60 MINUTES - PAY ATTENTION THIS TIME

Pelley: You and Senator Obama propose cutting taxes in different ways. But in the last few days the federal deficit broke all records.

McCain: Yes.

Pelley: It's now $400 billion that the federal government is in the red. Is it smart to cut taxes for anyone in this economic emergency with that kind of a deficit?

McCain: Well, number one, Scott, the worst thing you could do is raise taxes on anybody. And I don't know which iteration we are talking about of Senator Obama's. He's had four or five different positions on which taxes he would increase, which ones he wouldn't. I think the major point here is that spending got out of control. How many Americans know that the size of government increased by 40 percent in the last seven years? We Republicans for six of the eight years presided over the greatest increase in government since the Great Society. Republicans came to power to change Washington. And Washington changed us.

Pelley: But how do you cut the budget?

McCain: Oh, easy. Look

Pelley: That much.

McCain: Look, if you were able to increase the budget and the size of government by 40 percent, don't you think you could cut some of it?

Pelley: What are you gonna cut?

McCain: I think we'll frankly, you can eliminate so many agencies of government that are outmoded. Obviously I would scrub defense spending. Obviously we would look at every institution of government. I would stop these protectionist tariffs. I would stop subsidizing sugar.

Pelley: Did I just hear you say you’re gonna cut the defense budget?

McCain: I think there's areas in defense where we can save a lot of money in cost over runs.

The rest of the 60 Minutes broadcast is available HERE.

THE SURGE IS WORKING?

today

al-Qaida yesterday

WASHINGTON (AFP) — US Congressional leaders rushed to tackle Saturday an unprecedented 700-billion-dollar plan to rescue the financial sector from the worst crisis since the Great Depression.

...if the fiscal fascists get their way, with the total transfer of Congressional powers (the few that still remain) to the Executive Branch and the total transfer of public funds into corporate (via government as intermediary) hands. - HuffPo

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THE GATES GATE

Today on The Young Turks, Michael Hirsh spoke of Seymour Hersh from the New Yorker Magazine and his latest predictions on the likelihood of strikes against Iran.  The audio segment can be heard here.

During the interview Hirsh discusses the role of Secretary of Defense Robert Gates.  It wasn't that long ago when many on the left including myself had serious doubts about Roberts ability to maintain objectivity.  While Defense Secretary Gates has long and controversial ties with various Bush administrations, some now look at him as the man who stands in the way of war with Iran.

I only began looking at Robert as a voice of reason when I heard of Admiral Fallon's description of General Petraeus as an Ass Kissing Chicken Shit.  I asked myself how Admiral Fallon got his post at CENTCOM and learned that it was Robert who installed him in that post.  So I say give Robert Gates space.

Michael Hirsh is the first to confirm to me that Gates and Cheney are the opposing voices pulling George into the future.  How can we help Robert?

Today Navy Adm. Mike Mullen is scheduled to replace Marine Gen. Peter Pace.  He is already on record as saying the military is over stretched.  Robert Gates also nominated Adm. Mullen as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.  Let's watch and hope that reason triumphs over greed.  Could the Gates gate be in his choice of nominations?