Gates Jawbones Hill On War Spending

[Hissyspit]

Source: Associated Press

Gates jawbones Hill on war spending
By ROBERT BURNS and ANNE FLAHERTY, Associated Press Writers

WASHINGTON - Defense Secretary Robert Gates said Thursday that unless Congress passes funding for the Iraq war within days, he will direct the Army and Marine Corp. to begin developing plans to lay off employees and terminate contracts early next year.

- snip -

"There is a misperception that this department can continue funding our troops in the field for an indefinite period of time through accounting maneuvers, that we can shuffle money around the department. This is a serious misconception," Gates told reporters at the Pentagon.

As a result, he said that he is faced with the undesirable task of preparing to cease operations at Army bases by mid-February, and lay off about 100,000 defense department employees and an equal number of civilian contractors. A month later, he said, similar moves would have to be made by the Marines.

Some members of Congress believe the Pentagon can switch enough money to cover the war accounts, Gates said. But he added that he only has the flexibility to transfer about $3.7 billion — which is just one week's worth of war expenses. Lawmakers, he said, may not understand how complicated and restrictive the situation is. House Democrats said Thursday that the Pentagon may have to forgo a war spending bill this year because the lawmakers won't bankroll Iraq any further without tying the money to troop withdrawals.

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071115/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/us_iraq

[rodeodance]

1. ha ah--How stupid does he think congress IS? (well, some ARE)

[rodeodance]

2. strong words by leaders here.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., said Thursday that if Congress is unable to pass legislation setting a timetable on the war, which is the most likely scenario, it will probably drop the issue until next year. Until then, Democrats say the Pentagon can eat into its $471 billion annual budget.

"The days of a free lunch are over," said Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y.

[rodeodance]

29. words words. i need to see action. i will believe it when i see it

[eFriendly]

3. Mr. Gates...

In all honesty, I don't give a rat's ass about 100,000 (civilian) defense department employees' and an equal number of contractors' jobs. Go cry in your beer with someone who gives a damn.

NO MORE MONEY unless it is tied to troop withdrawals, bud!

[atreides1]

6. Gates is bluffing

He knows damn well that he can't lay off his civilian workforce, as well as some of the contractors. He's just trying to scare Congress into doing his masters bidding, without his master being directly involved.

Without the civilian employees, everything comes to a screeching halt, no more finance, no more deployment orders, no more equipment purchases, no more anything!!!

By the way I do give a damn about those civilians who Gates is holding as hostage, it's not their fault that Bush and his warmongering generals and political appointees love watching people die for no good reason, they will just become another group of victims just like the veterans and the families of the troops.

So lay off of the civilian workforce, they don't make policy, and just like you and me they have families to support and bills to pay!!!!

[Javaman]

4. If this wasn't the most pathetic argument ever, I don't know what is?

running out of money??????????

over half our nations budget goes to running the fucking military.

gates, a long time CIA, player, knows how to soft soak these dumb bastards. He's been doing it for years.

[nealmhughes]

5. Offer him minimum wage + $100 total only to his civvies.

Let Bush veto it. Then offer minimum wage +$99. Let Bush veto it again. Then repeat each time lowering it until Bush et al. get the message. But do the Democrats have 40 votes to stand tough? Prolly not.
This is about restoration of the 3 branches of the government, not one with a complacent judiciary and a rollover legislature.
Between Rumsfeld, Cheney and Bush, they have destroyed the US military. What have they accomplished beyond proving their ineptude at preserving life of innocents and our boys and gals? They are wondering why people are getting out of the Army and Marines and then committing suicide, becoming despondant over dead end jobs if they are lucky and nothing accomplished in Iraq save a new inept government --and the term "government" is used as loosely as one can imgaine, save in Kurdistan-- vice a functioning secular despotism. Hell, at least in Afghanistan they have the solace of the pipe, not so in Iraq. There is a reason why Turkey did not lament too loudly the loss of its Arab villayets after WW I. Hell, the remnants of the Porte probably would have been willing to have paid to take them off the Porte's hands and onto the LofN.
Then we have gents at Whitehall and on the Quay d'Orsay drawing lines on maps, importing soi-disant "royalty" from Mecca to compensate the Sharif of Mecca. . .
What is alarming is to consider the glories of old Tashkent, Baghdad and Samarkand et al. in the world of science, art an overall culture and then to what tribalism and sectarianism has wrought with colonialism as its evil assistant. At times we may tssk, tssk at the Middle East and Central Asia, but let us recall the West's own 100 and 40 and 80 Years Wars, Franks v. Saxons, Eastern Empire v. Normans, etc., etc., War of the Roses, and we see about 1500 years of unbroken warfare with short periods for occasional realignments and breathing room. Well, we didn't see too many Eastern forays into Europe during that time, save for late in Early Modern Times in the Balkans and Spain in the 800s.
Why don't we return the favor?

[BulletproofLandshark]

7. Sounds like extortion to me. n/t

[MasonJar]

8. Hey, Mr. Gates. just bring the troops home. There is no misconception.

since we want to stop funding the destruction of a sovereign nation, that is now a puppet nation, where women are once again chattel....that is if they are not already dead.

[Purveyor]

9. Sec. Gates: Army Bases Will Close Without Additional War Funding

Source: CSPAN / CNN

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Defense Secretary Robert Gates said Thursday the Pentagon would not be able to carry on normal operations by mid-February without additional war funding, creating "real consequences for this department and for our men and women in uniform."

But Democratic congressional leadership again declared that no additional funds will be available this year unless the president accepts restrictions that additional funds be used to withdraw troops from Iraq.

If additional war funding is not approved by Congress "the military would cease operations at all Army bases by mid-February of next year," Gates told reporters. Base closures could lead to the layoff of about 100,000 government employees and as many contractors, he said.

"Similar actions would follow for the Marine Corps about a month later," said Gates.


Read more: http://www.capitalnews.org/

---

Article title link: http://www.capitalnews.org/

Artical content link: http://www.cnn.com/2007/POLITICS/11/15/iraq.war.funding/index.html

I post both since CSPAN-1 is displaying the title I used for the post on their news crawler.

[cliss]

10. Well now..

There's an interesting way to end the Empirus Americanus.

[mallard]

27. some of might say ...

... that would be a good start.

The character role Gates is adopting reminds of the robot from Lost in Space flailing its arms and squeeling, "danger! danger!"*



* but the robot was more reliable

[rodeodance]

11. Bush sent his lapdog in. Cheney next

[saigon68]

26. Cant' wait to see the chief Gangster and draft dodger

Throw out the bone of how the dems "hate the troops" to the dead meat jayzus freak voters

Like this ass wipe was ever near a military base until he was elevated to his position as the behind the scenes amerikan president by the NeoCon 5 families

[JanusAscending]

12. GOOD !!

[Imalittleteapot]

13. Baloney n/t

[defendandprotect]

14. Bake sale!!! Bake sale!!!

[Mnemosyne]

16. Easier for them to - Blackmail! Blackmail!

Coming from Gates, it qualifies as an armed robbery; doesn't it?

Just keeping track. :evilgrin:

[dysfunctional press]

15. why don't they start with closing the bases in IRAQ???

nt.

[defendandprotect]

17. How about the Pentagon FINDING the missing $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ --- ??????

That would run a few wars for them ---

and buy Bush a new pony ---

[lebkuchen]

18. I'm a govt. employee on a military base

and if closing down bases will shut down the Iraq operation, then close 'em down!

I'll call my reps today and tell them.

[rodeodance]

28. at least it make them buzy for a while-

[MadMaddie]

19. He's full of shit...the bases have already been funded this

additional money is for more weapons, more boondogle projects with no oversite...yada..yada..yada...

Gates has shown his true colors and that he is a lapdog to this administration. Anyone surprised?

There should be a new saying...."Close American bases in the Middle East and Keep them open in the US"!

[Cobalt-60]

20. thats right

These people can lie as casually as we breathe.
I wonder what that's like.

[MadMaddie]

30. First you would have suffer catastropic damage to your

conscience and then you would have to surround yourself with sheep of th e same stripe....and then you might be able to pull it off.:sarcasm:

[anitar1]

21. So close 'em already.

They are lying as usual, anyhow.

[ClintonTyree]

22. So what?

So what if the monetary black hole known as the "Pentagon" has to learn to tighten their belts just like every other governmental agency? So what if a few thousand people (mostly war profiteers)) lose their jobs? Welcome to the REAL world, Gates! MILLIONS of Americans have lost their jobs during the "Bush economic miracle" and no one is standing in front of microphones screaming dire warnings about that!

Close a few bases. Cut back on weapons research. How many new ways do we actually NEED to kill people, anyway? Our old tried and true methods seems to be doing enough damage, thank you! Make the freaking Pentagon ACCOUNTABLE for their ever increasing budget. Now THERE'S a novel concept. :mad:

Fuck Gates. Fuck the military industrial complex and fuck George Bush and his war mania. It's high time THEY learned to "do without" for a while. :grr:

[grilled onions]

23. It's Always A Crisis(For them)

THEY might have to shut down,They might lose jobs, THEY might have to cut back. Poor Joe Six-Pack has been doing this ever since corporate 'merica has shifted jobs overseas,every utility screams for higher rates,the oil industry has taken us by the throat, and working benefits keep shrinking. Poor Joe has had to cut back,cut out until he has nothing left to give.But WE are supposed to feel THEIR pain?:nopity:

[Triana]

24. I call bu$hit! (n/t)

[ima_sinnic]

25. perfect!! do it already! the entire world will breathe a sigh of relief ...