a low-observable (semi-stealth, in layman's terms) replacement to the F-16 and F/A-18s. But the fact is that we don't NEED a low-observable aircraft for those roles, when we can send in proper stealth aircraft like the B-2 Spirit and F-22A Raptor to clean out enemy air defenses ahead of the rest of the fleet. It would make more sense to build an upgraded aircraft around the proven F/A-18 airframe, with improved components, and phase that in slowly over the course of a decade as the older aircraft wear out.

In any event, good for the freshman Reps for doing the right thing here. They took an actual self-consistent position. If more Republicans would do that, this country wouldn't be in the situation that it's in right now.

[TheWraith]

4. To clarify: By "those roles" I mean ground attack and close air support.

Which are the main uses of F-16 Falcon and F/A-18 Hornet class birds. None of these need be run in an area which still has hostile air defense systems until the air defense has been cleared. Just stock up a few F-22s with AGM-88 HARM anti-radiation missiles for surface-to-air sites, and AIM-120 AMRAAMs for airborne fighters.

[Name removed]

2. Deleted message

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[Project Grudge]

3. On the surface he is suppporting defense.

However, it's a shrewd political move. First, Boehner will be forced to understand what other reps would be going through. He also looks like a hypocrite. Secondly, it promotes party in-fighting, which only serves to slow down the Republican caucus. The less they get accomplished the better.

Also, Gates did cut some from Pentagon budget, which is more than what would've happened under most republicans.

[boppers]

5. He still supports a standing army.

That's something I cannot get behind.

[TheWraith]

6. Seriously?

Don't get me wrong, I think the US would be infinitely better off if we adopted a reserve militia system ala what Switzerland has, but really? You can't support anyone who supports a standing army?

Apologies if you are being sarcastic. I have had too much wine tonight, and my brain doesn't do what it usually does.

[boppers]

7. Okay.

Advanced weaponry, such as Ships and ICB's, need support. But Infantry? no.

"You can't support anyone who supports a standing army?"

Not what I said. At all.

It's possible to support somebody who has positions that you do not agree with.

[Clio the Leo]

8. kick nt

[treestar]

9. Douses the claims that there are no cuts to defense

[Kaleva]

10. And last year, the Obama Administration ended production of the F-22 at 187 planes.

Many in Congress wanted the Air Force to buy more but President Obama and Sec. of Defense Gates were able to convince enough members of Congress to vote against procuring more of the very capable but very expense fighters.