Common sense prevails

Heeding Obama's veto threat – and common sense – the Senate has voted to strip $1.75 billion from a $679.8 billion military spending bill that would have funded more F-22s – so-called fighter planes that cost $44,000 an hour, need 30 hours of maintenance for every hour in the air, and can't fly in the rain. Still, gung-ho right-wingers promptly proclaimed, "America is less safe now than it was an hour ago." Only $679.8 billion to go.

"If we can't get this right, what on earth can we get right?" Defense Secretary Robert Gates last week.

- Common Dreams