In remarks Feb. 26 before to the governors attending the National Governors Association meeting in Washington, President Bush asked for their help to ensure Congress keeps the 2008 budget “intact” and avoids the “temptation to take a little bit from the defense and add it to here.” He told them, too, that he is ready for a “healthy debate” over the decisions he has made regarding Iraq. “You’ve just got to understand,” explained Bush, is that there “will be chaos” if the US leaves before Iraq “can govern itself and sustain itself and defend itself.” Later that evening in addressing the Republican governors, Bush noted that his political agenda is “more Republican governors, take back control of the House and Senate, and make sure we keep the White House in 2008.”
U.S. Air Force F-35s and F-22s regularly deploy deep into the Pacific region from Alaska, Utah, and Hawaii. In the future, though, the head of U.S. Indo-Pacific Command would like to see the Air Force permanently station fifth-generation aircraft west of the international date line—closer to China.