Defense secretary Panetta blasts defense budget cuts in visit to ship off California coast

FOXNEWS ^ | 03/31/12 | AP via FOX

[Doogle]

ABOARD THE USS PELELIU – Defense Secretary Leon Panetta told Marines and sailors on Friday that Congress would be irresponsible if it doesn't act to prevent drastic military budget cuts.

In a visit to this amphibious assault ship off the Southern California coast, he also said Afghanistan is making progress against the Taliban but Iran remains a potential threat to the U.S.

A budget agreement reached last August calls for defense cuts of $487 billion over a decade, a reflection of the drawdown of two wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and the pressure to reduce the nation's deficit.

The failure of Congress' so-called "supercommittee" to come up with at least $1.2 trillion in savings means automatic cuts of more than $1 trillion next January to defense and domestic programs.

Congress "did a stupid thing" in risking the $50 billion in reductions that would kick in next January, Panetta told hundreds of Marines and sailors.

"What they essentially did is put a gun to their heads and the heads of the country," he said.

[Doogle]

"What they essentially did is put a gun to their heads and the heads of the country,"

...YEAH, Dumbo and the rat "what budget?" group in the Senate didn't have anything to do with it

[Doogle]

ping

[hal ogen]

Uhhh...wait a second. Isn’t panetta part of the group (LIB/DIM idiots) who supported/created just what he is complaining about here? Pot meet kettle.

[EGPWS]

Congress "did a stupid thing" in risking the $50 billion in reductions that would kick in next January, Panetta told hundreds of Marines and sailors.

Lest we forget, we don't need a military any more, we have 0bama to talk trouble away.

[Doogle]

shuuusshhhh...let’s not make the obvious so obvious...

[Doogle]

Hey Leon, you going to make sure the military vote gets counted this November?

[Chode]

the Peace Dividend?

[Doogle]

always

[originalbuckeye]

But, but, but Obama cannot completely destroy this country if our Military remains strong. Just Panetta trying to cover his sorry a**. He is in Obama’s camp WHATEVER they do!

[celtic gal]

Not only that but he is talking out of both sided of his mouth again...He and his ilk want to change the military health care for active duty members, the dependents and retirees....once again break the contract that was promised to so many upon enlistment and remaining for 20 or more years.
Panetta, the commie lover, can go to hell.

[celtic gal]

And don’t for get there is the build up of 0bama’s civilian corps to be as strong as the military and those FEMA camps to be developed and staffed in all the states....we need the funds for that little caper.
America, open your eyes and ears and wake up!!!

[Doogle]

[DAC21]

Pinata is all but saying “lets soak the rich” some more.

[blueunicorn6]

Old Frequent-Flyer Leon......out there in California so he can just walk to his house and spend the weekend there. I’ll believe that Panetta cares about the military when he makes his home in D.C. and starts working on weekends. It must be nice to have a 9-5 war on Monday thru Friday. If the Secretary of Defense isn’t serious about winning the war, then what are we doing in Afghanistan? Panetta’s just another government freeloader.

[drypowder]

what are you going to believe; the actions of a lying politician or what the lying politician tells you?

[gogogodzilla]

Hey Doogle, do you actually believe that Leon is the one that counts the votes in November?!?

At least he's talking this issue up. Outside of him and Paul Ryan... not a single one of the f@#$tards in Washington have said word one about it.

Democrat... or Republican.

[Doogle]

....he’s the Defense secretary who’s spreading the blame now and deflecting where it belongs.....politically. The defense of the nation is important, it shouldn’t be an issue in an election year

[gogogodzilla]

Of course he's talking it up! He's the Defense Secretary. Not talking it up would mean that he's okay with the cuts; after all, silence on a matter is agreement on a matter.

And you want this issue to go away, ie: "shouldn’t be an issue in an election year"?!?

I thought conservatives supported the military and didn't want to see our troops shafted. Looks like I was wrong. Your message is to 'shut the f@#k up' and keep the untenable defense cuts.

[Doogle]

...he wasn't talking the last year about cuts, he's only talking it up NOW because the GOP has Congress and he remained silent while the country went without a budget for three years. It was just a matter of time
WASHINGTON | Mon Feb 13, 2012 12:30pm EST (Reuters) - President Barack Obama unveiled a 2013 defense budget on Monday that proposes cuts in Pentagon spending for the first time since 1998, slashing military personnel costs and weapons purchases as it trims $487 billion in projected outlays over the next decade. "This budget plan represents a historic shift to the future, recognizing that we are at a strategic point after a decade of war," Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said in a statement. "The plan is aligned to strategic priorities we have identified to keep America safe and maintain the strongest military in the world."

..he didn't seem to have a problem six weeks ago....now in front of our troops, blame Congress

[gogogodzilla]

He's been talking about it since before Congress’ supercommittee failed to make any budget cuts. That it was reckless to play games with the defense of the nation for something that was most likely going to fail.

He's been talking about it pretty regularly since then. It's only NOW that you noticed it.

And your advice is to just swallow the bilge, sacrifice our soldiers/sailor/airmen/marines, and STFU?!?

That's what I expect out of Obama, not a conservative.

And Paul Ryan's budget was the only peep I've heard from *ANYONE* in Congress about rectifying the problem.