From The New York Times:When the Obama administration outlined its plans to cut big weapons programs, some of the military industry’s allies in Congress assumed, as they have in the past, that they would have the final say.
But over the last week, the White House has prodded Congressional leaders to strip several billion dollars’ worth of extra equipment out of a wartime spending bill.
Experts say that effort suggests that President Obama should be able to reshape the Pentagon’s spending practices.
The developments have shaken up the industry. In the past, military contractors have routinely beaten back attempts to cancel weapons programs by lobbying Congress. But Mr. Obama’s popularity and the financial crisis are changing this well-choreographed dance. The White House is trying to demonstrate that when the president says no, he means it.
“It’s the best possible moment politically to exercise this kind of budget discipline,” said Gordon Adams, a professor at American University in Washington who closely monitors military spending.
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My Comment: I wish the White House's mindset on military spending was also applied to all other Government programs .... but I know that I am hoping for too much.