A multisource video news service that highlights nuances in reporting from media outlets around the world.

“Every dollar of waste in our defense budget is a dollar we can’t spend to support our troops, or prepare for future attacks, or protect the American people, our budget is a zero sum game.” -- U.S. President Barack Obama

The U.S. Senate voted Tuesday to save nearly 2 billion dollars by cutting off spending on a very fancy fighter jet - the F-22. President Obama had repeatedly warned to veto the almost 700-billion dollar bill if more money goes to fund the F-22 program.

The U.S. military started building the planes to fight the Soviet Union, but none of the jets were actually used in combat. Our research shows that most media questioned the usefulness of the jet, including MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow.

“Bingo, we ended up in the situation where Soviet Union hasn’t existed for 20 years, every F-22 costs 350-million dollars to build, they are not useful for our current conflicts.”

NBC News says that the U.S. has been wasting too much money on F22s.

“Its critics charge it requires 30 hours of maintenance for every hour in the air, they say estimated 44,000 dollars is spent every hour, it’s a loft.”

An opinion piece in The New York Times states the money put into F-22s could be better spent on the F-35, a plane that would be used in the war on terror.  

“Buying more [F-22 jets] would only make it harder for the Air Force to shift money into aircraft like unmanned intelligence drones and the more adaptable, cheaper-to-fly F-35 fighter, which is set to begin production in 2012.”

But critics say thousands of people would lose their jobs because of the F-22 cut.

“The secretary of defense and the administration have decided this program is not worthy of our support, so explain to those 90,000 people once they lose their jobs when they get laid off, and they will.” (CNN)

Let’s look at the states where parts of F-22 jets are made. WXIA in Marietta, Georgia brings us this perspective.

“Don’t talk to the people here about how the F-22 is better suited to the cold war military than one fighting insurgencies, don’t talk to them about saving 1.7-billion dollars, what the Senate did today hits them in their homes.”

However, FOX News defends Obama’s decision and says in the long run, the cut will actually create more jobs.

“Secretary Gates points out that many of those working on the F22 could be shifted to work on F35, which is also made by Lockheed Martin, and he estimates over the next 3 years that 44,000 jobs will be created as they shift production to the F35.”

So do you agree with Obama and the Senate’s decision to cut funding on F-22, or do you think the potential job losses would be significant?