Keep the government’s hands off my military base!

U.S. Army soldiers who had been serving in Iraq return home to Joint Base Lewis McChord. Military spending in Washington topped $7 billion last year and the Pentagon has considered closing Fairchild Air Force Base in Spokane. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)

Try this experiment: google “Pentagon base cuts.” You will get articles from news outlets all over the country about how local lawmakers are preparing to defend the local military base from being cut.

You’ll read that Massachusetts lawmakers urged the Pentagon to “re-examine its decision” to cut Otis Air National Guard Base on Cape Cod. In Missouri you’ll read that, according to local officials, the Pentagon would actually have to spend more money if they close the bases they plan to close!

People are saying the same thing with bases in Battle Creek, Michigan and Spokane, Washington.

Even budget hawks who question every penny of federal spending go before reporters to explain how cutting the local military base would castrate America. Until last month the protests continued until it got so overwhelming that the Pentagon officially gave up trying to save the money. At least this time around. It will try again in three years.

States are already spending hundreds of thousands of dollars on studies full of rock solid figures to show why the cuts shouldn’t be made in the future either.

But it occurs to me – this could be where the Tea Party could get its mojo back. You’ve got a three year lead time. Do your own studies, write your own reports, and in three years show up at the next round of hearings with rock-solid arguments from patriotic Americans in favor of closing unnecessary bases to balance the budget.

It will take guts to go up against Congressmen testifying that if you close a base the terrorists win. But if we’re serious about cutting government spending, it has to be done. We are serious, right?