IT'S WHERE THE EASY MONEY IS:

"Eisenhower decreased defense spending while in office. So did Nixon and George H.W. Bush, who oversaw the drawdown from 1989 to 1992," Adams said. "Colin Powell (chairman of the Joint Chiefs under Bush) used to brag about how much they cut."

Adams said the current debate in the Republican Party has been happening in one form or another for decades. The split between the hawks and doves, however, is becoming more apparent as the party struggles to redefine itself.

"There is a history here of Republicans being more concerned with the fiscal then they are about defense. The tensions you see are not surprising," Adams said. "There's always been a part of the party that thought fiscal discipline was a top priority, a higher priority than defense."

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