Actually, I would call ’supporting the troops’ providing the funds so they are adequately supplied, not forcing them to pay for their own flights home, not cutting their combat pay when they are injured, and not slashing the VA hospital system.

Left by Preston on March 2nd, 2005 at 6:00 pm

You’ve never served have you, Preston? If you had, you would know that those liberal talking points you regurgitated have been debunked many times over.

For instance, the VA cuts you referred to? What you are likely referring to is the proposals being considered by the Bush administration to shrink the number of military personnel who qualify for disability benefits.

And which personnel is he talking about? Veterans who currently receive disability benefits for non-service connected disabilities.

I’m a disabled vet with a service connected disability. There is no proposal or discussion to cut my benefits. However, if you retired from the Military, and then 15 years later you become disabled during a car wreck veterans disability would be disallowed (but the person would still be eligible for SS disability).

According to FactCheck.org, funding for veterans is going up twice as fast under Bush as it did under Clinton. And the number of veterans getting health benefits is going up 25% under Bush’s budgets. That’s hardly a cut.

In Bush’s first three years funding for the Veterans Administration increased 27%. And if Bush’s 2005 budget is approved, funding for his full four-year term will amount to an increase of 37.6%.

Did you want to continue to argue veteran’s benefits with a disabled vet who not only knows and understands more about the ’slashing’ than you do…but agrees with the President’s funding of the VA?

Let’s see…the inadequate funds for supplying our troops when they went off to fight?

You do know and understand that Kerry voted on October 11, 2002 to grant Bush authority to use military force against Iraq at his discretion, and then a year later Kerry voted against Bush’s request for $87 billion to fund military operations and reconstruction in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The bill Kerry opposed contained $300 million requested by the Pentagon to buy best-grade body armor for all troops in Iraq, and also contained additional combat pay and health benefits for reservists called to active duty.

Were the soldier underfunded? Yep. But you can’t blame President Bush for that. You’ll have to look over on your side of the fence, at the Dems…whose actions clearly show that they do not support the troops, even if their lying lips say they do.

Now, about those soldier having to pay for their own flights home: NOT quite true, either. Again, you would understand how this works had you ever manned-up and served.

Soldiers serving in Iraq and Afghanistan on R & R or Emergency Leave are flown by the military to Germany or three airports in the United States, Baltimore/Washington, (BWI), Dallas/Fort Worth, (DFW), or Atlanta, (ATL) for free.

It is then dependent on the soldier to pay for his flight from any of these locations to where ever it is he wants to take his leave. All soldiers who are state-side have to pay for their own flights when they take leave. It’s always been that way.

Did you have any more Liberal false-rhetoric you’d like to parrot?

Left by Robbie on March 2nd, 2005 at 7:08 pm

Robbie-
I thank you for your service to the country particularly considering your disability. I disagree with your interpretation of the link you sent- though Annenberg may quibble with semantics it seems clear to me if costs are rising faster than new expenditures that is effectively a cut. To deny treatment to veterans because they are making 40,000! dollars seems a betrayal. I’m glad you haven’t had your own benefits cut but even the your link reveals they are occuring.

I don’t see how you are accusing the Democrats for underfunding the military when Republicans hold ALL SEATS OF POWER. (Kerry’s votes are irrelevant to Bush’s malfeasance but if you want to debate them: I see no problem with Kerry’s intention to fund the 87 Billion by repealing the tax cut especially considering that Bush said he would VETO the 87 Billion dollar request if it touched his dear tax cuts. It’s hypocrisy to hold Kerry and Bush to different standards when that essentially were each willing to vote against the package. On the merits of the two positions- I don’t think there’s any question that Bush’s fiscal policy has been reckless to the point of endangering our economy as Asia holds on to dollars and Treasury Bonds. If they lose confidence in our ability to balance our budget there could be a catastrophic run on the dollar)

The fiasco with kevlar vests and armor for Humvees (that Rumsfeld falsely claimed was manufactured as quickly as possible) are just the most blatant examples of Republican rhetoric failing to match their words. And before you claim that these cuts happened back in the Clinton administration I’d like to remind you that this was a war of choice- if we weren’t prepared in March of 2003 why would we invade then?

Your defense of forcing soldiers to pay for their flights home just because they always have doesn’t resonate with me.

Regarding the crack about ‘manning up and serving’ I’ll simply remind you that it is a volunteer army but I resent having my loyalty to the troops questioned when I have a cousin in Kosovo as we speak, both of my parents served, and my grandfather was career Army.

I don’t suppose I’m going to be able to convince you that Bush and the Republicans ’support for the troops’ seems awfully thin when it comes to actually putting the money down. But I will ask you to understand that opposing this war does not mean opposing our soldiers and sailors.

Left by Preston on March 2nd, 2005 at 11:21 pm

This is what I’m talking about:

http://www.defensetech.org/archives/001415.html

I’m speechless.

Left by Preston on March 4th, 2005 at 4:56 pm