Free Republic

At his confirmation hearing Thursday, Secretary of Defense nominee Leon Panetta faced questions from Democrats and Republicans alike about President Barack Obama’s intention, hastily announced in April, to cut $400 billion from national security spending over the next 12 years. Unfortunately, Panetta seemed to have little concrete information about the president’s plans. What Panetta was willing to say, however, was that such defense cuts should not be undertaken lightly. Asked whether he agreed with outgoing Secretary of Defense Robert Gates about their potential impact, Panetta said: “I share his concerns about the possibility of hollowing out our force. I think...