This may require a little background in order to make sense. I live very close to a minor airport and relatively close to a major Air Force base. As you might expect, I'm accustomed to having aircraft overhead. For some reason, there have been a number of relatively low level passes by aircraft that pass too quickly for me to see. Even if they weren't fighter or attack aircraft, the experience is startling to say the least.

In addition, I've been playing a combat flight simulator that features the F-22 fighter recently. The combination of these two situations has me thinking about airpower. I'm not an airpower freak who believes that the US Air Force can destroy any enemy if only they have sufficiently expensive jets to fly. On the other hand, these low flying aircraft reminded me of what airpower can do.

The United States needs to retain its qualitative and quantitative advantages over every other nation in airpower. The simple fact of the matter is that the average infantry soldier has a tough enough job to perform without having low flying jets trying to kill him. I was startled enough by jets that I knew were no threat to me. Even if the military's primary mission in the 21st century is counter-insurgency, we need air superiority.

Right now, if the F-22 works, it is the best jet we have. The Joint Strike Fighter will be better but it isn't ready. While no one can take on the aircraft we have right now, those aircraft are getting old. Jet aircraft undergo stresses to their frames that are greater than any other atmospheric vehicle. Eventually, the frames become unsafe to fly much less fly into combat.

The current aircraft in the USAF and Navy arsenals were built with 70s and 80s technology with the possible exception of the B-2. So, we need to replace old airframes and it would be foolish to replace old airframes with old technology. The reasons for this involve things like encouraging engineers to build the next generation of technology after this one. They need the money to do it.

This liberal is aware of the current budget crunch. Therefore, this liberal is in favor of putting all of the current military expenditures on the books instead of hiding them in supplementals. Then, we must find revenue enhancements to fund current expenses plus new technology for each service. Perhaps we only need half the Air Force's requested F-22s but we do need some.

Rolling back the Bush tax cuts will help. After all, that money isn't employing anyone in this nation as it is. This liberal knows that there are other urgent priorities and that there is not enough money to go around. Perhaps the rolling back the Bush tax cuts will not be enough. The money for all of it absolutely must be spent to keep this nation strong.

That means employed with a living wage, access to good health care, well educated, generous with a foreign aid budget to prevent other nations' problems from becoming international problems and that means keeping the nation physically safe. There will have to be priorities set. For instance, body armor should come before F-22s. Health care should come before helping the rich get richer.

We do not yet know how deep a hole that the Bush Misadministration will dig for us. What we do know is that it will be difficult. Don't listen to those who complain that we lack detailed plans to solve these problems. The first steps involve recognizing the problems and not continuing to make them worse. That will require a Democratic Congress now and a Democratic President in two years. Once we have some power, we can use it to start making things better.

We liberals will not forget the difficulties of living in the Bush economy. Let's make sure we don't forget that infantrymen need friendly skies either.