Abbreviated Shutdown

If you ask me, this is good news.

WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Pentagon now foresees a much smaller round of base closings and consolidations, saying it has only half as much surplus space as previously estimated, according to Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld.

That is likely to make the politically touchy subject of base closings less difficult for the Bush administration, although any closures cause angst among the affected communities and their representatives in Congress.

Cutting surplus capacity saves billions for the Pentagon.

Rumsfeld is to submit his list of recommended closures and realignments to the independent Base Realignment and Closure Commission no later than May 16, and the commission is required by law to submit its final report to President Bush by September 8.

There's obviously some "surplus" that can stand to be cut. The best option is to close down a number of our bases in Europe and other Cold War hot spots, bring those personnel back to existing bases here, and go from there.