THE RUSSIAN THREAT - AT 3:51 P.M. ET:  From AP: 

MOSCOW -- Russia said that new submarines will be armed with improved nuclear-tipped cruise missiles, a state-connected news agency reported Friday.

The new hypersonic cruise missiles with increased range are designed to strike "aircraft carriers of the potential enemy if they pose a direct threat to Russia's security," the ministry said, according to ITAR-Tass. It said the missiles are also capable of hitting land targets.

COMMENT:  I wonder what "potential enemy" they're talking about.  Do you have any doubts?  This comes at a time when liberals in Congress are demanding that we cut our defense budget substantially to make way for their "programs."  They will probably tell us that if we cut our own budget we'll appear less "provocative" to the Russians.

At the same time, we knife our East European allies in the back, essentially offering to cancel missile defense for Eastern Europe if the Russians will only help us a little bit with Iran.

March 27, 2009