President Obama's Use Of The Pentagon In His Battles With Congress Over Budget Cuts

The aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman. Reuters

US Carrier In Front Line Of Obama's Battle With Congress Over $85 Billion 'Sequester' Cuts, With More To Follow -- The Telegraph

A US aircraft carrier is the focal point for a battle between President Barack Obama and Republicans in Congress over spending cuts to total $85 billion this year that will overshadow his administration.

Docked in its home port in Virginia rather than patrolling the waters of the Persian Gulf, the aircraft carrier USS Harry Truman and its 3,360 officers and crew are this weekend on the front line of the latest conflict to embroil America.

The battleground is not military but budgetary, however, as the Truman's nuclear-powered might is shackled by a rancorous new fight between President Barack Obama and his Republican foes.

The two sides are locked into an apparently endless fiscal confrontation over radically different political and fiscal philosophies on the role of government. The resulting conflict over spending cuts and tax rises seems certain to dominate Mr Obama's second term in the White House.

Read more ....

My Comment: The Wall Street Journal has a good analysis on how (and why) the decision was made to delay the departure date of the USS Harry Truman. Is the move surprising .... no. Considering how hyper politicized the Pentagon has become starting with the top General, I now expect the Pentagon to walk in step with what the White House demands .... starting with the budget battles and even more cuts in the budget.