Inside the Ring

Washington Times ^ | 5-10-07 | Bill Gertz

[JZelle]

Democrat defense cuts

Democrats on the House Armed Services Committee this week slashed Pentagon funding for U.S. missile-defense programs in ways critics say will severely harm efforts to build an integrated system to defend against missile attacks.

A total of $764 million was cut from the $8.9 billion missile-defense budget request during a mark-up hearing on the fiscal 2008 defense authorization bill before the strategic forces subcommittee, headed by Rep. Ellen O. Tauscher, California Democrat.

The Democrats' most controversial cut came in halving money for building a third ground-based interceptor site in Poland and Czech Republic, effectively killing plans for the site, according to Republican congressional aides. The subcommittee cut $160 million from the $300 million request for the third site and called for a study of the site.

[Prokopton]

Sticking our heads in the sand is liable to get our asses blown off.

[bikerMD]

I’ll bet Vladimir Putin is on the phone now thanking Comrade Tauscher. I hope she enjoys the case of Stoly.