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Politics : Politics for Pros- moderated

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To: Ann Corrigan who wrote (33218)	3/7/2004 1:53:59 AM
From: unclewest	Read Replies (2) of 793895

This from a senator who voted to lower the military budget 9 years in a row...and one who voted against the budget resolution to provide supplies and equipment to the troops in Iraq. This is Phonyism at its very best. Kerry Says Bush Shortchanges Troops on Gear By DAVID ESPO, AP WASHINGTON (March 6) - John Kerry, the Democratic presidential nominee-in-waiting, challenged the Bush administration Saturday to reimburse the families of U.S. troops ''who had to buy the body armor'' needed for protection in Iraq. ''If I am president, I will be prepared to use military force to protect our security, our people and our vital interests,'' the Massachusetts senator said in the Democrats' weekly radio address. ''But I will never send our troops into harm's way without enough firepower and support.'' The five-minute speech gave Kerry an opportunity to speak to a nationwide audience five days after wrapping up his party's nomination with a string of primary and caucus victories. The choice of topics underscored his intention to challenge President Bush's conduct of the war on terror, and he accused the president of shortchanging the troops on items needed for their own protection. Kerry said tens of thousands of troops arrived in Iraq ''to find that - with danger around every corner - there wasn't enough body armor to protect them.'' Many families purchased the equipment and had it sent overseas, he added. ''Families should be sending pictures and care packages to Iraq - and the Department of Defense should be sending the body armor,'' Kerry said. He called on the president to support a bill he has introduced in the Senate to reimburse families for their purchase of body armor. Similar legislation is pending in the House. Kerry said acting Army Secretary Les Brownlee had testified before Congress that U.S. forces were ''not prepared'' for the present conflict in Iraq and they didn't have the preparation and hardware they needed to fight as effectively as they could. In testimony before the Senate Armed Services Committee on Tuesday, Brownlee was asked why the Army took so long to produce adequate numbers of upgraded body armor and Humvees with extra armor plating. ''I also regret that we were not more farsighted here. We simply were not prepared for that kind of a counterinsurgency that attacked our convoys and our soldiers in the rear, as it has proven to be,'' he said.

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