One maxim around here says that congressional compromises offend in proportion to their age. A deal reached a day ago is acceptable, if still regrettable; but a deal reached a month ago can become totally unpalatable-even to the very people who agreed to it. Thus is the case with the so-called sequestration effects of the emergency deficit-cutting and debt-ceiling deal passed into law in August. To offset a $600 billion reduction scheduled to fall on defense spending starting in 2013, Republican hawks in the House and Senate are pledging to pull together a package of legislative proposals early next year to avoid the automatic cuts in sequestration (AW&ST Dec. 5, p. 22). Rep.
展开▼
