While the Democrats push a preposterous 1.2 trillion “stimulus” boondoggle (filled with not only pork, but every liberal hobby horse), more than quadrupling the deficit in a single year, they plan to cut defense spending by 10%.
Tax-and-spend, check. Weak on defense, check.
IMPORTANT UPDATE: The story is not so simple, after all. Hot Air says the “cut” is in the usual sense of Washington double-speak: a cut relative to the proposed increase. In the real world, it’s as much as an 8% increase. It may be that the larger figure determined by the Joint Chiefs’ is necessary, and it certainly isn’t as though the rest of the government is being asked to limit its spending, but it’s much harder to get outraged about this than for a real cut. I think President Obama is off the hook.
Still, I would like to see the Democrats be forced to stand up and make this case. They have historically prattled on about Republican spending cuts (I wish!) where there were actually only cuts to proposed increases. I would like to see them admit that an increase is not a cut. But it’s doubtful that the media will press them on this.
