TPM: Hunkering Down For a Fight

[City Lights]

Hunkering Down For a Fight
11.17.08 -- 8:54AM
By David Kurtz

The military-GOP complex won't go quietly into the night:

The uniformed services are trying to lock in the next administration by creating a political cost for holding the line on defense spending. Conservative groups are hoping to ramp up defense spending as a tool to limit options for a Democratic Congress and president to pass new, and potentially costly, social programs, including health care reform.

They also like the idea of creating an unrealistically high baseline of expectations for defense spending that will allow them to claim President Obama has cut defense spending. ...

There are so many things wrong with this emerging process that it is hard to address the issue concisely. Promoting overspending on defense in order to forestall popular social spending is undemocratic - it creates a false tension between national security and other public policy goals.

The informal alliance between the services and conservative think tanks threatens to further politicize the military. The abuse of national security arguments to win political arguments is both morally suspect and threatens the security of the nation by delinking strategic assessment from public policy.

Ultimately, the most dangerous aspect of this development is the threat posed to civil-military relations. We went through a similar process eight years ago, and the results were painful and unsatisfactory.

http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/244647.php

[Jennicut]

1. This iscrazy, playing politics with our future

The military has to learn that excess crap will be cut from eveywhere if its not working.

[Mist]

6. I've always thought that since it's our money, the defense contractors' books

on how the money's spent should be open to the public. Once you're a gov't contractor, the rules about
private business expenditures shouldn't apply. Once you're a contractor, you're a "public business."

[groovedaddy]

2. Nothing short of amazing what the "war on terra" has done to this country.

Who PROFITS from this?

[City Lights]

5. A few interesting links:

http://www.militaryindustrialcomplex.com/

About MIC.com:

MilitaryIndustrialComplex.com has been collecting publicly-reported US Department of Defense contract information since October 30, 2006. This website is a continued culmination of that collection and seeks to keep the general populace informed about their government's military spending practices when concerning tax payer contributions to the defense of our nation. Information presented on this site is only as accurate as the sources they reflect. Values are updated whenever possible and when the information is made public and available by the US Department of Defense on a Monday-thru-Friday basis, excluding federal holidays in the United States.

http://www.militaryindustrialcomplex.com/companies.asp

Corporations and Associated Contracts per the US DoD
Contracts grouped by company name.

Recent Contracts:

Defense Contracts Listing for 11/14/2008

Arranged by Contract Total Descending.

Principle Contractor: DynCorp International
Date Reported: 11/14/2008
Branch of Service: Army

Contract Details:
DynCorp International, Forth Worth, Texas, was awarded on Nov. 12, 2008, a $11,178,448 firm fixed fee contract. DynCorp International LLC shall assist the Kuwait Air Force in achieving its aircraft operational rate of 75 precent through the implementation of a Maintenance Augmentation Team (MAT). The MAT members will be selected by the contractor based upon their technical qualifications and their suitability for effectively working in an overseas assignment to Kuwait. Work will be performed in Kuwait, with an estimated completion date of Dec. 31, 2011. One bid was solicited and one bid was received. U.S. Army & Aviation Command, Redstone Arsenal, Ala., is the contracting activity (W58RGZ-09-C-0060).

Total Contract Value: $11,178,448

Principle Contractor: Design Net Engineering
Date Reported: 11/14/2008
Branch of Service: Air Force

Contract Details:
Design Net Engineering, Lakewood Colo., is being awarded a cost plus fixed fee contract for $10,712,284. This action will systematically look at each of the spacecraft subsystems and technology development in plug-and-play compatibility and utility, as well as improving robustness to radiation. At this time $100,000 has been obligated. Det 8 AFRL/RVKS, Kirtland Air Force Base, N.M., is the contracting activity (FA9453-09-C-0312).

Total Contract Value: $10,712,284

Principle Contractor: Raytheon Company
Date Reported: 11/14/2008
Branch of Service: Air Force

Contract Details:
Raytheon Co., McKinney, Texas, is being awarded a firm fixed price contract not to exceed $8,068,000. This action will provide 4 Multi-Spectral Targeting Systems Model B (MTS-B), whole spares and containers to support GWOT requirements for the Predator/Reaper Program. At this time $1,315,084 has been obligated. 703rd Aeronautical Systems Group, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, is the contracting activity (FA8620-06-G-4041).

Total Contract Value: $8,068,000

Principle Contractor: Libration Systems Management
Date Reported: 11/14/2008
Branch of Service: Air Force

Contract Details:
Libration Systems Management, Albuquerque, N.M., is being awarded a cost plus fixed fee contract for $6,334,438. This action will advance the state of the air in critical bus components in design, and integration and test of operationally responsive space. At this time $150,000 has been obligated. Det 8 AFRL/RVKS, Kirtland N.M., is the contracting activity (FA9453-09-C-0311).

Total Contract Value: $6,334,438

Principle Contractor: Hawker Beechcraft Corporation
Date Reported: 11/14/2008
Branch of Service: Air Force

Contract Details:
The Air Force is modifying a firm fixed price and time and material contract with Hawker Beechcraft Corp., Wichita, Kan., for $5,789,000. This action will exercise an option for services to include Program Office Support, sustaining engineering, data updates, material and other direct costs. At this time no funds have been obligated. 727th ACSG/PKA, Tinker Air Force Base, Okla., is the contracting activity (F33657-99-C-0017, Modification P00086).

Total Contract Value: $5,789,000

http://www.militaryindustrialcomplex.com/datespec.asp?dateAwarded=11/14/2008

edited to add more detail

[ej510]

3. Republicans hate america. They wish we were run by a dictatorship, and they were the

dictator.

[ej510]

4. Neocon lobbyist and their firms. Halliburtons, Bechtels, and Blackwaters.