Good afternoon . .
Had some problems with Internet Explorer and Blogspot this morning. IE is just being IE, but Blogger's recovery feature is still not working. Some great information may have been lost.
Today the Pentagon released it list of bases set for realignment and closure. 33 major bases and dozens of small bases were on the 28-page list. Most notable among the closures is Ellsworth Air Force Base in South Dakota. Ellsworth was a major player during the Cold War and holds a large portion of the Air Force's B-1 bomber fleet.
Senator John Thune (R-SD) says that the reasoning for the closure of Ellsworth is just "flat wrong."
The list of base closures and realignment is smaller than originally planned. Estimates on the reduction were between 20 and 25 percent. On Thursday Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld announced the recommendation would only be between 10 and 15 percent. The reasons for the change include using military assets instead of outside vendors plus the return to the US of about 70 thousand troops from Europe.
The list also contains a number of National Guard facilities slated for closure. Earlier this week a group of Congressmen and governors said the Pentagon does not have the authority to close National Guard bases. Under an obscure federal law, only the governor of a state can close a Guard facility. This will make the upcoming public hearings more interesting.
What happens now. The Base Realignment and Closure Commission (BRAC) will begin a series of public hearings to discuss the closures and to hear from interested parties. It is likely that members of Congress will be highly visible at these hearings. In early September will submit to President Bush an "all or nothing" list of bases to be realigned or closed. The President is required to accept or reject the entire list. If he accepts, the list will go to Congress.
Congress has 45 days to act on the bill to realign and close basis. If Congress fails to act, the bill would become law after the 45 day period. If the President or Congress rejects the lost, the process could continue into next year. With the current mood on Capitol Hill it is likely the process will take much longer.
The last round of base closings was in 1995.
CNN.com - List of bases recommended for closure - May 13, 2005
Pentagon Plans to Close 33 Major Bases - Yahoo! News
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A failure of leadership by Republicans on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee has Democrats in high-spirits. On Thursday, the committee voted along part lines to send the nomination of John Bolton as ambassador to the UN to the full Senate. The vote, however, send the nomination without a recommendation.
Sen. George Voinivich played Brutus as he lashed out a Bolton during an out-of-turn speech. Voinivich said Bolton would be "fired" at any major corporation. Senator, I have worked for many "bad" bosses. None of them were ever fired. You are living in a dream world.
Voinivich's speech has encouraged Senate Democrats to go after other weak links in the Republican armor. With Voinivich voting against the nomination, Democrats need only 5 more Republicans who have doubts about a "straight shooter" at the UN. Other Republicans who may defect to the Democrats include John McCain (R-AZ) and Lincoln Chaffee (R-RI).
To give the Democrats more time to "pick off" more Republicans, Senate attack-dog Barbara Boxer (D-CA) has put a hold on the Bolton nomination. A hold usually signals an opportunity to negotiate or to kill a nomination.
The weakness of the Republicans on the Bolton nomination will give the Democrats more power than they have earned or deserve. It shows that much of the Senate leadership is weak and not able to support the president's agenda or nominees. Perhaps, Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist needs to have a "realignment" of leadership roles and find senators that are not afraid of the minority Democrats.
Dems Aim to Exploit GOP Wariness of Bolton - Yahoo! News
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A federal judge in Nebraska has thrown a constitutional amendment that bans same-sex marriage.
US District Court Judge Joseph Battaillon ruked Thursday the ban "goes far beyond merely defining marriage as between a man an a woman."
The judge said the "broad proscriptions could also interfere with or prevent arrangements between potential adoptive or foster parents and children, related persons living together, and people sharing custody of children as well as gay individuals."
Forty states have laws banning same-sex marriage, but Nebraska's law went further, prohibiting same-sex couples from enjoying legal protections available to heterosexual couples. For example, gays and lesbians who work for the University of Nebraska could not share heath insurance and other benefits with their partners.
State Attorney General Jon Bruning said he will appeal the ruling.
In 2000 more than 70 percent of Nebraskans voted for the amendment to define marriage as a union between one man and one woman.
The challenge was filed by the Lamba Legal Group and the ACLU's Gay and Lesbian Project.
U.S. Judge Rejects Neb. Gay-Marriage Ban - Yahoo! News
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Pope Benedict XVI said he will put his predecessor Pope John Paul II on the "fast track" to sainthood.
The Pope announced he has changed the rules to remove the five-year waiting period after a candidate's death to begin the process. The only other time the rules were changed were for Mother Theresa. She began the process toward sainthood a year after her death.
Pope puts John Paul on fast track to sainthood - Yahoo! News
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Unless events warrant, more on Monday. Have a great weekend.
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