Minor Musings

Your F-22 update… from the usual source:

Full Court Press: The Obama Administration is making a concerted push to derail Congressional plans to extend production of the F-22 Raptor beyond the Pentagon requested 187 aircraft. On Monday, as the full Senate began its deliberation of the 2010 defense policy bill, both the White House and the Pentagon sent letters to the chairman and ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, Sen. Carl Levin (D-Mich.) and Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz,), respectively, both of whom opposed the addition of extra F-22 money that sailed through the committee mark-up. President Barack Obama in his letter claimed he would veto any measure that includes more than 187 Raptors. Last week, Levin acknowledged the veto potential, but reportedly said he didn't think the President would act on the threat. (Obama letter) (Pentagon letter, signed by Robert Gates and Adm. Michael Mullen)

A Ghost of Vetoes Past: Now that Barack Obama has openly vowed to veto the defense bill to stop the F-22, one might ask: When was the last time a President defied a Congress run by his own party just to cancel one specific weapon? We don't know for sure, but it may have been Jimmy Carter in 1978. His target was a Nimitz-class aircraft carrier that the Navy wanted and Congress inserted into the bill over White House objections. Carter was determined to win, and wielded his veto. According to the Aug. 28, 1978 issue of Time, Carter "maintained that its huge cost would divert funds needed for the buildup of NATO forces." However, the story did not end there. Over the next year, the "carrier veto" became a potent club for Carter's political opponents, especially Ronald Reagan. When the Iran hostage crisis erupted, Carter put two aircraft carriers in the Gulf of Oman. By Spring 1980, Congress had put the same carrier into the budget and overwhelmingly approved it. This time, Carter signed. That carrier--CVN-71--is at sea today as USS Theodore Roosevelt. It was on station in the Indian Ocean on Sept. 11, 2001, and 26 days later launched the first US strikes against the forces of Al Qaeda in Afghanistan.

Hindsight is always 20/20, innit? That said, the Carter parallel is interesting as more than a few folks have opined we're currently enduring Jimmuh's second term. What remains to be seen… in this specific case… is whether the congress has enough votes to override The One's veto, if it should come down to that. "Interesting Times," as they say.

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Forget Tourette Syndrome… that is SO 20^th century… the video game generation is afflicted with First-Person Shooter Disease:

The good news: there are support groups available.

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Today's Pic: Red or Green? Evening sunlight on foliage as viewed during last night's after-dinner cognac whiskey and cigar event.