Sec of Def Robert Gates Lashes Out at Defense Budget

Wired wrote yesterday Gates: Future Jet Supporters are Risking Today’s Troops.

"At a speech today in Chicago, Secretary of Defense Robert Gates lashed out at members of Congress, at the ‘defense and aerospace industry,’ and at the ‘institutional military itself’ for trying to keep ultra-expensive, often-useless weapons programs in the Pentagon budget. It’s just not right, he said, while the country is fighting two wars in which such gear is clearly not required."

“If we can’t bring ourselves to make this tough but straightforward decision – reflecting the judgment of two very different presidents, two different secretaries of defense, two chairmen of the joint chiefs of staff, and the current Air Force Secretary and Chief of Staff, where do we draw the line? And if not now, when? If we can’t get this right – what on earth can we get right? It is time to draw the line on doing Defense business as usual. The President has drawn that line. And that red line with regard to a veto is real.”