[fogarty]

Yeah and it's very interesting that the same "conservative" pundits who warned about military readiness 18 months ago are now suddenly silent, as if the problem suddenly went away last summer.

I got news for everyone: it takes a hell of a lot more time to fix a decade's worth of deteriation in our armed forces than just a year. As a matter of fact I clearly recall Bush himself as a candidate making the SAME warning speech in late 2000. Did he think a payraise and another billion dollars for the Beltway bandits was going to bring us back to pre-Persian Gulf readiness?

[quimby]

You are missing the point. Sure the military has deteriorated. Sure there are shortages. But you don't spill the beans in the midst of a war.

And if congress asks the question, you tell them the truth in a closed session.

Even if clintoon is to blame (and he is at least partially), how is it a help to tell our enemies just what shorcommings we face ?

[WOSG]

Sure, but operations against a rag-tag assortment of terrorists doesnt even begin to fit the characterization of major war. Our 1.4 million servicemen and women can handle this and much more without running out of steam. And particulars of weaknesses, low ammo etc, are better handled discreetly unless there is something fundamentally wrong a hand. JMHO.