I really feel safer with Bush in office. Really! Part Two!

Remember that boondoogle of a missile defense system that could only pass a test if it was rigged? It's baaaaack. Bush is trying to put the system online before the elections (gee, I wonder why), but it's so riddled with problems that even the military is urging caution.

A congressional audit recently found that the system is largely unproved and its technical challenges "remain significant." A senior Pentagon official told Congress last week that one of the missile shield's key satellite systems will cost more and take longer to get into orbit than planned. A day later, 49 retired U.S. military generals and admirals, including William Crowe, former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, urged President Bush to delay building the system until the bugs are worked out. Among other things, no one knows whether the system will work at night or in bad weather.

Bush wants to blow $10.2b on this next year, but where could that money go?

The retired generals would rather see it spent securing the nation's nuclear weapons and materials and protecting ports and borders against terrorists armed with unconventional weapons.

For one thing, securing the ports makes a lot of sense since a problem-riddled missile defense system would be hard pressed to stop a nuclear warhead somebody floated into one of our ports. And you can chalk that one up under the big ole "Duh!" column generally used for common sense, something which alludes der monkey again and again. But since Bush wants the missile defense system in place by November, expect him to use it in the campaign, lie to us about it, and say it's another plank in the war on terrorism. Also expect the right wing press to parrot whatever he says like it's the gospel, claiming that Democrats and anyone who does not support Bush are leaving us unprotected from all of those imaginary nukes from Iraq.