Tuesday, February 3, 2009

$40 Billion Increase Billed As Pentagon Budget 'Cut' (Updated)

Secretary of Defense Robert M. Gates listens to opening remarks during the Informal High-Level NATO-Ukraine Consultations in Tallinn, Estonia, on Nov. 13, 2008. DoD photo by Tech. Sgt. Jerry Morrison, U.S. Air Force. (Released)

From The Danger Room:

Conservatives howled, when word leaked that the Obama White House might be looking to "cut" the Pentagon's budget request for the next fiscal year. But it's only under the odd rules of Beltway bizarroland that this can be considered in any way a trim.

As CQ's Josh Rogin reports, Team Obama wants an eight percent, $40 billion increase in the Defense Department budget -- from $487.7 billion in 2009 to $527.7 billion in 2010. But this uptick is only about half the size as the one the Joint Chiefs originally requested, in a $584 billion draft budget, complied last fall. So cue the all-too-predictable cries of Obama-as-hippie. "When it comes to the budget it appears that the choices Obama is making are all too reflective of a man who not long ago had the most liberal voting record in the Senate," sniffs Max Boot.

Read more ....

My Comment: I love the internet .... one can always find a contrary point of view.

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