US to cut carrier fleet in Persian Gulf to 1

Military SequestrationThank you, Mr Obama, for this obvious political gift. Our sequestration.

From YahooNews.com:

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Pentagon is cutting its aircraft carrier presence in the Persian Gulf region from two carriers to one, the Defense Department said Wednesday, in a move that represents one of the most significant effects of budget cuts on the U.S. military presence overseas. The decision comes as Washington struggles to find a way to avoid sharp automatic spending cuts set to strike the Pentagon and domestic programs next month.

Defense Secretary Leon Panetta has approved keeping just one carrier in the Persian Gulf region. The U.S. has maintained two aircraft carrier groups in the Gulf for most of the last two years.

Panetta has been leading a campaign to replace the automatic cuts he warns would “hollow out” the military, and the Pentagon has been providing greater details on the cuts it would have to make if Congress fails to both replace them and agree on a 2013 defense budget bill. The carrier decision is one of the most significant announcements made thus far.

Go here and here and here for more information.

But, naturally, as the rest of America and its military are cut to the bone via Mr Obama’s sequestration, let us take joy and pride in the fact that Joe Biden, our efficient and intellectual vice president, has received a pay hike.

President Barack Obama issued an executive order to end the pay freeze on federal employees, in effect giving some federal workers a raise. One federal worker now to receive a pay increase is Vice President Joe Biden.

 According to disclosure forms, Biden made a cool $225,521 last year. After the pay increase, he’ll now make $231,900 per year.

Also on the list for a pay bump are all of the Senators, House members, John Boehner, majority and minority leaders in both chambers and all the members of the Supreme Court.  They — frankly — got “theirs.”

But, in consideration, perhaps it’s time to realize that the Middle East isn’t any kind of “hot spot” and that, in truth, its delicacy is only offered up by those who wish to exploit global politics over the national good.

Because the Middle East is the last place the United States could expect immediate and serious trouble, is it not?

Frankly, I think it’s time to insert a few US carrier groups off the Canadian coasts.  Because any country who would quantify their coins as either a Loonie or a Toonie.  .  .

BZ

For those interested, an historical list of our US aircraft carriers:

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Boehner’s Plan B

Kabuki TheatreJohn Boehner is going to get the GOP to violate their pledge to not raise taxes, via his Plan B.  The DEM/MSM is already portraying Beoehner as having “conceded” on Wednesday.

Boehner will let the Demorats have their way, and then call it a victory.  I quantify it via one word only: capitulation.

George HW Bush broke his word to the taxpayers in 1988, in re “read my lips: no new taxes.”  And it ended his tenure.  Bang.

Yes, the Republicans cannot block tax increases.  But apparently they may sign off on Obama’s will to cut another $100 BILLION dollars from defense.  That is insanity personified — if for no other reason than because of the profligate manner in which Obama himself is applying our American military in numerous theaters around the planet.

And none — none — of the Republicans apparently have the huevos to publicly stand against Boehner and stand on a refusal to increase taxes.  With a singular exception: I listened to Marco Rubio speak on Hannity’s show indicating so.

Hugh Hewitt and his callers excoriated Plan B.  He wrote on Wednesday:

Plan B raises taxes.

A yes vote on Plan B violates the pledge many if not all GOP candidates took, and convoiuted logic won’t change that and Grover’s pardon won’t matter.

After the routine violations of the “Pledge to America” of 2010, GOP credibility is in tatters.

MSM will begin every story on taxes for the next two years with “The GOP once before broke its pledge not to raise taxes, so…”

Plan B cuts defense by $100 billion.

Plan B won’t pass the Senate.

So why exactly did this get pushed forward, without consultation with the Senate leadership and without any chance for the GOP base to weigh in?  At what point does GOP leadership figure out the “representative” part of their job?

This is a huge, indeed potentially catastrophic mistake, and the Speaker ought to withdraw the plan and send everyone home with a vow to make any tax cuts in the new year retroactive.  We will go over the president’s cliff, but the GOP will have some credibility left and may yet remember that the party of Reagan defends the military that defends us and, crucially, doesn’t raise taxes.

Thank you Hugh.  Precisely.

The Fed has already said it will print a TRILLION dollars next year.  Inflation is going to hit, in 2013, in a way and manner that harkens back to 1980 — where I was paying 12% for a home loan with a minimum of 20% down, and vehicle loans hovered around 20% to 25% or more.  Or worse.  Much worse.

Recognize this: HALF of the people in the US don’t have a mortgage, so the elimination of the mortgage deduction means nothing to the bulk of the Free Cheese electorate.  But what might you then conclude about the already-poor health of the housing market if this deduction is eliminated?

Boehner is not taking this crisis seriously.  Obama is not taking this crisis seriously.  No one in Congress is taking this crisis seriously.

Let me state things as bluntly as possible: these assholes have no skin in the game and play, cavalierly, with your “skin.”  That is because Congress does and has historically exempted itself from the bulk of the bills it passes — plus —  by the time each individual has reached DC they have a sufficient layer of fiscal scams and insularity as to guarantee their continued profit but upon retirement.  There is always another high-paying job awaiting for Congress Critters because that is their nature and their history and their linkage.

Congress simply has no skin in the game.  And they are not held to answer save “censure” or harsh language or perhaps a bit of sarcasm or temporary embarrassment via some red cheeks.

This is generational theft.  This is immoral.  It borders on actual evil because it is planned and plotted and designed and calculated to the Nth degree.

Make no mistake: on both sides of the aisle.

It’s all Kabuki Theater at this point.

BZ

 

 

 

Goodbye to the USS Enterprise, CVN 65 — the Big E

It is the first nuclear powered aircraft carrier in US history — and that of the world, as well.

 

The USS Enterprise has now completed its 25th and final deployment as a major integral portion of our Blue Water navy.  It pulled into its home port of Naval Station Norfolk, VA, on Sunday, November 4th.

Her decommissioning is part and parcel of Mr Obama’s overall military sequestration, and will assist in taking our navy down to base numbers not seen since 1918.

Some things I really shouldn’t be telling you: because of her large number of nuclear reactors, the USS Enterprise was one of the fastest ships in all of US history. Former captains used to “drag race” the ship against other smaller, lighter ships.  And win.

It was rumored that the Enterprise could actually keep up with the fastest submarine in global history, the Russian Alfa class — itself rumored to occasionally exceed 50 mph (76 kph) submerged (47 mph “officially”).  I wouldn’t know anything about this.  But perhaps I might.  Or not.

Of this there is no doubt: the USS Enterprise was the fastest ship in any CG (carrier group) assembled.  It would customarily have to slow down for the other ships in its assigned group.  She could easily outrun her escorts.

The USS Enterprise has now returned from its final deployment: at age 51.

A few notations, if I may, about the USS Enterprise:

– At 1,123 feet, the Big E is the longest naval vessel on the planet.
– She has a crew of 4,600 personnel.
– She was the only ship of her class.
– She is the second-oldest commissioned ship in the entire US Navy, after the USS Constitution.
– There were 6 of the class planned; only one was built.
– She is the only carrier to have 8 reactors instead of the current 2.
– She has 4 rudders, twice as many as current carriers.

A note of interest: In April 1983, USS Enterprise ran aground on a sandbar in San Francisco Bay while returning from deployment.  She remained stuck there for several hours.[25] Coincidentally, George Takei, who played Mr. Sulu, helmsman of the fictional starship Enterprise was aboard at the time as a Distinguished Visitor of the Navy.[26] Even though groundings and collisions are usually career-ending events for U.S. warship captains, the captain at the time, Cmdr Robert J. Kelly, who had already been selected for promotion to commodore, eventually became a four-star admiral and commander in chief of the U.S. Pacific Fleet.[27]

The USS Enterprise is scheduled to be deactivated on December 1st of 2012.[13]

The USS Enterprise was a challenge.  Sailors either loved or hated her.  Many fell into the latter category.  Because of her age as the sole class, there were no so-called “replacement parts.”   Many of these critical parts had to be, by necessity, fabricated from scratch and then custom-fitted by personnel who were challenged to fulfill the demand.

The USS Enterprise will be the first nuclear-powered aircraft carrier to ever be decommissioned and its reactors scrammed, deadened, removed and transported away from her final resting place.

Her place?  As a potential museum — despite the staggering and completely unanticipated costs of nuclear decommissioning?  For such a major task?  Truthfully, as yet accurately uncalculated.

Heritage?  A petition has also been set up for the next carrier (CVN-80) to be named as the ninth USS Enterprise.[51]

The name, may, in fact — live on.

Such as this:

God bless the Big E, all her officers and crew.

May she return anew.

BZ

 

 

Obama: stopping the military from voting!

From FoxNews.com:

Requests from military voters for absentee ballots have dropped significantly since 2008, according to newly released statistics, prompting claims that the Department of Defense is dragging its feet in enacting a law meant to boost military voting. 

The drop in the battleground states of Virginia and Ohio is among the most pronounced. According to statistics released Monday by The Military Voter Protection Project, the number of absentee ballot requests by both military members and other overseas voters in the two states has dropped 70 percent since 2008.   

Imagine: military absentee ballot requests down since 2008.  Let’s think about that for a moment — oh yeah.  That’s when Barack Hussein Obama came to town!

Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, said the numbers mark a “serious failure” by the Pentagon. 

“This is an unacceptable failure by Pentagon leaders to comply with the law and ensure our service members and their families are able to exercise one of the most fundamental rights for which they sacrifice every day,” he said in a statement. 

As Hugh Hewitt wrote: if it’s not close, they can’t cheat.

And the Demorats are cheating as never before.

Ladies and gentlemen: you cannot afford to “stay home” in November, as many Republicans did in 2008.

BZ