Necessity First

The Pentagon's postponement of a decision about whether to move an aircraft carrier from Norfolk to Mayport, Fla., buys the commonwealth some time to make its case. The final call will have major ramifications, so the question inevitably has generated huge political and economic interest. But the ultimate decision should rest on military necessity.

The Mayport Naval Station has not had a carrier since 2007, when the oil-fired John F. Kennedy was decommissioned. It could not accommodate a nuclear-powered craft until 2014. Before then, it would require a host of improvements expected to cost upward of a half-billion dollars. That would amount to a huge economic stimulus, generating thousands of jobs, and Florida is salivating at the prospect. By the same token, the prospect of losing a carrier, its attendant support, and the 3,000 military jobs that go along with it has brought Virginia politicians of all political persuasions together in united opposition.

An odor of political taint hangs over the process so far. The initial decision to move the carrier to the state where Jeb Bush presided as governor was made while Jeb's brother was president. The postponement was made after Barack Obama became commander-in-chief, and redounds to the benefit of Virginia, where Gov. Tim Kaine -- an early Obama supporter -- also spends time as head of the Democratic National Committee.

Perhaps all that is pure coincidence. The argument for moving a carrier seems sound enough: Dispersing crucial military assets might make them less vulnerable to natural catastrophe or terrorist attack. Reviewing the issue will now continue until after the 2010 Quadrennial Defense Review, a congressionally mandated comprehensive analysis of strategic objectives, security threats, and force structure.

We hope the conclusion comes out in Virginia's favor. But political and economic considerations should not play decisive roles in questions of national security. Military necessity and the best interests of the nation as a whole should carry the day.