Silicon Investor (SI) -- The First Internet Community

STOCKTALK

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor. We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community. If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.

Politics : PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: American Spirit who wrote (480678)	10/23/2003 6:57:29 PM
From: Original Mad Dog	Read Replies (7) \| Respond to of 769667

I didn't say "Democrats" voted against these programs, I said Kerry did. Which apparently you are acknowledging, though you imply he also supported the programs but just opposed pork. He did introduce a bill (alone) to cut defense spending. No pork there. He did vote to freeze defense spending for 7 years. No pork there, either. Those aren't necessarily bad votes; they're just things he voted for. A good number of his fellow Democrats didn't support him in these things, apparently. Everything we have now was funded, trained and planned over the past five to ten years. That's not true. Virtually all of those programs were funded and initiated long before the Clinton years. That's really the key point: For our military to have the tools necessary to perform its job and minimize casualties, the groundwork must be laid continuously, often decades before the tools are needed. Here are the items I mentioned that Kerry voted against: 1. B-1 Bomber First flight 1974 boeing.com 2. B-2 Stealth Bomber Approved under Reagan over much Democratic opposition; first delivery December 1993. Kerry voted to cancel funding: boston.com Plane avoids radar, helping preserve the lives of American pilots on missions which Kerry has recently voted to send them on (Afghanistan and Iraq). airforce-technology.com 3. AH-64 Apache helicopter Program approved for production 1982, first production finished 1984, during Reagan administration boeing.com 4. Patriot Missile First delivered December 1981 redstone.army.mil Under Clinton, there was funding for some further improvements after the missile's limited success in Gulf War I 5. The F-15 jet This has been around since the 1970's, when Kerry was against virtually all defense spending af.mil 6. The F-14A jet Produced 1972-1987 topedge.com 7. The AV-8B Harrier jet Deployed 1985 geocities.com 8. The Aegis air-defense cruiser First model installed 1973 tpub.com 9. The Trident missile system The Trident missile program had deployments in the 1970's. lmms.external.lmco.com 10. M1 Abrams tank (reduction) Program began in 1972, first deliveries in 1980. globalsecurity.org 11. Bradley fighting vehicle (reduction) Introduced 1981 uniteddefense.com 12. Tomahawk cruise missile (reduction) First operational use 1991 chinfo.navy.mil 13. F-16 jet (reduction) Became operational in 1979 af.mil Another interesting facts about Kerry is that even after Saddam Hussein had invaded Kuwait, Kerry voted against authorizing the use of force under UN auspices to eject him from Kuwait: boston.com Is this who we want in charge?