McCain hot on Gates; Webb, not so much

TPM:

Defense Secretary Robert Gates proposed a major overhaul of the Pentagon budget and defense arsenals today--a move that will no doubt displease many, many members of Congress, whose districts benefit from some expensive Defense Department procurements. According to Robert Farley, if Gates gets his way we'll see:

1. No more F-22s.
2. Replacement Air Force bomber delayed indefinitely.
3. Ballistic missile defense funding leans toward the Navy.
4. Aircraft carrier acquisition slowed, with the fleet eventually dropping to 10 carriers.
5. Next generation cruiser (CGX) delayed indefinitely.
6. VH-71 Presidential helicopter dead.
7. No more than three DDG-1000, and maybe only one.
8. Future Combat Systems funding slashed.

The savings from these programs would be funneled into such efforts as enlarging the military's special operations forces and increasing intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance support (Predator drones, turbo-prop aircraft, etc.) with $2 billion in additional funds.

The move has at least one powerful friend: Sen. John McCain, ranking member on the Senate Armed Services committee. "I strongly support Secretary Gates' decision to restructure a number of major defense programs," McCain said, "It has long been necessary to shift spending away from weapon systems plagued by scheduling and cost overruns to ones that strike the correct balance between the needs of our deployed forces and the requirements for meeting the emerging threats of tomorrow."

Webb represents Virginia, which benefits immensely from lucrative defense contracts, but he's also a considered politician and his position will carry some heft.