This week the [House] moved forward with a budget that would allow the Dept. of Defense to escape the strictures of sequestration...The same House budget imposes a 12 percent reduction this year on the State Dept. budget requested by the White House...

President Obama has just ordered massive cutbacks in defense spending, eventually to total some $500 billion...

The Pentagon's approach is sensible, but the real problem is the president avoiding a serious discussion about risk -- and that is dangerous when cuts of this magnitude are underway...