Feb. 18--U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe, R-Tulsa, says he's not as concerned about how the nation's defense programs will fare under President Barack Obama as he is about the U.S. House and Senate leadership.

"This will be a very anti-defense, anti-military administration -- more so in the House and Senate than in the White House," Inhofe said.

"He's very reasonable," Inhofe said of President Obama, who he knew as a fellow member of the Senate before Obama became president.

"I think his major problem is two people -- Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid," Inhofe said, referring respectively to the Democratic House speaker from California and the Senate majority leader from Nevada.

Inhofe made the comments during a Tuesday luncheon meeting at Giacomo's Restuarant with community leaders and members of the McAlester Defense Support Association, a private group formed to support the McAlester Army Ammunition Plant and other facilities in the McAlester area.

While in McAlester, Inhofe visited McAAP, met with the Choctaw Manufacturing Development Group and visited Emerson Elementary School to congratulate the faculty and students on the school's Oklahoma Academic Achievement Award.

Inhofe, who is the ranking member of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, also visited the Tenaska Kiamichi Generating Station in Kiowa.

In Washington, Inhofe has introduced a bill along with U.S. Rep. Trent Frank, R-Ariz., to commit 4 percent of the nation's gross domestic product to defense.

Inhofe voted against President Obama's stimulus package after two amendments Inhofe tried to add were defeated in the Senate. Inhofe had wanted to add provisions to increase the percentage of the measure that would go for infrastructure and defense spending.

During the luncheon meeting, Inhofe said that McAAP and its workers have already proven their efficiency.

He said McAAP will take another step forward next week when it begins work on integrating pieces of the Intelligent Munition System, a component of the Future Combat System which is being fielded by the U.S. Army.

Inhofe also noted that McAAP is the site of warhead pressing and final integration of the Sensor-Fuzed Weapon, described as a "smart cluster munition" currently being used aboard B-52s by the U.S. Air Force.

Inhofe also noted McAAP's role in demilitarization and converting demilitarized munitions into training weapons.

Inhofe also said the present prison for accused terrorists at Guantanamo Bay should not be closed. With a troop surge expected in Afghanistan, there will likely be many terrorists captured and there will be a need for a place to detain them.

Inhofe said it's only his opinion, but he doesn't expect Obama to close the prison.

"This is a grand gesture toward his liberal base," Inhofe said.

During his stop at Emerson, Inhofe said "I would like to congratulate the students of Emerson Elementary School, Principal Brenda LoPresto and all the faculty on their great academic achievements."

"Emerson Elementary is a wonderful example of the strides being made in Oklahoma's schools and deserves praise for placing second in the Oklahoma Academic Achievement Award."

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