Cheney Against Military Spending Cuts

Former Vice President Dick Cheney (R) took a hit at President Barack Obama on Monday, saying he favors food stamps over a strong military.

During an interview on Fox News' "Hannity," Cheney criticized a proposal put forth by Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel on Monday that called for shrinking the Army to its smallest size in 74 years, closing bases and reshaping forces. The former vice president called the cuts "just devastating."

"I have not been a strong supporter of Barack Obama. But this really is over the top. It does enormous long-term damage to our military," Cheney said. "They act as though it is like highway spending and you can turn it on and off. The fact of the matter is he is having a huge impact on the ability of future presidents to deal with future crises that are bound to arise."

"And I think the whole thing is not driven by any change in world circumstances, it is driven by budget considerations," Cheney said later. "[Obama] would much rather spend the money on food stamps than he would on a strong military or support for our troops."

The details revealed by Hagel are included in the defense spending plan that will be part of the 2015 budget that Obama will submit to Congress next week.