$40 billion increase in proposed Pentagon budget spun as ‘defense cuts’ by right wing.
$40 billion increase in proposed Pentagon budget spun as ‘defense cuts’ by right wing.
The Obama administration is reportedly capping the Pentagon’s 2010 budget for non-war spending at $527 billion, a level previously recommended by Bush administration officials. Despite the fact that this will represent an 8 percent increase over 2009 funding levels, conservative commentators are painting the cap as a budget cut. CQ’s Josh Rogin reports:
Some Pentagon officials and congressional conservatives are already trying to portray the OMB number as a cut by comparing it to a $584 billion draft fiscal 2010 budget request compiled last fall by the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
The $527 billion figure is “what the Bush people thought was the right number last February and that’s the number we’re going with,” said the OMB official, who declined to be identified. “The Joint Chiefs did that to lay down a marker for the incoming administration that was unrealistic. It’s more of a wish list than anything else.”
Defense budget experts have said the draft by the Joint Chiefs, which was never publicly released, was designed to pressure the Obama administration to drastically increase defense spending or be forced to defend a reluctance to do so.
Chris Bowers notes, “While it is disappointing that the Obama administration is not looking to cut the defense budget during its first year in office, generally speaking this does not seem like a year when spending of any sort is being cut.”
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increased spending = spending cuts?
WTF?
Where did these people “graduate” from? A correspondence school?
This is a good case AGAINST home schooling.
February 2nd, 2009 at 5:21 pmi invite all repukelicans to spin…sit on my middle finger and spin.
February 2nd, 2009 at 5:22 pmI saw this somewhere else. It seems that wimply liberal has the temerity to cut 10% from the 70% increase in defense spending slated for 2009.
February 2nd, 2009 at 5:24 pmI figure the military industrial complex greeted Obama’s election with glee — after all, since Democrats are “weak on defense” they will always fall all over themselves to prove how much they love the military by throwing money at it.
I’m willing to bet that the proposed increases didn’t include increases in wages and benefits to military personnel, but lots of really expensive (and unneeded) weapons and aircraft.
February 2nd, 2009 at 5:29 pmCut the Pentagon budget in half!
That’s a change we and the world can live with.
Fact: The US spends MORE for the military than the rest of the world combined.
Just WHY do we need some 760 bases in 130 countries?
February 2nd, 2009 at 5:31 pmThis is a very common tactic used by both parties in DC. Remember that budget proposals are often projected out over several years (as many as ten). Even though a new proposal may provide for more funding for next year than for this year, if the new amount is less than the previous projection for next year, it is considered a “cut” (even if it is actually an increase; it’s a “cut” because it cuts the previous proposed spending.)
Similarly, if huge increases in spending are projected out in the tenth year, they will still say “This bill increases spending…”, even though funding may actually get zeroed out in the nine years in between (at which point it will all be added together and called a “cut”.)
In other words, they are not being honest.
February 2nd, 2009 at 5:33 pmTime for me to go.
February 2nd, 2009 at 5:34 pmBye all
Ho.
February 2nd, 2009 at 5:37 pmJust another case of republican “leaders” scrambling without being able to hide behind the Bush.
Obama’s playing this smart, forcing the dems and repubs to hide behind his coattails in avoiding the evil eye of the people.
http://tv1.com/playlists/225
February 2nd, 2009 at 5:51 pmFollowing this logic, if my boss gives me an 8% raise, I claim that he’s actually cutting my pay, since he’s not giving me the windfall I wanted. Gee — who should I complain to?
February 2nd, 2009 at 5:52 pmWayne. you’re right both parties do it.
Forgeting about the stimulus for a minute – it would be great if Democrats could just say: Well, we disagree that an increase is a cut; but even if you want to characterize it like that – we’re broke. We had a huge surplus, now we’re in the hole. Responsible budgeting decisions have to get made. This is one of those.
February 2nd, 2009 at 5:53 pmJesus H. Roosevelt Christ!!
I would be totally ecstatic if I NEVER EVER had to listen to any more Repukelickin’ whining.
February 2nd, 2009 at 6:00 pmHere is a graph to keep in mind when discussion the US Military Budget.
http://www.djrserv.com/GMS2009.htm
February 2nd, 2009 at 6:10 pmIt’s time to cut the bloated, imperial US military budget in half and redirect those billions to rebuilding our crumbling infrastructure.
February 2nd, 2009 at 6:24 pmOur military is long overdue for an audit. Where’s the missing money?
February 2nd, 2009 at 6:43 pmAll the money we spend on the military and its toy is rediculous who are we supose to be fighting again ??? people that live and hide in caves that have 3rd world weapons ?? why do wee need these new aircraft and weaponry??
get rid of start wars get rid of this building of nukes cut the military buget except for aid to vets and there families and rejuvination to bases and hospitals we have here if all the generals want these weapons let the buy them out there own pockets
February 2nd, 2009 at 6:44 pmphred42. You’re graph is good. I’ve supported strong military in the past. But, considering our poor financial circumstance and the fact that our military presence around the world often does more harm than good; maybe it’s time to float the idea that somethings got to give.
February 2nd, 2009 at 6:47 pmLeftside. Come on. a couple of weeks of Republicans questioning the Democrat administration after 8 years of it being the other way around. What did you think it was going to be like?
It’s great that progressives get to lead, but I think the disagreements are part of it. Maybe a better idea to strap in then pull your hair out.
February 2nd, 2009 at 7:02 pmI just find it odd that the US makes more bullets than anyone else on the planet, AND we make more Bibles than anyone on the planet. I guess that’s a huge contradiction, no?
February 2nd, 2009 at 7:02 pmWhen SecDefs Cheney and Rumsfeld proposed downsizing the force, that was cutting defense spending.
Cutting unnecessary weapons systems, as supported by the current SecDef, or slowing the growth of defense spending, is cutting spending that does nothing to steel our defenses.
Where in the constitution does it state that libruls are forbidden from exercising budgetary and strategic discretion over the initiative of defense? I’d like to shove that “weak on defense” tag back up the GOOP asses once and for all.
February 2nd, 2009 at 7:05 pmRight wing warmongers, right wing liars!
February 2nd, 2009 at 7:31 pmwiley Says:
Our military is long overdue for an audit. Where’s the missing money?
You mean the $2.3 trillion (with a ‘t’) that the Defense Dept announced they could not account for? Maybe they forgot all about it because that announcement was made Sept 10, 2001, and it was all dismissed as “pre-9/11 thinking.”
February 2nd, 2009 at 7:40 pmI understand the idea of withholding your taxes from the government, and it may have worked in other countries at other times. But our government is constitutionally permitted to borrow money, so if we withhold our payments to them, they’ll just borrow the money to pay the bills, and then we will have to pay that back with interest. I nother words, I think it would backfire on the national level. (It might work in states that are not allowed to borrow money, but not in states that can.)
February 2nd, 2009 at 7:43 pmOT
February 2nd, 2009 at 7:44 pmEric Holder was confirmed this evening as AG.
21 Repugs voted “nay”
Thanks, marie. I was wondering if they actually voted or if the Republicans found another excuse to delay it.
Let’s see Rove try to claim executive privilege, on an issue unrelated to the president himself, now.
February 2nd, 2009 at 7:54 pmrhf,
I’m not saying I like it, nor am I saying it’s a good idea (”good” in the sense of what’s beneficial to all). But it is true that both parties do it. I will agree that Republicans do it more dishonestly than Democrats.
February 2nd, 2009 at 8:08 pmUncle Ho Says:
Just WHY do we need some 760 bases in 130 countries?
This is something the MainStream Media will not say. Whenever the alternative media mentions it, the numbers keep changing. I was watching a ballgame and they said it was going out on the Armed Forces Network to our troops in 177 countries.
February 2nd, 2009 at 8:32 pm$527 Billion is the non-war spending? Well, what is the total spending? If you include military spending that comes under budgets other than the Defense Dept., isn’t the total about $1 Trillion? I mean Veterans Admin, Pensions, NASA, Energy (nuclear weapons), interest on the debt, etc.
February 2nd, 2009 at 8:38 pmStratRat Says:
I just find it odd that the US makes more bullets than anyone else on the planet, AND we make more Bibles than anyone on the planet. I guess that’s a huge contradiction, no?
No. Praise the Lord and pass the ammunition…
.
Wayne A. Schneider Says:
You mean the $2.3 trillion (with a ‘t’) that the Defense Dept announced they could not account for?
Just think – they lost two bailouts and a stimulus package, and we have nothing to show for it. To the Pentagon, that’s just change in the couch cushions.
February 2nd, 2009 at 8:45 pmWayne–yes. That money. We need to get back to 9/10/01 and get our heads on straight.
February 2nd, 2009 at 9:23 pmWe wouldn’t want to put any of contractors out of work in a time of financial crisis. Give me a break. Maybe McCaskill can straighten Obama out on Halliburton and all the other war millionaires. They need to be in a few unemployment lines. Maybe the president should read more about Trumann and less about Lincoln. How’s that kumbaya working out for ya?
February 2nd, 2009 at 10:49 pm