Rumsfeld is gone after today

[Paragon]

The freeps will love this one.

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-bases14oct14,1,6226229.story?coll=la-home-headlines

WASHINGTON — Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld is planning to close at least 100 of the nation's 425 military bases — more than in the four previous rounds of base closures combined — beginning in 2005, Pentagon insiders said Monday...

Rumsfeld came into office with, as President Bush put it before his election, "a broad mandate to challenge the status quo and envision a new architecture of American defense."

But Bush was viewed as pro-military and unlikely to oversee sweeping change. Yet Rumsfeld has challenged the status quo from many angles, including nuclear deterrence and the U.S. relationship with the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.

He has outlined a plan to use savings from base closings to modernize such military programs as missile defense and unmanned planes and to streamline procurement systems. The plan has rankled uniformed officers, particularly in the Army, because the threat to reduce the size of their force comes when the United States leads a force in the Persian Gulf of about 180,000 soldiers, most of them American.

[Noordam]

1. It is one reason that they are afraid of Army Clark

30% of the closing are Army. Even my retired Army Col Freeper hates Rummy. If Clark is on the ticket in first or second place ALL ARMY VOTES GO TO HIM

[JNelson6563]

2. Excellent

Few regimes survive once the military turns on them.

Julie

[Bozola]

3. Haw!

Gee I wonder why?!?

...missile defense (Raytheon, Boeing, TRW, Lockheed) and unmanned planes (Boeing, Lockheed) and to streamline procurement systems (Carlyle)...

The freeps will love this one.

Considering that many of 'em base (pardon the pun) their livelihood on the service economy surrounding and/or directly supporting these bases, I expect to see an increase of "Fer Sael" signs on overly flag decaled SUV and in Trailer Parks near these military installations.


Cumon, Donny! Close McChord & Ft. Lewis! Close Bremerton, too!

[charlie]

4. Look at the 3 governors

marshalling defenses against Rummy at the bottom of the article, Republicans all, including Jebbie. Cutting waste is a boilerplate Republican issue, they should be in line volunteering to be first. Jeb's safe, but I hope one of the others panics and accuses Bush of undermining the country's military strength.

[demnan]

5. This is ridiculous

the guy must have Alzheimers! Closing bases when we are so thinly deployed overseas?

:crazy:

[Ouabache]

8. Well wouldn't there be a need for fewer bases here

if these imperial thugs have our entire armed forces deployed in colonial occupations overseas?

[Noordam]

6. Georgia will be hit hard.

It does not have Senator Sam Nunn (D-GA) to save it's bases. And Most of it's bases are ARMY.....

[DocSavage]

7. Rumsfeld can only suggest

It is up to the Congress and the Base closure commission to make those final decisions. What bases are being closed, what are thier missions, are they redundant? Other than the military loosing favorite duty stations, closing bases as long as it as it is not affect readiness was never an issue to the military. In the long run, the militay saves money.

When I was on AD, the people that put up the biggest stink about base closures were the politicians. That is why the base closure commission was formed.

[charlie]

9. Yeah, it's a political football

and Rummy's taken point and running with it. There are few sights better than Republican governors and congressmen howling to protect their gov't pork. Dubya's already taking hits from conservatives over the explosion in federal spending. Now the rest will be caught in the crossfire between those same fiscal hawks and constituents who fear job losses. This could be a beautiful thing.