Washington liberals are pushing both the Congress and the White House to gut national defense spending to levels not seen since the end of the Cold War. Even while the same liberals oppose any attempts to reform welfare, they want the United States to make itself more vulnerable in the face of growing danger.

Ignoring growing threats from Iran (pursuing a nuclear weapons program), North Korea (currently possessing nuclear weapons), China (expanding its military influence in the Pacific), and Al Qaeda (seeking retaliation for the killing of Bin Laden), anti-defense liberals see gutting defense as an alternative to reforming entitlement programs.

Congressman Barney Frank (D-MA) wants to gut defense to the tune of $1 trillion. The Center for American Progress (funded by lefty financier George Soros) agrees. Even President Obama — who has launched a third war with Libya — wants $400 billion in cuts.

And yet ask any of these individuals about reforming welfare programs. Or cutting appropriations to the United Nations. It’s very unlikely that they’ll be favorable towards those proposals. Funding for unelected bureaucrats at the UN? Okay! Funding for our troops? Gut it!

Nobody ever likes spending large amounts of money on national defense…until we need the military to kick some terrorist’s ass or retaliate for an attack launched against our homeland. Then everyone admires the technical and strategic capabilities of our military — capabilities we possess thanks to defense spending.

Now is the time to reform never-ending welfare programs — not the time to weaken ourselves in the face of threats from Iran, North Korea, and China. Republicans — and pro-defense Democrats — must resist these irresponsible demands from liberal activists.