We have to be careful when we blame Clintoon for defense reductions during his tenure in office. After all, it is the Legislature that passes the budgets, and let's not forget who ruled the house for a good chunk of that time.
I'm inclined to agree with another poster who attributed many of these cuts to reasonable reductions in response to the end of the cold war.
That we didn't foresee the need to respond to a new war on terrorism is tragic, but rests on bipartisan shoulders. I'm simply grateful that the wakeup call happened on a Republican's watch because that means we've got a fighting chance of doing it right.
But who sponsors the defense bills? Does it come down from the President or does it start with congress? I looked at US Senate website, it appears very few defense bill went through during the Clinton years.