Kerry Voted Against Body Armor for U.S. Troops

Newsmax ^ | 3/8/04

[areafiftyone]

Likely Democratic presidential nominee John Kerry slammed President Bush over the weekend for not supplying U.S. troops in Iraq with enough body armor to protect them from attacks.

But it turns out, Sen. Kerry actually voted against supplying the troops with more body armor in 2002.

Addressing a Texas audience on Saturday, the Massachusetts Democrat said it was "shocking" that "tens of thousands of other troops arrived in Iraq to find that -- with danger around every corner - there wasn't enough body armor."

But Bush campaign press secretary Scott Stanzel told WABC Radio's Steve Malzberg on Sunday that Kerry "voted against supplying body armor to our troops when it mattered most" - when President Bush including the request as part of the $87 billion appropriation for the Iraq war in 2002.

RNC Chairman Marc Racicot confirmed the Kerry vote against body armor, telling ABC's "This Week" that the funding bill "did everything from provide hazard pay for our troops in Iraq to body armor for our troops in Iraq."

"And yet has the audacity yesterday to continue to complain about the fact that there was no body armor,'' Racicot complained.

Asked about his vote not to protect the troops with new body armor, Sen. Kerry insisted he did no such thing.

"That $87 billion has nothing to do with the preparatory money" for protective gear, he told the Fox News Channel.

He then blamed President Bush for not supplying the body armor sooner, saying, "The president made the decision of when to go to war. If you make that decision, you have to make sure your troops are properly equipped."

[Sister_T]

It just keeps getting better and better with this one!

[KellyAdmirer]

Stuff like this has to get into campaign commercials. We need people to see it every single day on their tv sets. These same baseless Kerry charges, day after day, is getting tiresome. I can't wait until some of this really gets out there on Bush ads. He's such a "fighter," he can take it.

[Fun Bob]

Busted yet again! Lying SOS!

miserable failure miserable failure miserable failure miserable failure war criminal

[kahoutek]

"tens of thousands of other troops arrived in Iraq to find that -- with danger around every corner - there wasn't enough body armor."

My bullsh!t detector just off...... Anybody heard this before?

[kahoutek]

Just went off......

[Sunshine Sister]

You are correct. This guy just can't lie very well. I'd like to see the bill so I can see for myself if he's lying. I'll bet money, he didn't even open the cover. Bush wanted it so it must be bad.

[TrueBeliever9]

FYI

[Dante3]

BUMP

[NutmegDevil]

Her Royal Heinous, Hillary, is on the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee - did she petition to have body armor included in Senate appropriations bills?

[bray]

Why can't his wife reimburse those families for the body armour if he cares so much for the troops/military idustrial complex?? He's the one who said "Bring it on".....RNC????

Pray for W and Our Troops

[Puppage]

Sen. Kerry actually voted against supplying the troops with more body armor in 2002

Yeah, but that was a LONG time ago.</sarcasm

[VOA]

bump

[truthandlife]

BODY ARMOR KEPT IRAQ CASUALTIES LOW

[LetsRok]

Since when is body armor part of the normal gear of a soldier? I don't remember body armor being part of the normal equipment in previous wars.

Body armor is a luxury item to be used only for police actions, NOT wars.

[Esther Ruth]

Shocking, simply shocking I tell ya. Ya know this is beyond being a pathological liar (WJC), beyond being stupid as in being so dumb to get caught in an obvious lie - there must be NO mental reserve up there ? right? or is there another word for this other than the cuss words everyone keeps coming up with - perhaps some brain chemical issues or maybe something to do with the way his mother and grandmother related to him - any shrinks out there know?

[capydick]

"tens of thousands of other troops arrived in Iraq to find that -- with danger around every corner - there wasn't enough body armor."

Despicable. The way he uses his words, he makes it sound as though tens of thousands of our troops dont have body armor when that is not the case. Once again, Kerry is happy to leave Americans with an incorrect impression about our military, as long as it furthers his goals.

[CalKat]

Was the $87 billion appropriation that Congress voted on passed in 2002, as the article states? I thought the $87 billion came after the war, which started in 3/03.

[jcb8199]

What an amazing talent he has -- I wish I could talk out of both sides of my mouth! With a forked tongue, to boot!

[tracer]

Why would Sin-ator Kerry-Heinz vote to fund field anti-ballistic protection for people he considers to be mass-murderers, baby-killers, war criminals, etc.?

No surprises here, from our wannabe commander in chief.....