What I haven't heard about the $87 billion

[edhopper]

Whenever Kerry's vote on the $87 billion is brought up,the Bushes talk about him voting "against" body armor and armored vehicles and such. I have not heard from Kerry or Edwards or any of his defenders this:

"Who sent our troops to Iraq in the first place without enough armor or proper vehicles or even bullets!"

Wouldn't this put an end to this phony issue?

[kentuck]

1. Besides, the oil revenues were supposed to pay for entire costs..

of the war. Remember?

[Mr_Spock]

2. I am thinking nobody even cares about this story - just old Bushspin

Who would believe this crap anyway? Just dumb Dubya-bots. This is just preaching to the choir.

[sandnsea]

3. Biden did today

And I agree, Kerry needs to hit it head on, personally. The campaign has issue press releases, but that's not enough. His new comments about "war on the cheap" may be headed in that direction. I hope so.

[iamjoy]

4. I've Also Wondered

As we hear that there are men in Iraq without body armor, on what exactly did they spend the $87 billion?

[RhodaGrits]

5. Did you see this commentary by Sen Biden this a.m. on MTP?

He talks about why Kerry voted against the 87 billion -

MR. RUSSERT: Let me show you what he had to say about your candidate, John Kerry. "I think John Kerry made the right decision when he voted to authorize the war in Iraq. But then he went out on the campaign trail and started spending too much time with Howard Dean. And he came back to Washington and voted against the $87 billion the troops need for protective armor, combat pay, and better health care. That's the worst kind of indecisiveness, and the wrong leadership at this critical moment in history."

SEN. BIDEN: Well, the irony is that what Zell may not have remembered, but I'm sure he'll remember when he hears me say it, is that there was an attempt to break out that $87 billion. I voted for the $87 billion. I got in trouble with the Democrats immediately saying I would support it. But I understood their point. They said, "Look, let's take the $67 billion for the troops, the body and armor, etc.," and by the way, this is a president who sent our National Guard there without body armor, a lot of them without body armor. This is the president who sent the National Guard there without the adequate training. This is the president who sent a lot of the National Guard there without the Humvees that were capable of withstanding rounds.

By anyway, having said that, we said, John Kerry said and a number of others said, "Let's take the $67 billion and have two votes. Vote immediately for the $67 billion for the troops. The remaining $20 billion roughly, because we don't trust these guys that they're going to be able to manage it very well, let's attach conditions to it." They had $30,000 for pickup trucks, for example, in this thing. And so that was the big debate.

When faced with having to vote for that $20,000,000,000 that was going to be mismanaged, they thought, they decided not to vote for it. Now, I didn't vote that way, but there is a merit to their position. Of the $18 billion, Tim, we voted to reconstruct Iraq, that our military says they badly needed to help them secure order in Iraq, only $450 million have been spent so far. That's incredible mismanagement. And we voted that money last October.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/5574180/

And this is what they need to get out in front of the RNC BS!

[edhopper]

6. I'm really trying to say..

that, for instance, this morning on all the gab shows when Kerry was asked this why didn't he say:

"Why was there a need that long after the invasion to authorize buying body armor for the troops."

He should look at Stephie or Timmy and say:

"Why, in the context of this question, have you NEVER asked the White House why our troops were not given the supplies they needed when they first went in."

And for that matter, why haven't I heard this from anyone. From Michael Moore to Barney Frank to Robert Byrd.

[edhopper]

7. That is great stuff from Biden.

I missed it this morning.
That should be the new Dem talking points for the $87 bil question.

[exgop]

8. They never mention the Bush veto threat, either.

Bush threatened to veto the bill if the Kerry version passed. In other words, Bush threatened to veto the $87 billion before he okayed the $87 billion.

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&ie=UTF-8&q=bush+threatened+veto+%2487+billion

For both Bush and Kerry, there was a version they could support and a version they couldn't. How is this so damning to Kerry without also damning Bush?