I don't ever want to hear another word from anyone about the GOP being the party that supports America's sons and daughters in uniform while they are out there bleeding and dying for their country! It's a sham, a lie, a spin on a tale of treachery and self interest. OpTruth, the organisation for veterans of Operation Iraqi Freedom, has the list of Senators who voted "Yay" and "Nay" on an amendment to change the Emergency Supplemental to provide an additional $213 million in funding to produce armored Humvees. I am going to reproduce it for you here.
YEAs ---61
Akaka (D-HI)
Alexander (R-TN)
Allen (R-VA)
Baucus (D-MT)
Bayh (D-IN)
Biden (D-DE)
Bingaman (D-NM)
Boxer (D-CA)
Burns (R-MT)
Byrd (D-WV)
Cantwell (D-WA)
Carper (D-DE)
Chafee (R-RI)
Clinton (D-NY)
Coleman (R-MN)
Collins (R-ME)
Conrad (D-ND)
Corzine (D-NJ)
Dayton (D-MN)
DeWine (R-OH)
Dodd (D-CT)
Dorgan (D-ND)
Durbin (D-IL)
Feingold (D-WI)
Feinstein (D-CA)
Harkin (D-IA)
Hutchison (R-TX)
Jeffords (I-VT)
Johnson (D-SD)
Kennedy (D-MA)
Kerry (D-MA)
Kohl (D-WI)
Landrieu (D-LA)
Lautenberg (D-NJ)
Leahy (D-VT)
Levin (D-MI)
Lieberman (D-CT)
Lincoln (D-AR)
Lott (R-MS)
Lugar (R-IN)
Martinez (R-FL)
McCain (R-AZ)
Mikulski (D-MD)
Murray (D-WA)
Nelson (D-FL)
Nelson (D-NE)
Obama (D-IL)
Pryor (D-AR)
Reed (D-RI)
Reid (D-NV)
Rockefeller (D-WV)
Salazar (D-CO)
Santorum (R-PA)
Sarbanes (D-MD)
Schumer (D-NY)
Snowe (R-ME)
Specter (R-PA)
Stabenow (D-MI)
Talent (R-MO)
Thune (R-SD)
Wyden (D-OR)
NAYs ---39
Allard (R-CO)
Bennett (R-UT)
Bond (R-MO)
Brownback (R-KS)
Bunning (R-KY)
Burr (R-NC)
Chambliss (R-GA)
Coburn (R-OK)
Cochran (R-MS)
Cornyn (R-TX)
Craig (R-ID)
Crapo (R-ID)
DeMint (R-SC)
Dole (R-NC)
Domenici (R-NM)
Ensign (R-NV)
Enzi (R-WY)
Frist (R-TN)
Graham (R-SC)
Grassley (R-IA)
Gregg (R-NH)
Hagel (R-NE)
Hatch (R-UT)
Inhofe (R-OK)
Inouye (D-HI)
Isakson (R-GA)
Kyl (R-AZ)
McConnell (R-KY)
Murkowski (R-AK)
Roberts (R-KS)
Sessions (R-AL)
Shelby (R-AL)
Smith (R-OR)
Stevens (R-AK)
Sununu (R-NH)
Thomas (R-WY)
Vitter (R-LA)
Voinovich (R-OH)
Warner (R-VA)
Notice a pattern there? 38 of the 39 who didn't want to spend money on providing better protection for troops in harm's way were Republican
I hope every single thankless, coniving, disgustingly partisan and hopelessly morally bankrupt one of them has soldiers in uniform booing them at every public appearance they make from now till the (not soon enough) end of their careers. Especially people like Frist, who hopes to run for President and be Commander in Chief! He does not deserve to run, let alone ever be in the position of asking for the loyalty of those who serve the US in uniform.
This morning, Paul Rieckhoff, Executive Director and Founder of Operation Truth, spoke before the House Democratic Caucus in Washington, D.C. You can and should read his speech here. For those too lazy to click the link (shame on you) I will give you a taster.
I came here today to try to create some urgency in this town. I am here to help wake you up. And I am also here to ask you to stand next to us in our next fight. The mental toll that this war has had on our newest generation of Veterans is severe--and growing. PTSD could very well be my generation's Agent Orange Syndrome.
I have spent time with hundreds of vets since I returned from Iraq last year. We disagree on many issues surrounding the war. PTSD is not one of those issues. We are united in our understanding of the magnitude of the problem. The recent NEJM Study found that roughly 1 in 6 of us will return from Iraq with PTSD. Honestly, those numbers are old and very conservative...
...According to the Pentagon, over 1 million troops have been through the theater of operations in the Middle East since 9/11. Of all the troops ever sent to Iraq or Afghanistan, one-third have gone more than once. In the regular Army, 63 percent of the soldiers have been to war at least one time, and almost 40 percent of those soldiers have gone back. The highest rate of first-time deployments belongs to the Marine Corps Reserve: Almost 90 percent have fought.
They have served our country well. It is time to properly honor that service.
Many people around the country, and especially in this town, talk about supporting the troops. Well, talk it is cheap. The mental toll of this war is wounding and killing America's sons and daughters every single day. Our troops and veterans are tired of partisan politics. We are tired of bickering. We are tired of talk. We need some action.
You in this room have a tremendous opportunity to lead this country in a new direction. You can stand next to us, and show some real leadership and make veterans issues a priority for the first time in generations.
On this issue, Republican politicians have shown their true colours time and time again. Read my posts The GOP Hates Our Troops and The GOP Still Hates The Troops for more details on their immoral backstabbing of those who die for a war the Republicans got them into - a war that had nothing to do with the War on Terror.
Here's a challenge for those on the Right who do wish to offer support to their soldiers - hand back your party registrations in protest at this iniquity! You know you should.
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