News broke at the end of the week that the Obama administration has asked the Joint Chiefs of Staff to request a 10% defense budget cut. This would be about $55 billion. It appears that Obama hasn’t learned from Clinton’s mistake.
This is a political move more than anything, and it is irresponsible. This must be the case, because Obama has backed the $819 billion stimulus. Can they not cut $55 billion from the stimulus? Ed Morrissey has a list of stimulus provisions that could go before the defense budget.
President Obama is trying to contrast himself with George Bush, and a defense budget cut is consistent with the apologetic message he delivered in his al-Arabiya interview. This move will surely please the anti-war left.
Meanwhile, Iran is mocking the President and America. An Iranian government spokesman said Obama’s request to talk with Iran “means Western ideology has become passive, that capitalist thought and the system of domination have failed” (H/T Drudge). This is unacceptable, but the President may have set himself up for this.
Remember, President Obama is not a fan of the Constitution’s limiting of government powers, and his priorities are out of line here. Playing politics with Guantanamo and the defense budget is a national security risk, and the nation’s defense should be his number one priority.
UPDATE: John Hinderaker at Power Line notes a report saying Obama and Petraeus are in disagreement about an Iraq withdrawal policy. It sounds like the President and his military officials aren’t in agreement. The President’s political and symbolic national security moves are not appropriate, and a hasty withdrawal from Iraq would be a dangerous move, as we’ve warned.
UPDATE 2: It sounds like the report of a budget cut is somewhat misleading. Apparently, the cut was to the Joint Chiefs’ proposal, but was in line with what the Bush administration had recommended. Technically, the administration is asking for an 8% increase. Is that enough?
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