Bush tells North Korea ‘Don’t shoot – or I'll huff, and I'll puff, and I'll . . . ’

. . . vacation in Crawford.'

Americans better get a clue because while we're busy working for a living, our government is busy spending our hard earned money on defective 'defense' products.

When you pay for a product that goes by the name of 'defense shield', you're entitled to receive a shield that DEFENDS. But, apparently Bush and his cronies haven't figured that out yet.

As the Bush administration warns North Korea not to test a long-range missile, the U.S. missile-defense system remains a patchy and unproven shield, government studies and outside experts say.

President Bush ordered the Pentagon to start fielding prototype anti-missile rockets in 2004 to have at least some chance of destroying an intercontinental missile heading for the USA. Although there are 10 of those interceptors on bases in Alaska and California, their hurried deployment prevented complete testing and contributed to technical glitches and manufacturing problems, congressional investigators reported this year.

Unbelievable. First, Boy blunder asks for an over-priced system that has only "some chance" of defending the nation. Then - after 2 whole years - handsomely paid experts blame "hurried deployment" for their failure to produce a working product.

"Our system is still developing," Pentagon spokesman Eric Ruff said Tuesday. "It's a limited missile-defense system right now."

It's limited, alright! – It doesn't work!

Ruff and other Defense Department officials would not confirm reports by The Washington Times and Reuters that the missile-defense system had been switched to operational mode. "It's not like we can press a button and go on alert," spokesman Lt. Col. Brian Maka said.

What were we thinking? Aggressors must wait until our government and its contractors get their sh*t together.

The Pentagon now spends about $8 billion a year [!!!] toward development of a network of systems designed to destroy enemy missiles, particularly those from Iran and North Korea. One of the most developed parts of that system is the handful of ground-based missile interceptors at Fort Greely in Alaska and Vandenberg Air Force Base in California.

The interceptor rockets are meant to boost a "kill vehicle" into space, where its own sensors and ground-based radars would guide it to smash into an oncoming missile at 15,000 mph. The last successful test of the idea was in 2002.

Those interceptors have never been fully tested under real-world conditions, and the past two tests fizzled when the interceptors failed to launch.

Umm, WHAT exactly did they test in 2002 and under what "conditions," if not real-world?

Air Force Lt. Gen. Henry Obering, the Missile Defense Agency's commander, told the Senate Armed Services Committee in April that he was confident the interceptors still provided "an initial defensive capability" despite the manufacturing problems blamed for the aborted tests. He said he had suspended testing and reviewed the program because of the failures.

"I believe we are back on track, but we will pause again if necessary," Obering said.

How pathetic. If by "initial defense capability" he means the deterrent effect that accompanies merely having the capability to defend ourselves, then he can rest assured that after this report, even that is gone.

Americans should sue the government under the Uniform Commercial Code for breach of the implied warranty of merchantability.

Philip Coyle, a longtime critic of the missile-defense program, said there's no firm evidence the interceptors would work against a North Korean missile.

If North Korea test-fires a missile to the south, it would be out of range of the system anyway, said Coyle, a former director of weapons testing for the Pentagon.

"Suppose North Korea launches a missile and the MDA tried to shoot it down, and like in some of the recent tests, it failed," Coyle said. "It would be totally embarrassing. It would cause a huge uproar in Congress."

What a moron! Thousands might be killed, but all he cares about is the national embarassment and the uproar in Congress??? Who gives a sh*t about Congress. They're mostly cowardly traitors who run for the hills at the first sound of alarm.

The ground-based missile-defense component was over budget by more than $365 million last year and delivered fewer interceptors than planned without proof they would work, according to a review by the Government Accountability Office this year. Inadequate oversight could have allowed some shoddy parts to be installed in the interceptors, the report said.

The story of our life. One government f*ckup after another.

Rep. Duncan Huner, chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, says a limited anti-missile capability is better than none at all. The California Republican said the system is worth the billions spent.

SOLD! to the Republican with the brown nose!

"We're going to have to be able to stop an incoming ballistic missile," Hunter said. "That's a truth that liberals are going to have to accept."

The TRUTH is that it doesn't work, you moron. Even Democrats know that the only good defense shield is a defense shield that works.

Rep. Ellen Tauscher, a California Democrat on the Armed Services panel, dismissed Hunter's statement. "We want something that works," she said.

So, essentially, when Bush warns North Korea not to shoot, the only thing that backs it up is his Texas swagger.

What a joke.

Too bad the only people laughing are bankers and defense manufacturers.