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Us Navy / REUTERS
Capt. Greg McWherter, commanding officer for the flight demonstration squadron of the Blue Angels, leads a formation of F/A-18 Hornets during the Tuscaloosa Regional Air Show in Tuscaloosa, Ala., in this March 30, 2012 file photo.
With $85 billion in automatic cuts to the federal budget taking effect beginning Friday, millions of fans across the country will miss out on precision flying by the Navy's Blue Angels and the Air Force's Thunderbirds, military officials said.
Blue Angels shows scheduled in more than two dozen cities between April and September are expected to be canceled as part of the cuts, said the team's spokeswoman, Lt. Katie Kelly. The Navy intends to cancel the four shows in April -- in Tampa, Fla.; Corpus Christi, Texas; Vidalia, Ga.; and Beaufort, S.C. -- but hasn't made a decision about the rest of the year, hoping to salvage some of the season, a senior U.S. military official told NBC News.
Some shows featuring the Blue Angels already have been called off in the face of budget uncertainties.
The Thunderbirds entire 2013 season, beginning April 1, has been canceled, the Air Force said in a statement. The Air Force said that all aviation support for the public has been halted, including air shows, trade shows, flyovers and open houses.
The grounding would be a sentimental loss for fans but not as serious as other reductions to defense spending, which President Barack Obama said could threaten military readiness. The Defense Department said the cuts would slash ship and aircraft maintenance, curtail training and result in 22 days' unpaid leave for most of the Pentagon's 800,000 civilian employees.
For the Navy, programs such as the Blue Angels would take a back seat to "making sure ships are seaworthy and planes are airworthy for the war fighters who are operating overseas," said Lt. John Supple, spokesman for the Chief of Naval Air Training in Corpus Christi, Texas.
The news has saddened longtime fans, disappointed city leaders and sparked an online petition to the White House to save the Blue Angels' season. About 1,200 people had signed as of Thursday.
"They're an American icon, and they really resonate in a military town," said Ashton Hayward, mayor of Pensacola, Florida, home to the naval air station where the Blue Angels are based.
Stelios Varias / REUTERS
Members of the Blue Angels aerobatic team perform during the Andrews Air Show at Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland, in 2006.
Pensacola's Blue Angels beach show each July pumps an additional $2.5 million into the local economy, according to a 2012 study.
"People plan their annual family trips around the shows and the impact on business is phenomenal," Hayward said. "If the Blue Angels end, it's going to be a sad, sad day for not just us, but for millions of people all over the country."
Shows called off
Air shows scheduled for May at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base in North Carolina, and for June in Indianapolis, already have been canceled, organizers and U.S. Air Force officials announced in recent weeks.
The budget cuts will affect cities from Seattle to North Kingstown, Rhode Island, where the Rhode Island National Guard Air Show draws thousands of visitors to the small town each year.
The city's Quonset Air Base closed in the 1970s, but a sense of military pride still runs deep. Losing the Blue Angels would deal a huge blow for the show in late June, said Elizabeth Dolan, North Kingstown's town council president.
Related story: Obama warns against military spending cuts
"Everybody looks forward to when they come," she said. "They fly right up over my house, and it's amazing and emotional to watch."
The Blue Angels program began in 1946 and costs about $40 million a year. Cancelling the bulk of the performing season would save about $28 million, according to Navy officials.
Because of the timing of the cuts, the Angels will still perform in March at the El Centro Air Show in southern California and the Southernmost Air Spectacular show in Key West, Florida.
The 130-person team, which includes seven pilots, consists of members who have served in high-level tours in Iraq and Afghanistan. Should the budget cuts go into effect, the team would be reassigned until there is enough money for them to take to the skies again, Supple said.
Pilot Dave Tickle, a 32-year-old from Birmingham, Alabama, said he was inspired to become an expert naval pilot after watching Blue Angels performances during family vacations to Pensacola when he was a child. He is now a lieutenant commander in the Navy and the Blue Angels' lead solo pilot.
"I remember looking up at these shining blue and gold precision aircraft and thinking, 'I want to do that.' It gave me a feeling of amazement and pride," he said.
NBC News Chief Pentagon Correspondent Jim Miklaszewski and producer Courtney Kube contributed to this report.
Copyright 2013 Thomson Reuters. Click for restrictions.
Leave a Comment:
I like the blue angles. They are neat. But they are not really what they need to spend millions of dollars on every year.
By stopping the Blue Angles Obama will reduce the budge deficit by 0.004%. Good job and leadership by our president. I'm glad Obama saved the economy while not worrying about boondogles like the F-35 program costing over $1 trillion.
Or those billions he wasted on programs that were failures before they got started.
Good cut and save anywhere possible.
I would like to see D O T build a freeway without spending money to decorate it.
Art work on freeways is crazy.
I don't believe a word that comes out of Obama's mouth.
He lies all the time.
My favorite is when he said his policies would save American families $8,000 a year on Gasoline.
Or the Democrats pledge to allow a 48 hour public review and debate period before any vote.
They waited about an hour to vote on one yesterday. All for political posturing.
Ground Air Force One until our leaders pass a budget.
Something is better than nothing.... I guess...
Blutowski
Obama should do all of his traveling in a Prius.
Chevy Volt.
Smart Cart.
America's 5 largest expenses
819 billion............... Federal Pensions..............................Exempt
846 billion................Healthcare....................................... Exempt
451 billion.................Welfare............................................Exempt
300 billion..................Interest on the debt.........................Exempt
902 billion .................National defense................. Cut, SLASH, RIP and gouge
All Obama's idea.
Obama Care has done nothing to bring down healthcare costs.
The amount we spent on interest keeps growing.
More people keep getting added to Welfare.
Welfare is untouchable but isn't Obama being cruel in taking away the lunches of senior citizens.
Why is anything untouchable?
It is time to make some pain full cuts or the whole House of Cards could collapse.
I favor reducing every single Federal Pension by 10%.
That would save us nearly 90 Billion a year.
Those pensions are pretty fat. They could easily get by on 90%
Oh Oh. Parody Fisty and they will have you banned within the hour.
Her friends are already emailing Tyler to slap you down.
Why not just slash Federal spending by 50%. It will hurt, but so does stopping most addictions.
Blutowski, please feel free to stuff a sock in it. Do you have any idea of how someone earns a "federal pension"? Do you know that it also includes military pensions? You can't arbitrarily separate one from the other as that would be both illegal and impossible. You describe these items as though they were all authorized under the President's watchful eye but they have been brewing for 60+ years. How would you like to be a member of the military or federal worker and to be told that you are not able to get a raise but they will increase your benefits instead (to include retirement benefits)? These are what has led to where the pensions are today, long ago the workers and military had to deal with substandard pay (for the majority unlike some sweetheart deals that only politicians and City Managers seem to get) and in their place they received fairly good pensions and retirement benefits if they rode out their time. Now people like you want to change the rules for them (Me included as a member of the military) and revoke these benefits without any sacrifice of your own and you expect us to roll over and take it again?
President Obama is not clean in this fight anymore than the guy who passed out Tobacco lobbyists checks on the House floor (John Boehner for you noobs and republicans apologists). We need an entire sweep of the Congress to get people in there that are willing to work together and understand the true meaning of sacrifice. Bitching about Obama as though he created this whole mess is both ludicrous and stupid. When Reagan got in office, it started the false promise of "trickle down" economics and prosperity and all the middle class got was Gordon Gecko'd in the process, stagnant wages, deflated pensions and increased costs on everything for the sake of propping up the wealthiest Americans at the expense of everyone else. grow up and do your part and I will continue to do mine.
Finally, the Sequester was an idea that was so bizarre and grotesque when proposed that it was believed by the administration that neither side was foolish or crazy enough to proceed down that path of mandatory cuts with no way to negotiate them in. Apparently just like the rest of the middle class, the President was also proven wrong that the rest of the people that we elected to represent our interests and constituents actually cared about the people of their desires. So long as we elect greedy and selfish politicians that lie to our face and do the complete opposite when handed big money from special interest, then we will have the worst government that money can buy.
So, what's your point?
The Sequester was Obama's idea. You think it is Bizarre and Grotesque?
It would be foolish and crazy to go down that path.
Well, that is exactly where GREAT LEADER took us.
Half of the cuts will be on military spending.
That's O K, they are bloated. But those aren't enough cuts.
Obama says the National Drug Intelligence center could loose 2 million out of their 20 million dollar budget.
They were dissolved last June and do not even exist anymore.
FANTASTIC!! Few things are more worthless that stupid jet jockeys wasting huge amounts of money and fuel doing pointless display flying. What a great place to start. Then put those pilots back to work doing actual USEFUL work somewhere. Or lay them off.
Then let's get to work grounding the F22 and F35. More useless PORK programs that no one actually needs.
Bring at least 2/3 of the submarines back to port.
This is fun!!
Hey Blutowski the reregister.
You're obviously getting paid by the post..
Are you paying royalties for the use of that image?
Congress still needs to pass a budget at the end of the month. Good luck!
Pakistan will keep it's U.S.A funded nuclear program..
Cut foreign aid.
The Republicans are spending a lot of money right now trying to convince people that they are not responsible for the sequester.
The Republicans wrote the legislation and voted for it, then said no no no to any reasonable solution that would have averted it. The responsibility for this lies squarely upon Republican shoulders.
If I hand you a noose and you decide to put it around your neck, tighten it up, stand on a table, tie it off tightly and jump, whose responsibility is the result?
The cuts that are coming are exactly like what happens when schools run out of money...they cut all the programs that will have the greatest emotional impact.....this is just more knee jerk tactics from a congress that doesn't give a damn about anything ...EXCEPT getting re-elected!!
To Blutarski & pals on this thread reminds me of the schoolyard bully who taunts and taunts with prods and punch's and then when the afflicted retaliates immediately screams out "he did it" and that party gets punished while the bully smirks and gets away with it.
Truly amazing how the principal offenders who have caused this mess because of their HATRED of the President seemingly get a free pass.
Lots of blame for the President, but it seems to me the budget is Congress's responsibility. Yes, the President has been vocal about it, but why hasn't Congress come up with an appropriate budget and spending plan? It seems they are all acting like little kids not playing well together. I don't mind paying a bit more in taxes, IF we cut some of the subsidies to oil companies and any other company that has more than, say $5 million in net profits.
Hey Congress if you don't know where to start here's some suggestions to start with:
* Increase everyone's income taxes .05% across the board (just to be fair).
* Stop subsidies to companies with a net profit of $5M. Companies who have a net profit between $2.5M and $5M, will see a reduction of 50% in their subsidies.
* Create a better Fraud Waste and Abuse audit process for ALL departments. Anyone who defrauds the government for less than $250K a year has to pay back EVERY penny. Anyone who defrauds the government in excess of $250K must pay it back plus another $250K fine AND spend one year in prison.
* Reduce foreign aid by 10% across the board.
* Do not reduce spending for education or safety unless there is fraud (see above for that problem).
These few things will provide a balanced approach AND should make both democrats and republicans miserable.
Get off your freaking partisan platforms and DO YOUR JOB!!!!
Renewable energy subsidies...............................16 billion
Natural gas, coal and oil subsidies.......................2 and a half billion. We gave more than that to the Muslim Brotherhood last year.
Cut all of it.
Loose?
This is exactly what we need, prioritization. Air shows have to go when you are borrowing 35 cents of every dollar spent. This is an anomaly , however , as the administration will not have a rational policy of cutting spending on the lowest priority items, like seminars , or art work in offices. Instead their intention is to cut the most important programs in order to punish the public so they will put pressure on to fund everything, even $500 toilet seats.
If we had rational leaders with the best interest of the American public in mind , they could easily reduce expenditures by 2.3% by eliminating the least vital of them. After all , working Americans have had a 2% cut in their income this year when the government again began to fully collect social security contributions. They have coped and the sky has not fallen; the government can do the same if they have the will.
It isn't the administration that determines which things will be cut. The cut is a percentage of the budget and it is up to the military to determine where those cuts are best made. Air shows may be a nice bit of advertising, but they don't actually contribute to our defensive posture. So they would be the first to be cut. One of the posters said that school districts always cut the things that gets the most emotional reaction. Well, I've been a school board trustee, and if I have to choose between football and advanced math, I will fund advanced math. Football is great, but the primary function of the school is to educate, and providing textbooks, teachers and classes is something that must be done. It comes ahead of football and bus service.
But you can be sure that not one penny will be cut from foreign aid.
stop sending billions to other countries, every year, and we will have plenty here...the hard working people in this country are suffering...the blue angels, and thunderbirds, is one of the most wonderful examples of talent we have in this country...there is not much more in life that gives the excitement in watching these masters of the sky.....what a shame!!!! I do hope they reconsider!!!
Boehner is bad at his job. Congress has failed to pass a solution to the sequestration.
The sequester was Obama's Idea...why are you blaming Boehner ?
in case you did not hear the news..we are broke !
Because he believes the best bull @!$%#ter in the world. Obama
Obama has not shown up yet to do his job, He just likes to place blame for what HE did. Then that antic turned around on him and pimp slapped him and he acted hurt and surprised.
You did know that Congress is both the House and the Senate, right?
I think it is laughable that Boehner controls Obama and Reid. Thank God!!
The GOP House sent three bills to the Senate and Reid failed to act upon them.
Folks, this is what happens whne you hire a kid with a bad mommy complex to be the president of the United States. He is an incompetent boob as is the rest of the Democrats.
I am GLAD the the sequestration will happen? We need many more like this but much larger. One way or another, Obama will be brought to heel and spending will be cut. This one is just a drop in the bucket...but it is a start.
Ground Air Force One until our leaders pass a budget.
The sequester was Boehner's and the lunatic TP's fault. Obama offered them a Grand Bargain, that actually would have brought down the deficit, but they refused it, and like the unamerican terrorists they are, they threatened to sabotage the economy by refusing to raise the debt ceiling. President Obama had no other choice than to approve the sequester, that was also approved by Boehner and a few of the sane Republicans.
Well, damn it. It looks like they passed the BUSH SEQUESTOR.
Damn Rush and Fox did it to us again.
Bring on the CUTS! We have all had to do without, in our own budgets, since Obama has been President. If we can't cut 2% out of a TRILLION dollar budget, then we are doomed. It is insane. We waste 39 billion dollars a year, according to the CBO. Why doesn't OBAMA try to find out WHERE that money is going? You SHEEPLE who think that Obama has AMERICAS best interests at heart, are clueless. This govt. is TOOOOOOO BIG! Pass a a budget Mr. President and Harry Reid.....we desperately need one.
LibJus,
The president engineered the sequester. He shot himself in the derriere. He said he would veto any bill that tried to kick the sequester down the road. This is a leader?
He may be losing it. NO GUNS FOR OBAMA!!!!!!!
Obama 2012...the House has passed TWO budgets. They send them to dirty HARRY REID and he shelves them. Keep drinking the Kool Aid, Obama Sheeples. When are you going to hold this President responsible for ANYTHING?
America's Death Spiral
These 11 States now have More People on Welfare than they do Employed
Last month, the Senate Budget Committee reported that in fiscal year 2011, between food stamps, housing support, child care, Medicaid and other benefits, the average U.S. household below the poverty line received $168.00 a day in government support. What’s the problem with that much support? Well, the median household income in America is just over $50,000, which averages out to $137.13 a day. To put it another way, being on welfare now pays the equivalent of $30.00 an hour for a 40-hour week, while the average job pays $25.00 an hour.
We were broke every year of Bush's presidency. Bush's last budget for fiscal year 2009 brought debt under his budgets to 12.1 trillion. Have you been asleep the last 12 years?
The house has an overwhelming republican majority and every budget they send to the senate has no chance of passing. If democrats were a majority in the house they could pass a budget and send to the senate requiring everyone making 1 million a year a 95% tax rate. Would you call senate republicans obstructionists for blocking it? The sheep are the right wing republicans who keep using the same old talking points thinking they're changing opinions. How'd that work for you last election?
Good. These air show teams are useless.
The Blue Angels are awesomely talented pilots and put on an excellent show. Having said that, they are also TOTALLY unnecessary. Great place to cut $. They can start charging cities for their performing, if they'd like to continue.
It is a start. Non essential programs should all be cut. Govermenent should not be intended to finance these fly boys, even though they are very talented at what they do. Any other program along these lines need to go also. Fund raisers, sales and private donations should be the only way that frivilous wants should be financed. In my field of work we have random UA's (piss tests) so that I can have the privelage to earn a paycheck. Welfare is a great thing, if not abused. Welfare needs to be used as a hand up, not a hand out. UA tests should be performed when you apply for these benefits. Also random tests when on this program. Mandatory work services should also be attached too. Get the recipients into state parks, federal parks and other locations to earn what they receive by working with both skills they have and a chance to learn new skills too. This approach will have many benefits. Reduce cost to government, provide these people skills to acquire jobs and pride in the knowledge that they arent bumps on a log. I have been on welfare, food stamps and ebt. I used the services as a hand up. Since than I have paid all this back through my taxes. I am happy to help my fellow man, but he also has to have the attitude that he wants to better himself. Sorry, I shall get down from my soap box. Republicans and Democrats need to pull together. Make major cuts, prioritize our nations needs and stop spending money on frivolous wants. Cut thier wages by 20%, a flat tax with no loop holes and stop trying to take guns from law abiding citizens! lol, Im done now......
NASA should be cut completely. Let the "Job Creators" run the space program and the government can focus on the problems back here on earth and more specifically, here in the USA.
Time to also close our military bases in Europe, Korea, and Japan. If those governments want our troops to "protect" them, they should pay the bill and we ought to make a little profit too.
David where do you think that NASA spends its money? On Mars? considering how we are screwing this planet up some day we may need to be able to leave it and go somewhere else. I am also pretty sure that most of NASA's equipment doesn't have made in China stamped on it. Unlike 99% of what you bought at Walmart last week. We need to force companies to make things here in the USA instead of worrying about making 24% profit per year instead of only 18% if there merchandise was american made.
If they are so awsome put there butts back out on a carrier and make earn the big bucks they were paid to do.....Its what they signed up for......no sympathy....
Their isn't a plane nor a ship that is capable of holding any ground all they can do is deny use of an area for a limited time.so maybe they should decrease the amount of these things.
Let's pick the most visible, least essential things to cut first! Never mind we've had the Blue Angles before when military spending was much less.
Obama said the world will end, and it is. Seniors not getting lunches, kids not getting their shots, the Blue Angles won't fly. Its armagedeon just like Obama and the Democrats and NBC new promised. Maybe Obama should close the interstates as well to save money?
Let's cut out Air Force One, the Marine helicopter, Camp David, and start charging rent for the White House. Oh - and let Obama pay for the bodyguards that go with him and his family wherever they are.
Ground Air Force One until our leaders pass a budget.
Finally somebody used common sense. Stop all non essential programs, those must be the first to go! Oh, and the article is a bit misleading about the 22 days of unpaid leave DoD civilians are taking. It amounts to one day a week for 22 weeks, not 22 days in a row. Many of the civilians I work with are actually looking forward to 3 day weekends so they can spend more time with their families. They have already done the math and, unlike our own government, have started to adjust their spending to absorb the 20% pay loss they will experience.
Is Congress going to take a 20% pay cut? I doubt it.
I think Congress should have taken a 60% pay cut, and that is generous, considering they sure didn't work 40% of the time either.
Congresspeople should earn minimum wage (plus all their perks,) maybe they'll realize that people working 40 hours a week and living below the defined "poverty level" sucks.
Sorry Blue Angels, we all appreciate your service and the show but when times are hard we cant waste our tax dollars for a "Show"
maybe some rich democrat will pay for your fuel till the 16 Trillion dollar debt gets under control..
They'll save $40 million a year. They only have to cut $79.96 billion more to go! Obama what a great decision you made, we're well on our way to balancing the budget by ending the Blue Angles.
Goodbye you useless and overpriced flight performance teams.
As for flying Obama needs to ground his plane except for business only... And ground the plane that his wife uses also!!!
The problem is those that whine the most about the debt scream the loudest when anyone suggests cutting anything. Raise taxes on the rich. It'll only raise 80 billion, not worth doing. Cut 40 million on the Blue Angels won;t do squat.......Wah. There's no single cut that will make the tiniest difference in the deficit. It'll take thousands of small cuts.
We have to start somewhere.
I think they should ground Air force one at the same time , in fact , I think we should sell the plane to a country that can afford it . Well on second thought , we should get a President that deserves it in 2016
The cuts are not cuts at all but reductions in the projected increases. So instead of the projected +3% increase, the budget will only be increased by about 1.6%. To put into perspective. If we spent a $1.00 last year, we were plan on spending $1.04 next year and now we are only going to spend $1.02! Sorry, I don't see the problem?!
Democrats will continue to spend money that we don't have on entertainment rather than save so we can all enjoy a future. How can goverment spend more than what they have . . . if I do it I am in bankruptcy.
Public TV sucks . . .
Obama loves the Big Bird . . . sorry. Somebody wake this guy up!!!
What's your opinion of the NASCAR tax exemption pushed through by the Repubelickin Party in the compromise deal that saw the payroll tax increase costing me $45 a week?
I hate it.
I also hate how much fuel Nascar wastes. It's comparable to Obama's personal vacation jet.
I feel Obama must show some integrity and sacrifice himself. He is the CiC for our military. He MUST stop playing golf and re-distribute the money to the Dept. of Education. The First lady must stop her travels and vacations and put the money into education. The Obama children must leave the expensive, very select and private school they are attending and switch to a public school in the Washington D.C. school system. I like it. Whadda think?
Sounds GREAT to me!
If the Obamas are paying for their girls' tuition,as they are, then they can damned well send them to any school they choose.
mabbaby,No more money for public education.Any increase the schools get are spent on administrators and their services.We have two teachers in the family and the money does not go to where it is needed.
i think u r clueless.
Big waste of US tax dollars anyway, Its just a show to prove to the people how powerful and skilled our Airforce and Navy is. If you wish to prove that, prove in in real combat. We don't need the waste of fuel and pollution it brings anyway,
Robert,
You ever in the military? Fought in a war?
The Blue Angels and Thunderbirds were created to be a recruiting tool. Only a fool would join to hear loud noises.
The Blue Angels are a huge waste of money anyway
that black a$$ will be the down fall of this country get him out of the white house nowalso his wife with the big a$$
I bet you have 20 or 30 guns, at least one AR-15, and a few thousands rounds of ammo all ready for teh big push, don'tcha. what a sick fool and a joke you are allan
Are there 618,738 other ragtops on Newsvine?
ragtop,
Easy son. Try to stay on topic.
i dont care if the blue angels ever fly what a waste of money when we have starving poor people in our country
Where are the starving poor.....they get all the food they want from the governments food stamps.
Why are you people blaming Obama? The republicans are the ones refusing to compromise so that discretion can be used as to what to cut! You people are so used to the republican spin that you can't see the forest for the trees!! take off your blinders and look and listen to real common sense for a change, and forget the right wing spin on everything!!!
Robert
The IRS has a site where anyone can contribute above-and-beyond their current tax bill. Be my guest and put your money where you mouth is (since, apparently, you don't feel we have a "spending problem")! If it wasn't for Boehner and Co. we'd be $25,000,000,000,000 in debt by now. The Left, once they run out of "other people's money" have no programs to offer as they exist solely on the value proposition of "Free Stuff Courtesy of Your Kids and Grandkids").
Robert you are 1 of the many sheep that do not or will not see the truth!!!!
Robert,
Nonsense. The GOP gave him his tax increases. Obama set himself up for this thinking he could force the GOP in the House to give in. The House sent three bills to the Senate and nada happened. Seems he screwed himself and us.
You have listened to Obama and the left for so long that you think what they say is gold. Tax and spend can't go on. Obama did this to himself. I love it!!!!
MORE SEQUESTRATION!!!!!!!
Robert: We've had years to exercise discretion. Washington has shown, time and time again, that it is simply unable to make the "hard choices" needed to restore some measure of fiscal discipline. The sequester, as imperfect as it may be, is at least a lurching, staggering step in the right direction. Unfortunately, it is probably too much to expect it to be implemented in good faith, so I would expect more hand-wringing and public pronouncements of doom in the near future.
Robert Wood,Obama made a deal with the Republicans and now he is trying to back out of that deal.They aren't really cutting enough spending from the budget.If they did we would be out of debt in two years tops and nobody,except the welfare recipients and some over bloated government departments,would notice the cuts.If you think that we should keep spending then maybe Greece,Spain or Italy would be more to your liking as a country in which to reside.
think ill go out and get a big bottle wine and a redhead
As I understand, Fisty red head is in the Chicago area, be careful there,dangerous.
And the only people who are losing out on the Blue Angels being grounded is you, the public. Those pilots don't give a crap! They'll go back to a ship or base and fly all they want! And in more TOP GUN fashion too! The navy has always been able to get along with less when belt tightening measures were called for. This won't be the first time and it sure won't be the last either! Civilians whine, we Navy types improvise and make do, but we get the job done, second to none! :)))
This is not against the Blue Angels.
The president did this; the old "gold watch" ploy. Choose something high profile so that everyone will say, "Oh no, not that!" Did not work this time. Obama was pimp slapped by himself.
They have got to go for entitlements and giveaways for LOTS of money to be saved.
Won any "wars" lately?
They will go back to a regular unit and probably fly four to ten hours a month, unless they go to Afghanistan.
And it isn't just the Blue Angels, the Air Force Thunderbirds team is being grounded also.
dave,
Fought in any wars lately? Ever?
Hey mabbaby. I see the navy is the branch of choice for homosexuals now. Belt tightening? Yeah. How about another billion dollar floating palace.
The president and the Senate chose what is to be cut if their bluff failed. Looks like this one backfired on the Boy Blunder. I love it!!!!!
Sequestration is GREAT!!!!! Let the cuts begin! We just need a LOT more of them. Bigger, as well.
YES, bring the cuts on, big ones. When the sky actually falls I will worry, well a little.
Typical government. They always cut the high-profile stuff first and then plead poverty. They'll never cut the back-room stuff where they might actually make some efficiency gains. Always where it is the most visible.
If we are cutting the budget by 2.4%, why can't the Blue Angels just fly 2.4% fewer performances next year? Only in Washington do we have to kill a whole popular program to scare the public into accepting more debt or more taxes instead of spreading the cuts and making government more efficient as a whole.
Our government is utterly corrupt. If Obama had any leadership qualities, he'd start with cuts in the Executive Office of the President as an example to the other agencies.
It's time to cut all nonessential items...............................
NBC like other news agencies are spreading the lies of Obama every where.....
A little over a 2% cut will not do all the things that Obama said and the news has said and will say!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
richard,
It will hurt the things he said if he chose them to get the cut. It is his choice what is cut.
Wrong, President Obama did not fall for the GOP line of you pick and chose. The rules of the Sequester are set in the agreement.
I’ll believe sequestration is a problem when I hear Obama announce that some ATF jobs have been cut. Resulting in the elimination of background checks for gun purchases, and all record keeping for gun and ammo sales. Until then these are selective cuts by Obama to SCARE and Anger the public. Doing all he knows how to do; stir resentment and anger, learned as a community organizer back in Chicago.
Nail hit dead center for sure!!!!
Babs9991,Same scare tactic as Napolitano releasing illegal immigrants from holding for trial instead of deporting them.She said she had to release these people due to not having enough money to run her department.She and Obama are teaming up to lie in order to scare the American public.
so?
So..he screwed himself and us and can't take the responsibility for it.
This is not a leader, this is a bad joke.
Now we are seeing the real Obama: the impotent, incapable, socialist talking head. Placing blame upon others for failure he engineered and that fell back on himself is not being a leader.
He could not lead is own party when the Dems had the WH and both chambers of Congress in 2009 - 2010. Why do liberals think that, all of a sudden, he can lead now?
Obama is STILL not qualified to be president.