Okay, I thought I was being a bit too tin foil here but…

The DLC home of LIEberman coming out and telling the Dems not to fight base closings has now sealed my doubts… yeah right…it’s for the soldiers.

  1. Pentagon announced plan to close bases
  2. Bush annouces a plan to turn “abandoned” bases into oil refineries and nuclear power plants but there is a problem because No new U.S. oil refineries have been built since the 1970s, mostly because of the lengthy process to obtain environmental permits from state regulators and opposition from local communities.
  3. So the only obstacle to turn the military complexes into oil refineries and nuclear power plants is the environmental problems… This week: the Pentagon is asking Congress again this year to loosen major environmental laws to allow military training exercises around the country to proceed unimpeded. Military officials say the requested changes, which could be approved this week as part of the defense authorization bill for 2006
  4. Now the DLC weighs in…
There’s no question that communities with bases taking big “hits” in these recommendations will mobilize congressional allies to oppose them. And the BRAC process will give them every opportunity to make their case: in the four previous rounds, the BRAC made significant changes in the Pentagon recommendations based on extensive and intensive public hearings. There’s no reason to think the current BRAC will do otherwise.

But we strongly urge critics of the Bush administration’s overall national security strategy — among whom we count ourselves — to avoid the temptation to turn the BRAC into a symbolic fight over unrelated issues. We share the concerns of most Democrats about the administration’s deplorable failure to deploy enough troops to perform the missions we have given them without a “back-door draft” involving extended tours of duty and excessive reliance on Guard and Reserve units, and about its parallel failure to support military personnel and their families. But more and better-supported troops do not require more redundant bases, and indeed, the savings that BRAC could produce will help make it possible to meet the armed forces’ actual needs.

My Prediction:

The vote Frist is waiting for is not who is pro and con the Filibuster… Frist is waiting for this vote: Military officials say the requested changes, which could be approved this week as part of the defense authorization bill for 2006, are essential to preserve the quality of training and to avoid lawsuits over possible violations of statutes that govern air, water and waste.

If this has been approved then Frist has all the ammunition he needs to Nuke the Filibuster because he will have an unlimited resource to bribe the Senate. And since the DLC are already eager for the base closings I am assuming this vote has passed already under our noses.

and… LIEberman the slime bucket is going to get paid.