[Carry_Okie]

Not enough people know how far along SDI is for a groundswell to work without an enormous PR effort. The continuous attack by the left on SDI for decades has had deadly effect in that regard.

As things stand, I'd drop the raptor for more SDI money in a heartbeat, as well as massive production of backup control equipment, electronic vehicle ignitions, etc, maintained in properly shielded storage, particularly motor starters and electrical grid controls. An emphasis upon distributed power generation, particularly using small nukes would be a terrific way to improve national EMP survivability.

[Paul Ross]

The continuous attack by the left on SDI for decades has had deadly effect in that regard.

Only with the New York Times readership, from what I have seen...and that has declined drastically even in New York... Check it out: The polling in favor of real NMD is quite overwhelmingly favorable. Even in New York!. If we can make it there (70% approve it) then we can make it everywhere...

And indeed...we are. Check out the MDAA [Missile Defense Advocacy Assn's] listing of national and state polling data.

[Paul Ross]

Not enough people know how far along SDI is for a groundswell to work without an enormous PR effort.

I think it is viable. The support for missile defense is now overwhelming. The public only needs to be educated as to why their demands for defense are being frustrated by political interference and sabotage...and who to vote against...and who among NMD's "friends" to scream at, breathing Hellfire and Damnation.

We need that same visceral national groundswell, which the Illegal Amnesty crowd was torpedoed by, to get Medieval on our political lizards.

We need to make this a "litmus test" issue in '06 before its too late. I don't think we have the luxury of much time at all anymore. Note how the Iranian's wacked Israel with their proxy firing Katyushas with near-impunity...before Israel could get around to deploying THEL [on the back-burner for deployment, in what, two years?], which would have mopped up the threat. This guy is more observant and cunning than we are giving him credit for: