McCain Vows to Slash Pentagon, Federal Spending
I don’t know the details of Sen. McCain’s proposed cuts on military spending, but my first reaction to any military funding cuts is one of caution. In a time of war when we saw our combat soldiers lacking body armor in the early days of the Iraq war, I am not eager to jump on the band wagon for cutting the armed force’s budget. Having said that, the talk of cutting federal spending is very welcome, indeed. What better way to reinvigorate the American economy than to put spending power back into the hands of the public at a time when all signs point to a looming recession.
What I have heard coming out of the McCain camp is sounding better and better as time goes on. I know I am biased, but I can’t help but wonder if Gov. Romney and the rest of the stalwart budget hawks in the Republican wing of the Republican Party are influencing fiscal policy within the McCain circle. Heres hoping so!
~~John Cronin~~
http://blog.washingtonpost.com/the-trail/2008/04/20/mccain_vows_to_slash_pentagon.html
By Zachary A. Goldfarb
Presumptive Republican nominee Sen. John McCain (Ariz.) pledged Sunday to cut billions of dollars in defense spending, vowing to be special interests’ “worst nightmare,” and aimed to dismiss suggestions that he has an explosive temper.
McCain said on ABC’s “This Week” that he would seek to eliminate the federal budget deficit by cutting spending throughout government. The Pentagon drew special emphasis.
“I am cutting billions and billions out of defense spending which are not earmarks,” he said
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April 21st, 2008 at 10:03 am
“…aimed to dismiss suggestions that he has an explosive temper.”
Good luck in that.
April 21st, 2008 at 11:35 am
He sounded like Mitt on ABC yesterday morning….very excitedly talking about a top down review of every last program to cut out all the dead wood. What with a 25% corporate tax rate and other bold ideas on the economic side of things, I started to think Mitt had been talking to him and that perhaps the plan had been hatched for Mitt to lead this review of all programs - either as v.p. or in some other way. McCain just was too confident in the idea of finding and saving billions - hundreds of billions - that I had to think Mitt was behind it - and had inspired it - and convinced McCain that it really could be done —-by both McCain, with his power and reputation (if he’s president), and Mitt’s proven drive and committment and ability to clean the whole huge mess up! It’s either as v.p. or a special post. I’ll bet those were the terms Mitt wanted before he committed to his efforts to back McCain. I heard there was a lot of negotiations on that before it was nailed down.
April 21st, 2008 at 2:52 pm
I, too, thought when McCain delivered his economic speech last week that I was listening to Mitt! I definitely had the feeling that Romney had advised McCain on economic matters and liked what I heard.
Mitt’s appearances on the news circuit on behalf of McCain have been powerful and inspiring. Obama and Hillary - be afraid… very afraid!
Romney is rockin’ for Republicans!
April 21st, 2008 at 3:27 pm
Ditto, I agree with all of you. Mccain is otherwise a very fast study, for someone who
knows nothing about the economy. Maybe he hired the person he said he would to manage the economy??????? Let’s hope it’s Mitt 2 for 1, a V.P. and someone who knows how economies work. If that is true, Mccain would be very fortunate.
I did hear these names yesterday Crist, Portman, Pawlenty, and Of course Mitt.
They are driving me crazy. Mitt’s an unselfish person, I hope he is not being used.
Maybe not in his vocabulary, right ?
Paulee
April 21st, 2008 at 4:14 pm
Paulee,
I very much doubt Crist . . . although many of us in Florida would be delighted if he were no longer our goevernor and our LG Jeff Kottkamp would take his place! Maybe a Cabinet position . . . Secretary for Global Environmentalism and Florida Tans.
IMHO, Mitt & Pawlenty are the top VP contenders, with Portmann a little less so.
Of course, if McCain is smart, he will pick Mitt, especially in light of the vetting the Obamessiah is now getting. Maybe it’s wishful thinking, but with everything coming out about Obama and the time it’s been taking to get it all out there, the American people don’t want to take time to vet another unknown, as Paulenty is. Especially in comparison with what Mitt has gone through.
April 21st, 2008 at 4:40 pm
John,
I believe it is a jamjon talk in the military world that “Pentagon” refers to the generals and other officials’ pet projects. It has nothing to do with the supplying and protecting our soliders. For example, the B-2 plane costs a billion per apiece. The Pentagon still is pushing for more B-2 bombers — whatever for!?! USSR is no longer here, and we do not need to evade any country’s radar as much as we used to. Even if they could detect our stealth planes, they do not have the capability to shoot down our superfast fighters and bombers. Pentagon continues to push hard for ultra-expensive projects, like entirely new carrier group or two. I believe McCain is talking about putting the reality of the world in their perspective. But we can be assured that McCain won’t put our soliders at danger. He’s too tight with too many veterans for him to get away without them breathing down his neck.
April 21st, 2008 at 4:43 pm
Copp, this is what I am thinking, too. It is starting to look like Mitt may end up serving McCain in some capability, more likely a cabinet seat. It also is possible that Mitt would end up being a consultant working with a thinking tank that McCain could look at closely for guidances (like old one McCain helped started in northern VA).
April 21st, 2008 at 8:48 pm
Marybeth,
I hope your right. I would be really upset if he took Crist, he was in on that timetable
lie that Lieberman and Martinez toutedabout
Marybeth,
I hope your right about Mitt. Mccain did say in one interview that he’d like the person to be vetted. That sorta certainly puts Mitt in the running. I would hate to see Crist.
I still remember Crist, Lieberman, Martinez using the timetable LIE in Florida.
They all knew perfectly well that was not true, if they lie about this, what else will they
lie about. Mccain said many times, there is certainly a place for Mitt in the Republican party. Of course we all want him for V.P. He’s the best all around candidate, lets hope Mccain thinks so. Appreciate your input, Thanks.
f
April 21st, 2008 at 9:59 pm
I wish you hadn’t brought that up.. that timetable lie that is! Now, I might spend a little time being angry again. I hate that they did that!!!! I hate slander and I hate lies! Not much is uglier than to destroy a reputation. I think accountability is high for that particular sin. And it is a sin. I don’t care which side of the aisle you sit on, it is a sin. What part of “thou shalt not bear false witness” do they not get??? That was a most frustrating thing… argh!!!
All that being said, look how the honourable one behaved with it? Look at the humility and the class. I do argue when he says McCain beat him fair and square…. that is just not true!!! There was no “fair” or “square” about it. It was duplicitous and evil!!!! Yet, Mitt is the gracious one!
I feel better now… KKSM
April 22nd, 2008 at 12:01 am
I am going to take a rather stunch stance and say that cutting Military spending is the most stupid thing in the world to do. We are at war. SGS those B2 bomers that you are complaining about happen to be the best planes the US AirForce has. I never ever heard Mitt talk about cutting Military spending. He was all for Reforming Social Security and Medicare. We spend 60 % of our federal budgest on Social Security and Medicare. What ever needs to be cut in spending it is programs we no longer need and welfare that is not working. No I don’t believe Mitt was behind the cut in Military spending. Everything else (like that 25% coporate tax) he might have been but on Military I think this was McCain’s idea and I believe this is a stupid plan. This is not smart people…THINK.
April 22nd, 2008 at 1:17 am
Just ran across this. Mitt is in the lead and voting begins again this coming Monday, April 28th! Don’t forget to vote!
http://gopnation.com/wordpress/
April 22nd, 2008 at 6:16 am
Newsmax add about Obama:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J0IcnYWGSSE
April 22nd, 2008 at 9:04 am
KKSM, I agree, there absolutely was no fair and square, they sold their souls for politics as far as I am concerned. Not to remind of us off angrier days, when Lieberman can on TV from Washington and restated Mccain’s lies in Florida, I could have jumped through the TV, I was so mad!!!!!!!!!Totally agree, it better not be Crist.
I shared that whole scenario with the RNC. Anyone have any ideas how we might as a group make that perfectly clear to Mccain and RNC. NO CRIST!!!!!!!!!!!
SARAH : Cut military spending does not sound like Mitt, he said the exact opposite, did
he not????? Maybe the dems have gotten into his head, Mccain that is.
Also, Condi Rice shouldn’t even be in that race for VP, she does not want the position.
It could just delute the proper results, or perhaps Mitt will still show with better numbers.
Have a Great day!
April 22nd, 2008 at 11:55 am
McCain and spending cuts:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=7q-3O7FpDlA
http://youtube.com/watch?v=iEGUmxOxvpE
April 22nd, 2008 at 4:38 pm
I’m more concerned he’ll pick Graham than Crist…if he picks Senator Graham, it will be proof positive he has no intention of siding with conservatives on anything other than some aspects of the WOT (but not all, i.e. interrogations of terrorists, Gitmo, border security, etc). I don’t think I can even bring myself to vote for that ticket, although I won’t vote for the Dems either. I need McCain to show he’s listening. This line of thinking is a decent start but there had better be a good VP pick or its all talk.
April 22nd, 2008 at 5:40 pm
Here’s some place new to go and have some fun…. more bitter people…
http://race42008.com/2008/04/22/grassroots-mitt-for-veep-effort-to-launch-soon/#comment-293810
April 23rd, 2008 at 2:25 pm
Sara, I kept getting bombers mixed up. I was thinking of B-1, a superfast bomber, designed to drop nukes. But still, B-2 is purely steath bomber specifically designed to attack USSR with its powerful radars. Not many countries have as good radar as USSR used to have. It is not realistic to expand our superfast and steath bombers at the current pace. We should continue to produce them, yes, but not at the scale we now are going on. I agree with you that we should shift the focus to protect our soliders better. The question is what can we do to protect them better. The Pentagon is demanding that we go beyond that to the point that we should allow them their pet projects whose ideas came from the mindset of Cold War that is no longer workable. McCain is right in being realistic with the future wars, rather the past. We need to focus more on our biggest threat, which are the Radical Muslims and Chinese. Russia continues to be a threat, but we still have enough to give them a pause.
April 23rd, 2008 at 3:46 pm
On second thought , I sure Mccain was taking about the bomber’s. He already said he
would protect our soldiers, invest more into the military, etc. Have much better care for vet’s, he has a vested interest in this area. He wouldn’t let our troops down, this
he has lived and understands, and I think he really wants to do well. Time will tell.