House Armed Services Chair: Smaller Increases in Pentagon Budget ‘Dangerous’
With Many Republicans Looking to Cut Spending, McKeon Vows 'War-Footing'
Speaking today with “This Week in Defense News,” Rep. Buck McKeon (R – CA), the new House Armed Services Committee Chairman, slammed Secretary of Defense Robert Gates’ trivial cuts in the planned increases in the already record military budgets.
But unlike many Republicans, who are worried about the record military spending and the spiraling deficit, the hawkish McKeon expressed anger that it was being cut at all, terming the move “drastic and dangerous.”
Rep. McKeon insisted that with the US still in wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and the “things that China’s doing” he wanted to keep the US on a “war footing” and fighting against any cuts in the increase of spending.
Though McKeon appears quite contented with the spending, he is expected to face considerable opposition from a number of members of his party, especially the influx of Tea Party members who campaigned on the importance of balancing the budget.
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MvGuy
January 16th, 2011 at 10:33 pm
OOOOOOO ……….it's that mark of the "R"……………………
MoT
January 17th, 2011 at 12:46 am
Just follow the money. Obviously McKeon must owe someone some big favors.
Karla
January 17th, 2011 at 1:00 am
Is that Buck, . . as in Buck Turgidson?
emsnews
January 17th, 2011 at 4:00 am
Outside of the great Ron Paul, 99.9% of the GOP always votes for more military spending and wars. The Tea Party seems barely different, I am betting.
thedissenter
January 17th, 2011 at 4:46 am
Uh huh! Here we go. Bad cop, good cop routine for the entertainment of the sheeple.
John V.Walsh
January 17th, 2011 at 5:01 am
When the chips are down even the most "liberal" Dems vote for war when their votes are needed.
Early in 2007 after the Dems took control of the House there was a chance to defund the wars, with the Republicans against the war funding bill because a timeline was inserted into it. But virtually every Dem save for nine voted for it – including our entire "liberal" delegation here in MA with great peaceniks like Jim McGovern among them.
Both parties are war parties. Obama like Bush is a hawk – and Obama is not only a Dem but he was and is the candidate of the most "progressive" wing of the Dem Party. The conventional peace activists are a bunch of suckers for Obama – and they will turn out for him again in 2012 no matter what he does. Bank on it.
John V. Walsh
curmudgeonvt
January 17th, 2011 at 6:14 am
Exactly!! He's doing exactly what Gates and the CMIC wants done. Gates comes out and proposes trivial cuts and the rightwingers go nutso about setting us up to lose the war(s). Did you notice how Bucko inserted China into the list of active wars? The TPers (well some of them) will probably complain about deficits but will cave in the end. And the spending INCREASES will continue…until the bottom falls out or our debt holders have had enough and they cut us off. You all know the story of the Manchurian Candidate…meet the republican (and democratic) parties. The goal is to end the American Experiment with the (unknowing) people's approval. But, that's just this old Curmudgeon's opinion…
thedissenter
January 17th, 2011 at 6:22 am
Yep. It's not hard at all to figure out what the shills are up to.
emistruth
January 17th, 2011 at 6:46 am
America could eliminate 90% of all Pentagon spending and still be able to defend itself. The issue is not defense but world domination which is costly.
Generalissimo X
January 17th, 2011 at 8:14 am
no, what's dangerous is this insane military industrial complex which has literally bankrupted our republic for absolutely no reason other than bankster greed…they have their political sock puppets like this lying clown do their bidding…buck mckeon should hang as a traitor just like all the other pigs in congress schilling for permanent armaments. we spend more than every other country combined on defense and we still can't win in iraq or afghanistan…9-11 still happened despite all their posturings and trillions spent. name one standing army that has the ability to conquer and occupy the usa..the answer: none. to believe otherwise is to be stupid or deluded.
andy
January 17th, 2011 at 9:04 am
Pentagon budget cuts are dangerous – to the Pentagon.
jack
January 17th, 2011 at 2:42 pm
thats funny i always thought "cronies were bigger with fatter chins,,, and could the distinguished kronie please be more specific about his particular area of graft, i mean expertise
willymak
January 17th, 2011 at 4:40 pm
So reducing the "defense" monster to a sane level would be disasterous, huh?
Yeah, for the military thugs and their corporate overlords.
Ike would be spinning in his grave if he knew just HOW BAD the military/industrial complex has become. He warned us about this in 1961, and we did NOTHING to stop it.
andy
January 17th, 2011 at 8:31 pm
That spending is needed to protect America from an army of Canadians who may invade North Dakota and sack Fargo.
bob35983
January 17th, 2011 at 8:52 pm
But … but … but … ya just can't cut the Pentagon budget! Why; well; what about all them doin's in China? And The Duchy of Grand Fenwick?! Hah! Bet you forgot all about them, didn't ya?!