The E-2D Advanced Hawkeye

It’s commonly accepted that the definition of “pork” in a legislative budget is any spending that benefits somebody else’s constituents. But never has pork been so elevated and hypocrisy so exalted as in U.S. Rep. John Mica’s (R-Fla.) vow to save one plane in the Navy’s E-2D advanced Hawkeye fleet.

Remember, Mica recently voted with every other Republican representative to reject the economic stimulus plan, protesting such profligate spending.

With a significant portion of the proposed economic stimulus package directed to job creation through infrastructure projects, our efforts continue to keep the measure from being a spending free-for-all…Having been disappointed with both bailout measures, I believe my vote in opposition was appropriate.

The E-2D, with its huge radar disk, is a familiar site in the skies above my home town. Manufactured by Northrup Grumman at its St. Augustine facility and others, the plane is “able to pick those elusive flying targets out of a background of rough terrain and urban sprawl, a far different mission than the overwater detection capability of earlier Navy airborne early-warning and control (AEW&C) aircraft.” It’s also built in Mica’s district. And Mica loves the smell of pork, as long as it’s his own.

Mica said there may be a chance to restore funding tucked somewhere in the Omnibus Spending Bill, scheduled to be heard March 1.

“(But) there’s almost nothing in the $820 billion Economic Stimulus Bill devoted to shoring up our military,” he said. “We’re going to try and save the jobs. Until the (Omnibus Bill) goes to Obama’s desk, we’re not giving up.”

Instead of acknowledging that he is soliciting funding “tucked somewhere” for a pet project, in true partisan fashion Mica took a shot at Obama.

Mica…said the new Obama administration “does not appear to be defense-oriented. We’re not going to give up the fight, but right now it’s an uphill battle.”

I hate to confuse a Republican with the facts but the plan to cut one E-2D was put in place under Bush.

The sea service included the cuts in its FY-08 long-term budget, which was submitted to the Office of the Secretary of Defense [in August, 2006]. This proposed budget is being kept under wraps because it has not been finalized. The changes are relative to the Bush administration’s FY-07 long-term budget, which looks ahead five years and was submitted to Congress in February [2006].

At the time Mica made his comments, the only thing Obama had a chance to do yet to show he’s not “defense-oriented” was be a Democrat. That doesn’t stop Mica from not only painting the president as soft on defense but from making himself out to be a selfless crusader in the process. In fact, he’s a Republican hack who votes in lockstep with the GOP and tries to pass off partisanship as honor. It’s not.