Secretary Gates has been saying this for days now, but many Democrats assumed he was bluffing. Guess what?

The military plans to furlough civilian employees and cut all Army and Marine Corps bases to bare-bones operations early next year because of a funding impasse with Congress, according to a memo provided to Politico.

Democratic leaders accused the Bush administration of using scare tactics, and said they will not be strong-armed into giving the White House a blank check on the war…

The plan would leave “bases … all but shut down, only able to provide the most basic safety and security measures for those who reside there,” Pentagon press secretary Geoff Morrell said at a briefing Tuesday afternoon.

“The most immediate impact will be felt next month, just before Christmas, in fact, when we’ll begin notifying roughly 200,000 civilians and contractors that we can no longer afford their services; and that, absent additional funding, they will be furloughed, or temporarily laid off, within a matter of weeks,” Morrell said.

“It is imperative that lawmakers reconsider this matter as soon as possible and send the president supplemental funding legislation, free from objectionable policy provisions, in order to insure that we can continue to support our troops and their families, as well as protect our nation’s security.”

With any luck, those in Democratic districts will be hit first. Then, Democrats can explain to their constituents why they’re out of a job before Christmas, so that Democrats can play political games with defense funding. I wonder how much they’ll continue “accus(ing) the Bush administration of using scare tactics”, when people begin getting their notices and bases begin going to bare-bones operations.

As even The New York Times, AFP, and just about the rest of the world notices an improving situation in Iraq, Congressional Democrats decide now is the time to withhold funding unless they get the U.S. into absolute and immediate surrender.

Traitors.

Via Hot Air.

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