Unraveling Navy's Decision on USS Truman

Little in the polarized debate over the spending cuts that took effect Friday has engendered the level of rancor as did the U.S. Navy's decision to delay deploying an aircraft carrier to the Persian Gulf.

Some Republicans questioned whether the Obama administration was playing politics with America's national security. Others have asked if the Navy could have cut the more than $300 million from other programs. Still others wondered whether the Pentagon was using budget constraints as cover to implement a broader policy shift.

The answers are as tangled as Washington's attempts to free itself from the political impasse that triggered the controversial Navy decision.

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