Officials sound warning over defense cuts, GOP lawmakers claim
Obama AWOL   Obama administration officials warned Wednesday of
dire consequences for the U.S. military if Congress cannot avert
scheduled spending cuts, even as Republican lawmakers charged
that President Obama has gone AWOL on the issue.   During
another day in Washington marked by officials talking past one
another, the Obama administration unveiled new details about the
potential impact of roughly $110 billion in across-the-board
cuts starting Jan. 2. Half would be to the defense budget. 
Deputy Defense Secretary Ashton Carter and the White House's
acting budget chief, Jeff Zients, warned in a hearing that the
Navy would be forced to purchase fewer ships and soldiers going
to war would receive less training.    But just as in the
concurrent debate over the expiring Bush-era tax rates,
officials have not announced any compromise plan to avert the
automatic cuts. In place of negotiations has been a robust round
of finger-pointing.   Republicans