Is Obama really giving the "bomb" to the Pentagon?

[undergroundpanther]

Bomb Plants Could Shift to Control of Pentagon


The Obama administration is considering whether to shift the management of nuclear weapons production to the Pentagon from the Energy Department, a step that would end more than 60 years of civilian control over nuclear bomb manufacture.


A frequent critic of the department, Danielle Brian, executive director of the Project on Government Oversight, said that if transferred, the weapons laboratories would be “even less transparent than they are now” with regard to environmental and security problems. And many lawmakers interested in the weapons program would oppose the change, Ms. Brian said, because it would mean that oversight would shift from their committees to the Armed Services Committees.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/07/washington/07nuke.html?_r=1&ref=us


The Military is the biggest polluter and it's pollutants are barely regulated. WTF is Obama THINKING??!!

[crimsonblue]

1. Maybe this is the compromise Obama is going to make

for his push towards non-proliferation.

[robinlynne]

3. huh?

[Cid_B]

2. This is the important sentence

"And many lawmakers interested in the weapons program would oppose the change, Ms. Brian said, because it would mean that oversight would shift from their committees to the Armed Services Committees."


Politician minus possible loss of power equals complaints.

[tan guera]

4. I don't think we should underestimate

Obama's desire to compromise which means sometimes giving away too much. And to the wrong people.

[FrenchieCat]

5. I don't think we should underestimate Pres. Obama

Period...which is what you are doing.

[Davis_X_Machina]

6. The AEC"s, and then the DoE's control

...of these programs were never more than facades, anyways. When you have only one customer, you're not an independent actor.

Especially in the case of the DoE, this charade enabled part of the Pentagon's budget to be borne by another department, making Defense spending appear lower than it actually is.