Obama and Defense Spending

If you read the newspapers and the web you will find all sorts of advice for the incoming Obama Administration on defense spending. Some as in this story in the Fort Worth Star Telegram are stressing continuing large procurement programs to keep people employed. Others as in this column in the New York Times want him to reduce and make the defense budget ore efficient. The key player of course is Congress. Will they allow the Administration to reduce spending on projects that they feel is key to their districts? Will Obama be able to reign in earmarks like he obviously wants if reports like this are to be believed? All Federal budgets are compromises between the President and Congress so unless Congress gets on board there will be earmarks in the budget. Also how much political capital does Obama have to cut the defense budget when the war in Afghanistan and Iraq continue? He has promised to expand the effort in Afghanistan and that may take more money. So there is obviously nothing set in stone about what the new President can or wants to do.