Jim Inhofe: “some of my colleagues who have been complaining about the liberal eastern media should be aware that there are similar…”

“some of my colleagues who have been complaining about the liberal eastern media should be aware that there are similar problems and concerns reflected in the local media in the very heartland of America. As we approach a vote on the missile defense provisions of the defense bill which have been worked out among our colleagues on both sides of the aisle, I want to commend Senators for their good-faith efforts to reach a compromise on this very complex and contentious issue. I supported the wording of the original bill that came out of the committee as a good start which recognized the threat and put us on the road to providing the real missile defense we need. While I will vote in favor of the new compromise provisions, I am not pleased with the weakening of language and goals that this compromise represents. I am very hopeful that the language can be significantly strengthened when we get to conference. We started out saying that we would deploy a national missile defense system. Now we are just going to develop for deployment a national missile defense. This compromise urges deployment of theater missile defenses to benefit our deployed troops and allies, but only allows a missile defense for the American people to be developed for deployment. We began by simply calling for highly effective missile defenses; we have now required that they be affordable missile defenses. No one wants to waste money. But how will affordability be defined?…”