Never let it be said that President Obama lacks political instincts. When his "deficit reduction panel" outlined planned cuts to Pentagon purchasing this week, he made darn sure the news came out on Wednesday -- rather than yesterday, Veterans Day.
Otherwise, his panel might have made headlines for suggesting that the Pentagon axe the V-22 Osprey, and cut one-third of Textron's
The President's panel proposed a wholesale reduction in Pentagon hardware spending, destined to deprive BAE, Navistar
Schadenfreude, Inc.
Ah, well. If anyone can get the job done, sans equipment, it's the Marines. Plus, the proposed cuts aren't set in stone just yet. We'll keep you updated on how this plays out. Meanwhile, there are a couple of winners we should highlight on the Pentagon funding front.
First up, the folks in Congress do recognize that if they kill the Osprey, they'll still need to find some way to get Marines to the fight. Thus, the deficit panel suggests a few United Technologies
The other a big winner: Boeing
As plans for F-35 purchases ratchet back, we may instead buy more Lockheed F-16s, and Boeing F/A-18 variants, for some time to come. If nothing else, it's about time Boeing investors got some good news.
What do you say? Are defense spending cuts essential, or irresponsible? Scroll down, and sound off.