Rick Perry: Panetta should resign in protest over supercommittee cuts

Updated at 11 p.m. ET

Republican presidential candidate Rick Perry on Tuesday called for Defense Secretary Leon Panetta to resign in protest after the supercommittee failed to strike a deal on long-term deficit reduction, paving the way for nearly $600 billion in possible Pentagon budget cuts.

Since the 12-member congressional panel was unable to find $1.2 trillion in budget savings, across-the-board spending cuts are slated to kick in -- including a large chunk in defense spending that pro-defense conservatives are protesting. President Obama said on Monday that he would veto any effort to roll back the supercommittee "triggers."

"It was reprehensible, for me, for this president to stand in front of Americans and to say that that half a trillion dollars, $500 million-plus is not going to be on the table and we're just going to have to work our way through it, putting young men and women's life in jeopardy," Perry said in a CNN debate on foreign policy Tuesday. "Even his own secretary of defense said it was irresponsible. As a matter of fact, if Leon Panetta is an honorable man, he should resign in protest."

Perry blamed Mr. Obama for what he called the "super failure."

"We had a president of the United States who is not a leader. He pitched this over to them and said, here, you all figure this out," he said.

Former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman said that in order to tackle the deficit, defense spending must be on the table along with everything else.

"But we need spending for the Department of Defense that follows a strategy. And that strategy needs to follow how we best protect the American people now that we're in the second decade of the 21st century," he said.

Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich said he would not rule out cuts to defense spending "because it's clear that there are some things you can do in defense that are less expensive."

"It's clear, if it takes 15 to 20 years to build a weapons system at a time when Apple changes technology every nine months, there's something profoundly wrong with this system," he said.

Gingrich said that in order to tackle the deficit, he would reform Social Security. Gingrich said his reforms would be based on the model in Chile, where citizens can create personal savings accounts. The government of Chile has promised to make up the difference if a person doesn't have as much savings in their personal account as they'd get from Social Security.

"I think you can have a series of entitlement reforms that, frankly, make most of this problem go away without going through the kind of austerity and pain that this city likes," he said.

Rep. Michele Bachmann suggested that the supercommittee's mission was small in comparison to the larger problem of national debt.

"All that they were asked to do is cut back on $1.2 trillion of that increase in debt. We aren't even talking about the central issue, which is balancing the budget," she said. "We need to balance the budget and then chip away at the debt. This isn't Monopoly money."

More from the debate:

Gingrich willing to "take heat" for immigration stance
Bachmann: Perry "naive" on Pakistan policy
Huntsman calls for Afghan troop withdrawal
Ron Paul: Israel can take care of itself
Rick Santorum endorses Muslim profiling
Republicans call for extension of Patriot Act at debate
Fact checking the GOP national security debate
Republican debate: Winners and Losers

[jjoe57]

Perry, here's some downhome advice from a country lawyer in Texas: You're not going to get the Republican nomination. So stop trying to say outlandish things to get you above 9% in the polls, stop wasting your contributors' money, and come back to Texas to serve out the remainder of your regrettable tenure as governor.

[nottblu]

Cutting the military budget by half a trillion dollars is unwise while fighting radical Islamic extremism, the defense budget is small comapred to the entitlement programs which comprise over HALF OF THE ANNUAL BUDGET in this country. 80 million checks go out every month.

[Bisk1]

What you call entitlement programs do not even compare to aid given to our allies and unfortunately for the many stupid repugs, these programs are actually for Americans ----- it"s sad when people continue to vote against their very own personaly interests at the behest of some rich millionare. Dumb Dumb Repugs !!

[stn_sage]

Once again, Rick Perry shows us WHY he shouldn't be president!
Congress and BO can't come up with a budget, so PANETTA should
RESIGN?!
Maybe the leaders of Congress or BO should resign, but Panetta?
NAH!
Did Perry offer to help them? NO?! Maybe HE should resign, too!?
Perry ought to quit appearing in debates and campaign directly
to the public, these debates are negatively impacting his chances!

[nottblu]

Apparently you are not aware of the fact the budget was supposed to be completed prior to the last election in 2010 when the democrats had complete control. Instead they ignored their responsibility knowing the tough decisions that needed to made would further hurt their chances prior to the elections. this FACT is completely ignored by partisans like you.

[stn_sage]

to notblu: Fixate on the subject, buddy! That is, Perry and what he says! Second, these "budgets" have been a series of continuing
resolutions to fund govt, agreed upon by BOTH parties! STOP trying to play partisan politics and blaming the Dems for what the REPS also have a hand in! STOP trying to REWRITE history!
Third, as far as 'dodging responsibility goes' Reps currently
are 'doing their share at this, too'! And are holding the
nation hostage by refusing to even consider raising taxes
on the ultra wealthy! And finally, if you knew anything at all,
or, what you were talking about, you'd know that I AM NOT A
PARTISAN of either major party, I dislike them both equally!
So, increase your own knowledge, by considering the FACTS
above! Good day.

[marscapone99]

You make it sound like underfunded troops will just drop dead in the field. Really this affects the plans of the commanders. They won't be able to send our kids to get slaughtered in countries where no one wants us. Stop using our troops as hostages in your political manipulations, Rick Perry.

[facelessdrone2005]

A huge percent of the Defense budget is corporate welfare to defense contractors AND welfare to Union members that work for them. Visit your local military installation and you'll see where your stimulus money went.

[saboori]

Come on republican voters! What is wrong with you all? Can't you see the elephant in the room? Why are you all in denial that our only hope to beat Obama is having Gov. Perry to run against him. Gov. Perry, unlike other candidates, is running basically on his gigantic record of achievements. Can you imagine Obama running against Perry based on his very poor record? Obama with disastrous record or no record at all, vs Gov. Rick Perry, a giant successful third term governor of a great state, with 13th biggest economy in the world, who has military, governing and legislative experience; plus, Perry is naturally charismatic and powerful leader, and his policies are bold and visionary!! A commander in chief indeed.

[nonjobcreator]

Really! Do you really think this? You probably like Sarah Palin too, right?

[HemiHead66]

Panetta should go jump off a cliff, and take Perry with him. That Pentagon-Pig has seen an increase in spending from under 300 billion a year in 2001, to like 750 billion a year today. And that doesn't include the other Defense spending, Iraq, Afghanistan, black projects etc. With everything it comes to 1+ trillion a year. And it's the #1 reason why this country is going bankrupt. A 500 billion dollar cut over 10 years is peanuts - 50 billion a year. They steal more than 50 billion a year. I'd cut 500 billion a year. Bachmann is right, that 1.2 trillion doesn't address the budget at all. Look at Paul Ryan's budget, after he robs SS Medicare etc. he leaves us with debt of 23+ trillion bucks in 2021 - 10 years. We'll be bankrupt before then. The only way to fix the budget is to cut that Pig of a defense budget, or tell the public that all the money they paid into SS & Medicare is forfeit and you're on your own. Fat chance of that happening. I think we better demand that these cronies resign before we lose our country. And I mean all of them. We need leaders that care about this country, not their campaign contributing friends..

[nearl451]

Isn't it amazing how some people can't tell you exactly what they would do, but are dead certain what actions other people should take.

I'm not a big Panetta fan anyway...we could find someone better,but even the decrepit Rumsfeld was looking to do more with less, as should any Sec of Defense in light of the probabledirection of future budgets.

[sweetcakesmaria]

Rick Perry is to ignorant to understand that our military will continue to be fully funded. He doesn't understand that the cuts in military spending is not an actual cut but more of a projection for future military spending years down the road. The military will femain fully funded and maintain it's capability to defend America. This idiot wants to place a no fly zone over Syria. Doesn't he understand that placing a no fly zone over another country is an act of war? Why in the world would America want to go to war with Syria? If Rick Perry or Romney become our President, they would put this country in the same position George Bush put it in.

[scotttx]

I think Obama is Right and Perry is wrong, The Republican are to blame for the Super Failure. Congress can't function with the Republican Holding the House Hostage 3 different committees have all said taxes revenue will need to go up along with spending cut to make it work and even the Wealthy have said, It is Ok to raise there Taxes, it not going to hurt them what really hurt them is the people not working, as non working people don't spend and when they don't spend they are not making as much money