President Obama and the Congress have taken 66% of discretionary spending in the federal budget off the table -- the Security Budget -- while proposing a freeze to the rest of the budget and deep cuts to some programs that provide necessities for the American people. His budget crystallizes a choice that U.S. presidents have been making since President Eisenhower warned of the military-industrial complex -- investment in the military vs. investment in the civilian economy.

The bloated and sacrosanct security budget -- the military, domestic security and intelligence budgets -- all saw rapid growth under President Bush when the Department of Defense doubled its budget. Under President Obama the trend has continued with record military, intelligence and domestic security budgets.