THE GREAT COMMITMENT TO OUR NATIONAL DEFENSE – AT 8:25 A.M. ET:  The Dems are talking tough about terrorism, at least this week, but they were prepared to cut the guts out of a major anti-terror unit...before the Christmas bomber struck.  From The Atlantic:

The highly touted intelligence fusion center at the heart of the nation's counterterrorism establishment was preparing for deep budget cuts across 2010, senior intelligence officials said. According to one official, who asked not to be identified because intelligence budget matters are classified, the administration and Congress slashed the budget for the National Counterterrorism Center by at least $25 million. Those affected, the official said, included employees responsible for maintaining the Terrorist Identities Datamart Environment (TIDE) system, which contains the list of about 550,000 known or suspected terrorists.

Who needs it, when you can give the money to ACORN?

Both the Director of National Intelligence, Adm. Dennis Blair, and the head of the NCTC, Mike Leiter, pressed to have the funding restored well before the Christmas Day attack exposed potential problems.

"Without question, recent events will cause those proposals to be re-considered," an intelligence official said.

The funds will probably be restored, for appearances' sake.  But the planned cut reflects the Democratic Party's true attitude toward counterterrorism.  The party's base just doesn't care.  They're interested in their social programs and in taking care of their interest groups.  This was once a great party.  Harry Truman must be spinning.

January 6, 2009