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Title: Palin makes exception for military spending
Source:
Washington Post
URL Source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dy ... 010/07/07/AR2010070704809.html
Published: Jul 8, 2010
Author: Josh Rogan
Post Date: 2010-07-08 15:12:52 by go65
Keywords: None
Views: 3093
Comments: 12
Sarah Palin is waging a battle inside the "tea party" movement to exempt defense spending from the group's small-government, anti-deficit fervor. There's growing concern among Republicans -- and especially among the pro-defense neoconservative wing of the party -- that national security spending, which is under a level of scrutiny and pressure not seen since the end of the Cold War, could fall victim to the tea party's anti-establishment, anti- spending agenda. The former Alaska governor, as the unofficial leader of the movement and its most prominent celebrity, is moving to carve out such funding from any drives to cut overall government expenditures. "In the conservative ranks and within the party, she's really quite a crucial piece in this puzzle," said Tom Donnelly, a defense fellow at the American Enterprise Institute. "She's got both political and tea- party/small-government bona fides, but she also has a lot of credibility in advocating for military strength." Palin's drive to lead the charge against defense cuts was on display in a June 27 speech at "Freedom Fest," a conservative gathering in Norfolk where she sent a clear message to Republicans that deficit reduction can't come at the military's expense. "Something has to be done urgently to stop the out-of-control Obama-Reid-Pelosi spending machine, and no government agency should be immune from budget scrutiny," she said. "We must make sure, however, that we do nothing to undermine the effectiveness of our military. If we lose wars, if we lose the ability to deter adversaries, if we lose the ability to provide security for ourselves and for our allies, we risk losing all that makes America great. That is a price we cannot afford to pay." Palin also took on Defense Secretary Robert Gates, a Republican, challenging his drive to rein in procurement spending and reevaluate the need for certain huge weapons systems. "Secretary Gates recently spoke about the future of the U.S. Navy. He said we have to ask whether the nation can really afford a Navy that relies on $3 [billion] to $6 billion destroyers, $7 billion submarines and $11 billion carriers. He went on to ask, 'Do we really need . . . more strike groups for another 30 years when no other country has more than one?' " Palin said. "Well, my answer is pretty simple: Yes, we can and yes, we do, because we must."
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#3. To: go65 (#0)
Without military strength we're fookin toast! Only complete fools believe otherwise.
We've doubled military spending in the last 10 years. Let's double it again. No wait, triple it!! To hell with the deficit!
Palin will make a very good RNC Chairperson.
Hey, that's an area where we agree, especially since the one job requirement appears to be to say stupid things over and over and over again.
As you just displayed, you would know.
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Top • Page Up • Full Thread • Page Down • Bottom/Latestshe also has a lot of credibility in advocating for military strength."
#4. To: Ibluafartsky (#3)
Without military strength we're fookin toast! Only complete fools believe otherwise.
#5. To: go65 (#4)
#8. To: Badeye (#5)
Palin will make a very good RNC Chairperson.
#10. To: go65 (#8)
Replies to Comment # 10.
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