Secretary of Defense Robert Gates invoking the spirit of former President and Supreme Cmdr. of Allied Forces in Europe Dwight D. Eisenhower in a call for a more frugal approach to spending by the Pentagon in a speech on May 7 at the Eisenhower Library in Abilene, Kansas.
In case anyone is confused that patriotism equates to tossing around buckets of money measured in the megabillion dollar range, Gates took a line from Ike to argue the opposite.
Gates said in his speech at the library that Eisenhower had a "passionate belief that the U.S. should spend as much as necessary on national defense -- but not one penny more."
He then concluded, "I say the patriot today is the fellow who can do the job with less money."
Gates' entire speech is a must read. Read and highlight your own copy.
Bob Brewin
Bob Brewin joined Government Executive in April 2007, bringing with him more than 20 years of experience as a journalist focusing on defense issues and technology. Bob covers the world of defense and information technology for Nextgov, and is the author of the “What’s Brewin” blog.
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