Rep. Ike Skelton, chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, appears to be solidifying a lead over his Missouri challenger after being shaken by the first strong challenge to his seat after 33 years in office. We hear Skelton’s internal polls show a lead in the high single digits over his challenger, Republican Vicky Hartzler, and he boasts something like a $1 million lead in the cash department, critical in the final weeks of the campaign

UPDATED: JSF is Cleared for Takeoff as of Tuesday Morning

The software glitch that led to the grounding of all variants of the Joint Strike Fighter fleet last Thursday should be fixed very soon, allowing planes to take to the air tomorrow, Pentagon officials say. The problem, detected in the lab on the ground, resided with code that controls the engine’s three fuel boost pumps.

UPDATED: Rep. Forbes Hammers Gates Pentagon For Muzzling Military
Don’t expect to see Defense Secretary Robert Gates issued any subpoenas about Joint Forces Command any time soon. The House Armed Services Committee’s rules require a quorum of members present to issue a subpoena, we understand. That would mean calling back — during a hard-fought election — at least 32 members of the committee.