Ashton Carter actually said...

A nickel and dime approach to defense, as you say, is not the right one. We need a longer horizon than that.

I ask Congress to support the entirety of this budget and end the deep, indiscriminate cuts that sequestration will impose.

you need to tell people that they cannot look at the difficulties we have... and conclude that America is eclipsed or losing its power.

The big influencer, if there is anything that will influence Russian behavior, is the combination of economic sanctions and the fall in oil ...