Let's see where the Bushies emphasis on military talk and spending match: Speaker: Bush, George - President Date: 2/26/2003 Quote/Claim: "We are doing everything we can to protect the troops." [Source: White House Web site] Fact: "For many GIs, Iraq appears to be a strictly BYOB war -- Bring Your Own Bulletproofs. The shortages [of protective gear] come down to money and priorities. Gen. Richard B. Myers confirmed last week that it would be December before there were enough plates for all of our people in Iraq.” - Dallas Ft. Worth Star Telegram, 10/5/03 "'We do not have as many armored Humvees as we would like,' the Army's vice chief of staff testified before Congress in late September. So how is the White House proposing to deal with this? By underfunding the program to armor Humvees...And as for the thousands for armor kits the military says it needs, the White House's proposed budget includes exactly zero dollars for them." - Slate, 2/18/04 Speaker: Bush, George - President Date: 1/3/2003 Quote/Claim: “I want to make sure the housing is the best possible for our military families.” [Source: White House Web site] Fact: The President's 2004 budget proposes a $1.5 billion reduction in funds to military family housing/medical facilities – a 14% cut. - Bush FY 2004 Budget Speaker: Bush, George - President Date: 1/3/2003 Quote/Claim: “I wanted to make sure that our soldiers had the best possible pay.” Fact: “The Bush administration announced that on Oct. 1 it wants to roll back recent modest increases in monthly imminent-danger pay (from $225 to $150) and family-separation allowance (from $250 to $100) for troops getting shot at in combat zones.” - Army Times, 6/30/03 Speaker: Bush, George - President Date: 1/17/2003 Quote/Claim: “Having been here and seeing the care that these troops get is comforting for me and Laura. We are, should and must provide the best care for anybody who is willing to put their life in harm's way.” [Source: White House Web site] Fact: On the same day President Bush made this comment, "The Department of Veterans Affairs announced that it is immediately cutting off access to its health care system" to 164,000 veterans. - Washington Post, 1/17/03 The Veterans of Foreign Wars issued a statement after the President introduced his 2005 budget calling the proposal "disgraceful" and saying, "the president ignored veterans in the State of the Union Address and with today's release of his 2005 budget, it is further evident that veterans are no longer a priority with this administration." VFW Commander-In-Chief Edward Banas said "the funding package is a disgrace and a sham." - VFW Release, 2/2/04 With the Bush Administration chronically underfunding veterans medical care, "Hundreds of sick and wounded U.S. soldiers including many who served in the Iraq war are languishing in hot cement barracks here while they wait -- sometimes for months -- to see doctors. The National Guard and Army Reserve soldiers' living conditions are so substandard, and the medical care so poor, that many of them believe the Army is trying push them out with reduced benefits for their ailments." - UPI, 10/17/03 Speaker: Bush, George - President Date: 1/17/2003 Quote/Claim: “Seeing the care that these troops get is comforting for me and Laura. We should and must provide the best care for anybody who is willing to put their life in harm's way.” [Source: White House Web site] Fact: The President made these comments on the same day that his Administration announced it was cutting access to its health care system for approximately 164,000 veterans. The Administration also pushed a cut of $1.5 billion in military housing/medical facility funding, despite the fact that UPI reports “hundreds of sick and wounded U.S. soldiers including many who served in the Iraq war are languishing in hot cement barracks here while they wait - sometimes for months - to see doctors.” - Washington Post, 1/17/03; UPI, 10/17/03 Speaker: Bush, George - President Date: 10/9/2003 Quote/Claim: “Any time we put our troops into harm's way, you must have the best training, the best equipment, the best possible pay.” [Source: White House Web site] Fact: “The administration announced that on Oct. 1 it wants to roll back recent modest increases in monthly imminent-danger pay (from $225 to $150) and family-separation allowance (from $250 to $100) for troops getting shot at in combat zones.” - Army Times, 6/30/03 “When Bush taunted gunmen in Iraq, many GIs must have nervously tugged at their obsolete flak jackets. For many GIs, Iraq appears to be a strictly BYOB war -- Bring Your Own Bulletproofs. The shortages [of protective gear] come down to money and priorities. Gen. Richard B. Myers confirmed last week that it would be December before there were enough plates for all of our people in Iraq.” - Op-Ed, Dallas Ft. Worth Star Telegram, 10/5/03 Speaker: Bush, George - President Date: 10/9/2003 Quote/Claim: “Your lives can be changed in a moment with the sudden call to duty. I want to thank you for your willingness to heed that important call, and I want to thank your families. I want to thank your sons, daughters, husbands and wives who share in your sacrifice, who are willing to sacrifice for our country and who stand behind you.” [Source: White House Web site] Fact: Less than 2 weeks after the President made these comments, “the Bush administration announced its formal opposition to a proposal to give National Guard and Reserve members access to the Pentagon's health-insurance system, jeopardizing the plan's future and angering supporters. A recent General Accounting Office report estimated that one of every five Guard members has no health insurance.” - Gannett News Service, 10/23/03 At least he's consistent, a consistent hypocrite and liar that is.
