Obama Pentagon pick cites China concern

reuteurs ^ | Thu Jan 15, 8:01 pm ET | By Jim Wolf Jim Wolf –

[Flavius]

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – President-elect Barack Obama's choice for the Pentagon's second-ranking job said on Thursday it would be tough to pay for all existing big-ticket U.S. weapons programs but called for hedging against China's growing military might.

William Lynn, who would be the deputy secretary of defense, and other Obama nominees for top Pentagon jobs did not name which programs they might seek to cut, eliminate or stretch out to meet budget constraints.

"If current trends continue, it will be very difficult to sustain a force large enough to meet the demands associated with both near-term operations and the long-term defense strategy," Lynn told the Senate Armed Services Committee that is expected to confirm his nomination.

Obama, who is to be sworn in as the 44th U.S. president on Tuesday, is retaining Robert Gates as secretary of defense. Those who would be his top lieutenants vowed to weigh every major Pentagon arms program as part of a series of overlapping strategic and tactical reviews this year.

[squidly]

If it’s a choice between missile defense and more F-22s (the only two systems specifically mentioned), then I vote for missile defense. Not that anybody cares what I think.

[gov_bean_ counter]

I believe Raytheon may be a major player in the radar guidance systems for missile defense. Sends a signal that this program will not be dismantled as Obie promised.

[squidly]

Yeah, that was the main thing I got from the article. I’m happy to hear it. I know a lot of O supporters won’t be (morons).

[grey_whiskers]

Remember the last time Dems had the White House and "Right Sized" the military, so that we would be able to fight two separate major region conflict simultaneously?

Now we can't even fight one.

Pitchfork time.

[DoughtyOne]

Welfare and a myriad of handouts won’t be cut, but they make it plain that military cuts are tolerable.

They talk a good talk don’t they.

[DoughtyOne]

You just watch. These folks are plenty ready to spend all the money they want. Of course hard choices will be limited to things that insure the survival of our nation.

[truemiester]

I think even libs will have a hard time cutting defense, especially weapon systems. They are not just weapons, they are high-tech, high-paying J-O-B-S. Which senator/congressman is going to lose jobs?