Ending the F-22 -- good, but no reform

The Register thinks ending the F-22 fighter program, which all the relevant Pentagon top guys signed off on, was a good thing, but not all our readers agreed. As we also note, however, ending a weapons program designed to counter the Soviets took an extraordinary effort by DefSec Bob Gates and support from the president. It doesn't reform the Pentagon procurement process, which still emphasizes planting subcontractors in as many states and congressional districts as possible, creating, in essence, lobbyists for continuation of the project, preferably with beaucoups overruns, no matter how useless it is. In fact, uselessness may be an advantage. When the inevitable costly delays and cost overruns occur, the top brass doesn't get upset because everybody knows it's useless anyway, and it's only the taxpayers' money.