Obama Signs $680 Billion Military Bill, Victory Over Lobbyists

New York Times:

When the Obama administration proposed canceling a host of expensive weapons systems last spring, some of the military industry's allies in Congress assumed, as they had in the past, that they would have the final say.

But as the president signed a $680 billion military policy bill on Wednesday, it was clear that he had succeeded in paring back nearly all of the programs and setting a tone of greater restraint than the Pentagon had seen in many years.

Read the whole story: New York Times

Comments

[codycap]

White House officials say Mr. Obama took advantage of a rare political moment to break through one of Washington’s most powerful lobbies and trim more weapons systems than any president had in decades.

It was clear that he had succeeded in paring back nearly all of the programs and setting a tone of greater restraint than the Pentagon had seen in many years.

Military analysts said Mr. Gates, a holdover from the Bush administration, also aimed at the most bloated programs.

Doesn't anybody see anything positive about this? Is your partisan hate so bad that you would pluck your own eye out?

[Pete2069]

That is a saleperson's tactic as old as dirt...
When you really want $3,000 for a car , you put a sticker price of $6,000 and than let the person think they are getting a deal if they pay a lesser price for it..

Than if you are like Bush and Cheney and it looks as if Obama is picking up some of their same tactics,,, When you want more just put in a supplemental bill and ask for more......

[KIVPossum]

I am not exactly sure how a 26 billion$ increase is paring down. At a 3% inflation rate, it's still and increase.

[Chipher]

Come on, they just grifted $138B this year alone in 'emergency funding' and there has never been an audit, ... when the Congress finally did demand one in September, after eight years of GWOT, the government procurement office gave the **sole source** audit contract to Defense! To audit itself!

It's like a guy does wheelies all over your front yard, then prunes your rose bushes with your shears, steals the roses, andt says, "Hey, there you go, pal, I just did your landscaping for you!", and drives off.

We're not impressed! Where is the Golf Delta audit of Defense!? They've 'misplaced' over $2 TRILLION!

[Ifticar2]

"Once the Senate voted in July to stop buying F-22s, Mr. Emanuel said in an interview, that success “reverberated down” to help sustain billions of dollars of cuts in Army modernization, missile defense and other programs."

Translatio­n....

Obama, like any good politician, has managed to divert funds from programs favored by the people on his enemies list to programs supported by political allies and campaign supporters. Business as usual reported upon by the Obama fawning press.

[Nonpartay]

Wow, what an INCREDIBLY ridiculous post! And I see a lot of them here, but yours really takes the cake. I swear to God, you people damn him when he does and damn him when he doesn't. And you can always make up some nefarious motive for whatever he does. Don't think the people aren't taking note and don't be surprised if your numbers sink to even lower depths in the next elections. Who needs this?

[Mogamboguru]

confidance government I'm a Fan of confidance government I'm a fan of this user 21 fans permalink

Wohoo! from 762 billion down to 745 billion, & back to 762 billion for 2010.
----------­----------­----------­----------­----------­----------­----------­----------­----------­----------­----------­----------­----------­---

You have to see this from a different angle.

In 2002, one Euro was to be had for 87 US-Cent.

Today, the Euro costs around 1.50 US-Dollar each.

Therefore, a 745 billion dollar-bill today boils down to only 432 billion US-dollars in 2002 purchasing power.

In matters of peace and disarmament, inflation is your friend...

[confidance government]

Yeah, if our government's purchasing power is eroded to the point where they can't pay for bullets & bombs, I don't suppose we would be causing too much trouble.

On the other hand, if our currency is inflated to that point, funding the warfare state may be the least of the US's problems.

[pov]

$200 Billion more than before should make him appreciated around the Pentagon. Especially since they are winding down in Iraq, not ramping up.

[murphy80]

this is the new Obama two step.

cut one dollar this year, but add two next year

and slip another billion to GMAC/Chrysler Credit

the taxpayer gets it in the neck, including a new required health insurance bloated payment. next year.

[Nonpartay]

Of course, the health care will actually decrease the deficit and save us all a lot of money. But please don't let me confuse you with facts. As to the rest of your rant, um, hardly.

[marignymitch]

Some victory. The swollen Pentagon budget is growing. We're not leaving Gitmo or Iran, and we are escalating in Afghanistan. War industry celebrates. Nation goes broke.

[Nonpartay]

Actually, the economy grew in the last quarter. But don't let that stop you...

[Chipher]

...in your dreams ... by US metrics, 'GDP' includes government spending of our taxes ...
what 'grew' was the $11 TRILLION Federal deficit that our kids will have to repay, or else learn Mandarin while hopping with their heads down and their feet bound.

[econ1]

Well at least they cut the F22. But we are still spending way too much for way to little. Our government has a hard time with fiscal responsibility.

[confidance government]

Wohoo! from 762 billion down to 745 billion, & back to 762 billion for 2010.

[Chipher]

...from only $90B before Bush was selected..­.just eight years ago...

[Eric Tahoma]

Either way, as unfortunate as it is, our troops still lack solutions to many basic warfare problems. There is a need for UN forces to convert to a defensive-based setup to avoid conventional war with the disarmament of nuclear weapons, as well as a need to create a standard assault rifle that can match the knock-out punch and reliability of the venerable AK-47... our military is not underfunded but still lacks the necessary equipment to perform as expected of the world's finest with only 600,000 enlisted soldiers.

[ldmason45]

Don't worry everybody, John Murtha was still able to spread the wealth around amongst his big defense contractor campaign contributors. All is not lost. It's business as usual.

[PkSully]

I read the Times article and thought "great". Then I read it again and realized we're still spending 20 something BILLION more next yr than this yr. We really showed that Military Industrial Complex.

[Republicrats]

glad you at least read it twice, I got that on the first pass, many of these posters dont' even read but rely on the HP headline twisters to pull them along by the ring in their bleating nose.....

[The Meek]

"HP headline twisters", good one. It's irritating isn't it. I usually check out the comments before reading the article to see if the headline is misleading­..

[Blackhawk6]

I am a combat veteran of Operations Uphold Democracy, Restore Hope, Desert Storm - Desert Shield and I can assure you that when we were downrange in the middle of a fire-fight we could give two sh*ts about "Don't Ask Don't Tell"! This is stupid. makes me wonder who's pushing this issue? I guarantee you it's none of the HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF TROOPS in harms way AS WE SPEAK!

Don't Ask don't tell about that!!

[ldmason45]

I am an Independent, conservative and consider myself to be a sinner saved by grace. I go to church, also. I can't imagine anyone who would think "Don't Ask Don't Tell" is right. Here we have brave men and women giving their lives for us and yet we disrepsect them and their service by this slap in the face. If you care enough about me and this country to risk your life for me you deserve all the praise, honor and respect I can give no matter if you are gay, straight, trans-sexual, red, yellow, black and white. America we should be ashamed that we have allowed this to go on .

[Pema]

wow. with all that you are against dont ask dont tell. bravo! but will you allow them full civil rights eg marriage?

[Republicrats]

Wind DOWN the wars like you promised nojobama and see how much you can "save" off of $680,000,000,000, what a joke!

[amistad]

Yes. I am sure you could have eliminated the two w@rs in one, two months, tops.

[Republicrats]

irrelevant, the trendline of occupying forces needs to go down NOT up?!?!

[terragazelle60]

Well as far as your name...tel­ls it all. He did not say he would wind down the wars..he said that he would wind down Iraq and that Afghanistan was the war of neccessity­...that Bush had ignored the real culprits of 9-11 for the country that had nothing to do with it, because it was an easy win for a man that wanted a second term.

You think that we should up the ammount of soldiers in Afghanistan while leaving the funding as it is? Maybe those funds are for more back up for the boots on the ground and less for boondoggles for the congress.

[Chipher]

...the real culprits were Saudis and Egyptians training in Florida likely put there by IL...