RE: [CPEO-MEF] the Pentagon exemption attempt

[pparks@igc.org]

Re: the Pentagon exemption attempt.  
What a sad day for Republicans.  If I recall, it was under the last 
Republican administration that the Federal Facilities Compliance Act was 
passed (and I do believe Mr. Cheney was Secretary of Defense at the 
time).  John Hamre, the DoD Comptroller when we spoke about devolvement 
on May 1, 1996, said to me, "that was a Republican initiative."  I 
parried that it was bipartisan and he ought to know better, but 
devolvement pushed through anyway.  So there is plenty of 
finger-pointing to go around if one wants to waste their time doing so. 
What is extraordinary to me is that this Administration would want to 
burn political capital on this issue if it  has plenty of more expensive 
moribund weapons systems and platforms they admit they don't need.  
Maybe somebody on the Hill ought to remind them that next year is the 
off year; this is an election year.  I realize Tip O'Neill was a 
Democrat, but it really is true that all politics is local and one thing 
that many Republicans across the country will tell you, they see their 
party as one that has historically supported conservation.  But I guess 
hubris is a disease that has no party affiliation.  

Polly Parks