The last-minute try by Maine Senators to have the Pentagon donate—free—the military facilities to be shuttered in Maine to the state’s local governments failed to catch fire. (DR, 11/09/05) Olympia Snowe (R-Maine) and cohorts rushed an amendment to the 2006 defense authorization bill to the Senate floor, but lawmakers rejected it.
Every year, Congress and the military debate which combat assets should head to the boneyard and which have more life left in them. Lawmakers often opt to keep Air Force systems that bring jobs to their districts, which complicates matters as the service looks to modernize and ditch certain platforms.…