Defense Official: Obama Calling for Defense Budget Cuts

[JBond]

Defense Official: Obama Calling for Defense Budget Cuts

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009...e-budget-cuts/

The Obama administration has asked the military's Joint Chiefs of Staff to cut the Pentagon's budget request for the fiscal year 2010 by more than 10 percent -- about $55 billion -- a senior U.S. defense official tells FOX News.
Last year's defense budget was $512 billion. Service chiefs and planners will be spending the weekend "burning the midnight oil" looking at ways to cut the budget -- looking especially at weapons programs, the defense official said.

Some overall budget figures are expected to be announced Monday.
Obama met Friday at the White House with a small group of military advisers, including Admiral Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs, Gen. James Cartwright, vice chairman, and Gen. Jim Jones, National Security Council chairman.

FOX News' Jennifer Griffin contributed to this report.

[MetalHead]

Color me not surprised.

[burmafrd]

To start with fire about 50% of those that work in the Pentagon. Then in every other major HQ. Cut half of all generals and admirals. That would do quite a bit right there.

[iceberg]

Originally Posted by Artie Lange

Color me not surprised.

i don't mind cutting back on defense these days.

i object to new spending on crap that doesn't help the problem however.

[ninja]

Cut the defense budget and guess what the defense contractors are going to do? I'll give you three guesses and the first two don't count. You got it: fire/layoff employees.

I'm guessing that these congressmen don't want any cuts in their backyard. So let the political bloodbath begin.

How about this: cut the defense budget, and then follow it up with a bailout for the defense companies? Nice, very nice.

Dems hate defense spending but also know they ain't getting re-elected if a lot of people are unemployed.

[Cajuncowboy]

Great. Just great.

We live in some of the most dangerous times in the history of the world and he is going to cut the defense budget.

Well, no surprise really. The leftist said he would do it.

[sacase]

I hate to say this, but he is going to destroy this country with his policies.

[Hoofbite]

Originally Posted by sacase

I hate to say this, but he is going to destroy this country with his policies.

10% isn't exactly a crippling amount. Considering how much is spent there, I'd say things will probably be okay.

[Viper]

Originally Posted by ninja

Cut the defense budget and guess what the defense contractors are going to do? I'll give you three guesses and the first two don't count. You got it: fire/layoff employees.

Hitting close to home hey ninja, those damn unions.

[Maikeru-sama]

As soon as Barack Obama "slashed" the Military Budget, I knew people would forget about what a Senior Pentagon Board stated in November 2008.

WASHINGTON - A senior Pentagon advisory group, in a series of bluntly worded briefings, is warning President-elect Barack Obama that the Defense Department's current budget is "not sustainable," and he must scale back or eliminate some of the military's most prized weapons programs.

November 2008 - Pentagon board says cuts essential

Of course when President Barack Obama proceeds as directed, he gets labelled "soft" and anti-American.

The United States needs to stop "policing" the entire world and focus its effort on the most critical places.

Our bloated presence on the world stage is going to bankrupt this country. Let's take the fight to these terrorists in places like Afghanistan, Pakistan and maybe Iran and GTHO of all these other countries around the world.

[burmafrd]

If you knew a little something about the military maybe you would not sound so bad Maikeru. The problem we have is the waste and crap that is mandated by congress and the lobbyists and contractors. Probably 25% of the budget is wasted. BUT when cuts are made its always readiness and training and spare parts and ammunition. Just what SHOULD NOT be cut.
So unless your messiah can change the usual, a defense cut is bad news. And I am not talking about policing the world- just maintaining our current commitments. You know: Afghanistan, Iraq, keeping an eye on North Korea, etc.

[CowboyWay]

Good. We spend way too much on defense. A ridiculous amount really. We're already tops in the world. I think we can take a 10% hit.

[sacase]

Originally Posted by CowboyWay

Good. We spend way too much on defense. A ridiculous amount really. We're already tops in the world. I think we can take a 10% hit.

Well if Americans were not so risk adverse to casualties, then yeah we could take a hit. However, our technological edge is what allows us to not suffer very many casualties. 10% is going to hurt badly, especially when he wants to add more people to the military. Readiness will suffer, badly.

[iceberg]

Originally Posted by Maikeru-sama

The United States needs to stop "policing" the entire world and focus its effort on the most critical places.

Our bloated presence on the world stage is going to bankrupt this country. Let's take the fight to these terrorists in places like Afghanistan, Pakistan and maybe Iran and GTHO of all these other countries around the world.

yet, if there's say, a tsunami, we're expected to help clean it up and lead rescue efforts.

wild this double standard out there.

[iceberg]

Originally Posted by CowboyWay

Good. We spend way too much on defense. A ridiculous amount really. We're already tops in the world. I think we can take a 10% hit.

fine. now give *everything* a 10% hit, not just your pet anti-projects.