Cheney likes idea of military chief for homeland

WASHINGTON -- Vice President Dick Cheney said Sunday that creating a military command to coordinate the defense of North America would be "a good idea."

The Washington Post reported in its Sunday's editions that the Defense Department was considering giving a single four-star general or admiral authority over domestic deployments of Air Force jets, Navy ships and Army National Guard troops.

The Pentagon has regional commanders in chief, known as CINCs, who are responsible for Europe, the Pacific, Latin America, and the Middle East and South Asia, but there is none for U.S. forces in the United States and Canada.

A Pentagon spokesman confirmed the idea is under consideration.