Ike saw through the generals' spending games

As the Obama administration and Congress wrestle with federal spending in the year ahead, it will be argued — over and over again — that you cannot cut defense spending without harming national security. While there is some truth to this argument, it is worth looking back at an earlier president who looked at the problem with a cold eye and a quiet determination not to get fooled by his own advisers.

In the early days of the Cold War, the Russian threat seemed to grow. After getting the atom bomb in 1959, the Soviets built up their nuclear arsenal, while maintaining a huge standing army.