Wow, pretty bad to see our military shown in this light. Why were there so many problems with the military when the Repubs where in charge ?? I remember when our troops were having their parents buy and send them body armor...thought the Repubs are supposed to be pro defense ??

Why is this a political party issue?

Because I would like for someone who supports the repub platform to explain how this and a ton of other gaffes by the military occurred on Bush's watch...yet they are still considered the party thet is pro defense...

The Military as a whole bought new body armor right as we went in to Afgan called the interceptor or IBA. The total force is like 1.7 million, I'm sure you imagine the time it takes to make 1.7 million pieces of armor. They were issued out as they were made available on a priority basis. Those scheduled for deployment got them first, but not all of them got it prior to deployment. We still don't have enough for everybody. They are signed out short term at the moment.

Prior to Asscrackastan, body armor consisted of a helmet and a flak vest (not gonna stop much but maybe some light shrap)

Every so often these things are upgraded when new technology and $ exist. The IBA is the first really bulletproof vest worn to date.

IBA:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XUZGAQl_YlA

So really you're just looking to pick a fight?

Yes. And the best part is, no matter what response is given, he'll denigrate it and the author if it doesn't align with his viewpoint.

So nothing of value to see here. Let's move along.

wow, didn't know we had mind readers posting here....just curious if the repubs have done much to earn this label or if it is just a left over from the Reagan years...as far as the body armor goes, it is understandable that making 1.7 million pieces would take some time, but why were parents able to buy it for their sons and send it to them then ?

Parents weren't buying the military issue IBA. They were buying knockoffs and shipping it. There were material shortages during manufacturing which slowed the process (at the worst time...) and in 04 or 05 there were massive recalls due to some failures.

There is nothing political about the availability of the IBA. It was originally purchased under Clinton in 99 and expanded under Bush.

The political aspect is that here is another example of the Bush admin, supposedly very pro defense making a mockery of a solider who gave his life serving this country by turning him into a propaganda piece for their unpopular foreign policy...how in the heck can anyone consider the repub party pro defense anymore???

How can anyone consider the Democrat Party as caring for the American economy when every policy they have implemented in the past three years has made it harder to do business in the U.S.?

just curious if the repubs have done much to earn this label or if it is just a left over from the Reagan years

Funny how the Clinton years were disregarded. Clinton cut the military to get the budget balanced, remember? Or are you left over form the Carter years?

This thread is ridiculous. If you watched the movie and reflected that you were disappointed with the Bush admin and thought they would be more considerate because of their pro-military talk that is one thing, but turn around and claim that all Republicans are frauds in their military support is just silly and ignorant (and yes that is how you are coming across).

How can anyone in the gay community claim to have supported the Democrats in the 90s when Bill Clinton instituted Don't Ask Don't Tell rather than allow gays to openly serve (as he promised)? Thought he ran on equal rights for everyone so obviously he misled people to get votes. I guess Democrats don't support equal rights for everyone.

How can you be white and vote Democrat when Obama's Justice Department only protects the civil rights of minorities (see Black Panther case)?

You are racist....More messed up than i already knew

Rick Perry's opposition to a border fence stretching from the Pacific to the Gulf of Mexico and his signing of a bill allowing children of illegal immigrants to pay lower in-state tuition at public colleges in Texas. (He sparked additional anger by contending in last week's debate that those who didn't share his views on in-state tuition were heartless.)



Reagan signed the Immigration Reform and Control Act in 1986. The act made it illegal to knowingly hire or recruit illegal immigrants, required employers to attest to their employees' immigration status, and granted amnesty to approximately 3 million illegal immigrants who entered the United States prior to January 1, 1982, and had lived in the country continuously. Critics argue that the employer sanctions were without teeth and failed to stem illegal immigration. Upon signing the act at a ceremony held beside the newly refurbished Statue of Liberty, Reagan said, 'The legalization provisions in this act will go far to improve the lives of a class of individuals who now must hide in the shadows, without access to many of the benefits of a free and open society. Very soon many of these men and women will be able to step into the sunlight and, ultimately, if they choose, they may become Americans.'

Romney is against amnesty for illegal aliens, but also said, 'I don't believe in rounding up 11 million people and forcing them at gunpoint from our country.' He would like to see illegal immigrants register with the government, pay taxes, and apply for citizenship, but that they should not be given any priority or special treatment over immigrants who have applied for citizenship legally.



In 2006, Bush urged Congress to allow more than 12 million illegal immigrants to work in the United States with the creation of a 'temporary guest-worker program'. Bush did not support amnesty for illegal immigrants, but argued that the lack of legal status denies the protections of U.S. laws to millions of people who face dangers of poverty and exploitation, and penalizes employers despite a demand for immigrant labor. Nearly 8 million immigrants came to the United States from 2000 to 2005, more than in any other five-year period in the nation's history. Almost half entered illegally


Ohh the teabaggers

It's not a matter of stopping immigration all together, it's stopping ILLEGAL immigration. Legal immigrants are allowed to work, live, go to school, pay taxes and enjoy the protection of the US constitution. Illegal immigrants are 100% criminals just for being here. Amnesty, no. Jail & deportation yes. Speed up the process for being here legally, absolutely.

Yep. I am a full blown racist. Nevermind the fact that I am part of a minority.

Kev, your four examples are called pandering for votes. Look at where Perry governs. Romney is trying to position himself as a moderate and needs to get a percentage of the vote of those who favor amnesty. Reagan was looking to eliminate a situation involving 3 million, not 30 million. That gets him more votes without a major tax payer cost. Bush just happened to push that in an election year where it was feared that he would lose his majorities in Congress.

Have to read between the lines.

Pandering to illegals?

They gave amnesty to cheap labor...That's what republicans do.

Romney has been caught with illegals working on his house multiple times.

Reagan also raised taxes...Romney raised 3 billion in state fees...Perry raised taxes...And Bush, well he killed more jobs than anyone in history...And didn't put 2 wars in the budget...That we are paying for today. He added 9 trillion to the debt...A debt that was 3 trillion when he took office

He also voted for more anti gun legislation than Obama

I thought the great Democrat argument was that Bush inherited a surplus?

Pandering for votes by looking sympathetic to illegal immigrants.

He did. Bush took office with a $70B budget surplus. There was still $3T in debt to be paid. The budget surplus was a major campaign issue in 2000. Gore wanted to put it in to Social Security and Bush want to cut taxes. Bush won, the surplus went away, then 9/11 and the money started disappearing fast.

Imagine having to explain that!

See what Fox News does for the country.
Death Squads!!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WKH5rLVhxK4

You kind of made my point, I was being sarcastic.

Yes Gore had to do that because they used the SS trust fund to pay off other things. So no, Bush never really inherited a surplus as people think he did. As for his spending, I'm not even going to go there.

My favorite is when people resort to the Fox News bashing as though its some sort of gotcha. I think because it has News in front of it people forget that half the shows are opinion based talk shows. I'm assuming people on the left don't base all of their opinions on what they are fed from Olbermann, Maddow and Schultz.

Speaking of Schultz, be careful when using the word "break". This is racist terminology.

I'm tired of being on the computer, let me take a break... oh darn, I'm showing my racist colors again....