There are other options when it comes to the F-22.

There are AGING options to DDG-1000 (left a zero off), that will ultimately end up costing us more in maintenance than it will to build the new class of ships. And the LCS program-which could probably fill the gap-was rolled back as well.

There are NO other options to ABM defense…the Kinetic Energy Inteceptor/Airbore Laser programs-which were the alternatives to using Aegis/SM-3-have already been cut/cancelled, and the Aegis portion of the ABM program is being cut, although we know it works effectively.

Again, it's a question of priorities. We'll disagree, of course, but I don't think putting DoD on the chopping block first, in the middle of a war, makes any sense.

Not of course, that there's anything I can do about it, except complain to Webb/Nye (who'd probably get it) and Warner/Scott (who definitely won't).

There are other options when it comes to the F-22.

There are AGING options to DDG-1000 (left a zero off), that will ultimately
end up costing us more in maintenance than it will to build the new class of
ships. And the LCS program-which could probably fill the gap-was rolled back
as well.

There are NO other options to ABM defense…the Kinetic Energy
Inteceptor/Airbore Laser programs-which were the alternatives to using
Aegis/SM-3-have already been cut/cancelled, and the Aegis portion of the ABM
program is being cut, although we know it works effectively.

Again, it's a question of priorities. We'll disagree, of course, but I don't
think putting DoD on the chopping block first, in the middle of a war, makes
any sense.

Not of course, that there's anything I can do about it except complain to
Webb/Nye (who'd probably get it) and Warner/Scott (who definitely won't).

That is fair.

“What happens when we DO actually need a F-22 or DDG-100, or an ABM capability?”

They use one of their many other options that will provide the same results. Gates is saying we have what we need. He will continue to spend prudently where it is necessary but he will not use the tax payers money to buy more military “toys”.

I have no fancy soapbox…mine is actually kinda raggedy. Best thing about it is being able to watch the Fleet sail by, but I digress.

Do we need the F-22? Probably not at present; my concern there was with the loss of jobs at a time when we're not really hiring that much. And yeah, there's waste to be cut; look at the Army's Future Combat Systems program. Complete black hole, and now it's being canceled/dialed back a lot. Good on DoD for that; it's a cut that needed to be made.

There's a tradeoff we make for cutting these weapons systems back now, and that's the risk of having to restart-or in some cases, start-the production lines in a contingency. We initially rushed MRAP to production during the height of the Iraqi insurgency, and we lost a lot of servicemembers to rollovers. Why? Bad design; the vehicle was too top heavy.

What happens when we DO actually need a F-22 or DDG-100, or an ABM capability?

So I think it's better to build the stuff now and get it right, than to risk having to rush to production and get it wrong.

We aren't talking about the sandbox D. I just wanted to know if you had a clear view from aaalllll the way up there that fancy soap box of yours.

D as the head of your household. . if your finances is in the toilet whose responsibility is it to fix it or are you okay with doing nothing. At the cost of doing nothing . . what happens to your household? I know I am over simplifying the issues but the core message is the same. We had to fix the mess. But we made plans to get that money put back into the system AND we are firming up the country's financial backbone by putting processes in place so that this won't happen again anytime soon.

You are stubbornly ignoring the facts around the military budget cuts. Do we need yet another airplane? Do we need to continue paying greedy contractors for costly products we aren't even using?
Specific examples are provided in the story about Gates. It states — ” the Finmeccanica's AgustaWestland program is being cancelled because costs doubled to more than $13 billion and the schedule slipped to six years overdue. Canceling this contract would have no impact on the company's financial guidance and is in no way related to the technical characteristics of the helicopter.

??? I don't see the cause for your concern. . in fact you should be strongly advocating for this type of fiscal responsibility. Or are you saying if it is for the military it is okay to spend millions of the tax payers money on products and services we don't need, are priced ridiculously high, we don't use, or we realized have no real value in helping the cause . . just because it is under the military budget?

Last – Healthcare for all citizens should be a responsibility for the goverment and is a vital to our survival. If government run healthcare is good enough for government officials and the military then it is good enough for the rest of the country. According to Kristol – government run military healthcare is the best in the nation. It's just that the American people don't deserve it.

And no, it wasn't cheap…at all.

As I say to everyone who mentions the Republicans…yes-to take you back to the sandbox-they started it. But does that give the Dems to right to make it worse? No one's answered that yet.

We're talking about kicking out another trillion for something that's not the responsibility of our government, while at the same time cutting from an agency that fulfills a fundamental responsibility for government. And, my neoconservatism aside, I've got a slight problem with that.

Healthcare has nothing to do with ensuring liberty's survival or success. Liberty has been strong in this country for 233 years…and the government hasn't provided healthcare for ANY of them.

Who? Republicans?

okay thank you.

lol D – we were not talking about “kicking out another trillio”. Your post was because you were “concerned” that Secretary Gates was looking for a way to SAVE money. :-)
I agree 100% with your final statement. What DID happen to”pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship… in order to assure the survival and the success of liberty?”

Why does the GOP not want the American people to have quality affordable healthcare in order to assure the survival and success of liberty? As you realized last week . . . if you are sick . . . you can't do sh*t. You can't function, you are in pain. Think about where you were and imagine MILLIONS of Americans who experience much worse everyday. over 46 million don't even have health insurance and millions more who have health insurance end up bankrupt because of rising cost.

You didn't answer my last question D. Do you and your family have private insurance or not?

Yeah, someone should be asking if kicking out another trillion is the best thing to do right now.

And what happened to “pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship… in order to assure the survival and the success of liberty?” Isn't that the whole point of providing for the “common defense?”

That is why I spend a lot of time talking to neighbors, folks I meet at the doctor's office, calling up my family or in conversations with folks in the neighborhood where my hubby grew up and at church. It is important to have these discussions, to listen to their understanding of this healthcare initiative and then if they come up with something completely off the wall . . correct that misunderstanding.

what year is this — 2009 . . . if we think about how much money that would be today it would equate to over 5 trillion dollars.

and you are okay with that? But yet you all piously get apoleptic fits over the prospect of spending 1.5 trillion for healthcare over a period of 10 years for ALL Americans?

Certainly the GOP's priorities are in order.

Either way, it's a wake up call for Phelps. He hasn't been the clean
athlete.

that katrina line was an absolute classic.

loved that line about katrina, classic.

President Bush never did…no matter how flooded the city got.” -Stephen Colbert

sidebar, I wonder who wrote Larry Willmore's segment tonight. FAIL!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_zVJ0mma8SA