Will the Dems now cut "defense" spending and shrink the

[Hardrada]

Pentagon? I think they should so we can enjoy some kind of Peace Dividend once we are out of Iraq. End War Profiteering!

[Actionman]

1. will be on high alert for awhile

need to keep military strong and ready... bush really screwed things for us around the world and over extended the military. and there is something we must pay china for brokering bush's secret deal with n. korea

[Coexist]

2. doubt it.

Rummy gutted and abused our military for 5 years.

We need to rebuild it and revive it.

[Hardrada]

3. Well, I guess that answers that.

Guess we'll have to keep on protesting at the SOA and so on no matter who's in power.

[lefthandedskyhook]

4. You need not protest if...

...war profiteering is ended, bloated & useless programs like Star Wars are stopped, and aggressive foreign policy is turned into real diplomacy. If these things are done it will eventually save big money on defense. More importantly, the entire world will become more peaceful if renewable energy is given a real chance.

[Anarcho-Socialist]

5. Getting rid of pork barrel should bring some major savings

[Ganja Ninja]

6. We're going to have to spend billions just to replace & repair ...

all the equipment that we've run into the ground during this war. I don't see any way around that.

[SmokingJacket]

7. We'd save a TON of money if we just stopped LOSING TRACK

of billions of dollars, as we have been.

[KharmaTrain]

8. Priority One: Take Inventory

We have no clue what's really inside that Defense budget. First we look at the overall budget for this ugly war and then closely scrutinize the "off the books" emergency supplimentals. First thing to go are the No Bid contracts with an eye to eventually cut back on the contractors and force them to be far more accountable. Second, a review of the current status of our military preparedness...restoring cuts to veterans, improving health care and assuring the military what they need to fight (body armor, up-armored Humvees and other important items to help the forces survive in the morass they're in until we figure out how to get them out. Then, there needs to reform where the military is no longer a money dispenser to contributors. Right there, we'll save billions and also help the military in their existing mess.

The Democrats have a unique opportunity to grab the military vote in '08 if they become the protector of the "fighting man" vs. the largess of the contractors and civilian Pentagon hacks. Restoring benefits and helping military families past and present will go a long way in showing that we not only care about a strong defense, but in the people who provide that defense. Also, when the time comes that we do leave Iraq, we don't get sucked into the Vietnam game of "who lost the war". We know who lost it, so does the military...Democrats have a great chance to expand their new middle ground standing in ways that will neutralize the chickenhawks and reward the biggest victims of the boooosh regime: the man and woman in uniform.

Sadly there is no "peace"...thus we have no dividend. Cutting off funding to the war completely will give the Repugnicans an opening they don't deserve and lets them escape their culpability in the destruction of our military and security.

I suspect we're going to get some very unpleasant surprises once Democrats and American learn about all the shady dealings that went on between the Repugnicans and their cronies to run a war for profit.

[Hardrada]

11. I think this is a sensible reply. The troops and families should

be seen as victims of Bushco policies.

[Toots]

9. They damn well better....

If they don't what the hell good are they?

[MiniMe]

10. Until we are out of Iraq it will be difficult to stop the bleeding

They don't even include the Iraq war in the budget, something I am hoping the dems put a stop to. However, they can put a lid on the earmarks and porkbarrel spending.