"I am sure the American public is going to recognize this, and I am sure they are going to recognize it when they see wasteful money spent on things like Star Wars, which will not work..."
That's from Pete Stark, D-Ca. in the same speech where he was complaining about Republicans shutting out Democrats from the budget process.
It looks like Petey isn't only a hypocrite (I say that pre-emptively, since I don't expect him to call Democrats fascists because they didn't allow Republicans to debate the new budget), he also may be wrong.
Within a year, the U.S. missile defense system should be able to guard against enemy attacks, while testing new technologies, the deputy director of the U.S. Missile Defense Agency said on Monday.
The United States activated the ground-based system last summer when North Korea launched one long-range and six short-range missiles.
North Korea's intercontinental Taepodong 2 missile fell into the Sea of Japan shortly after launch but the short-range tests appeared successful, said Brig. Gen. Patrick O'Reilly, deputy director of the Pentagon's Missile Defense Agency.
O'Reilly said there would be no formal announcement that the system was operational. He predicted the capability to defend against enemy missiles and to continue testing and development work would be achieved within a year.
"It's just a matter of maturation," he told reporters after a speech hosted by the George C. Marshall Institute, a public policy group.
Which intrepid reporter will ask Petey about this one?
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