Reid On Kerry's Most Important Vote: "We Have To Support Our Troops … Period."

George W. Bush ^ | August 9, 2004

[RWR8189]

Sen. Reid understands that John Kerry's vote against troops on the front lines in Afghanistan and Iraq poses a troubling credibility problem for someone seeking to serve as the nation's commander in chief. Support for the men and women of our military should come without political calculation or pontification. Harry Reid didn't put politics ahead of support for our troops the way John Kerry did."

- Steve Schmidt, Bush Cheney '04 Spokesman

Sen. Harry Reid On The $87 Billion In Support Of Troops

Unlike John Kerry, Sen. Harry Reid Had The Common Sense To Vote For The $87 Billion Supplemental To Support Our Troops In Iraq And Afghanistan.

Sen. Harry Reid (D-NV): "We Have To Support Our Troops … Period." "I believe we have pressing needs we should address in our own country before spending billions and billions of dollars in Iraq. However, I voted for President Bush's $87 billion request because we have to support our troops ... period." (Sen. Harry Reid, Statement Of Senator Harry Reid, Press Release, 10/20/03, Available At http://reid.senate.gov/record2.cfm?id=213684, Accessed 8/3/04)

Despite Disagreements With The Administration, Reid Believed That The Funding Was "Critical" To Ensuring Success And The Quality Of Life For American Soldiers. "Today, I voted to support the President's $87 billion request to fund ongoing military operations and reconstruction efforts in Afghanistan and Iraq. As the past several weeks have painfully demonstrated, our troops are currently confronting a dangerous counter-insurgency in Iraq, and they still face serious threats in Afghanistan. The safety of our forces must continue to be our number one priority. The approximately $67 billion for military operations is essential to ensure that our troops remain in the strongest possible security position and are able to deal decisively with any ongoing threats. I believe we significantly improved the President's initial request by including funding for our troops' health care, bullet-proof vests and body armor, and new barracks facilities in the theater of operation. There is still more to be done to support our forces, but I believe this funding is critical to their immediate success and quality of life." (Sen. Harry Reid, Statement On the Final Passage of the Iraqi Supplemental Request, Press Release, 11/5/03, Avaliable At http://reid.senate.gov/record2.cfm?id=214567, Accessed 8/3/04)

John Kerry On The $87 Billion In Support Of Troops

Kerry And Reid Voted For The Iraq War Resolution.

Kerry Said It Would Be "Irresponsible" To Vote Against Funding Troops. "I don't think any United States senator is going to abandon our troops and recklessly leave Iraq to whatever follows as a result of simply cutting and running. That's irresponsible." (CBS' "Face The Nation," 9/14/03)

But Kerry Voted Against $87 Billion War Supplemental. Reid Supported It.

In Trying To Defend His Vote, Kerry Said, "I Actually Voted For The $87 Billion Before I Voted Against It." (James Kuhnhenn, "Bush Attacks Kerry On Terror," The Philadelphia Inquirer, 4/16/04)

Kerry Said He's "Proud" That He And Edwards Voted Against $87 Billion In Funding For U.S. Soldiers. "Here is the value that John Edwards and I will put in place. I'm proud to say that John joined me in voting against that $87 billion when we knew the policy had to be changed." (John Kerry, Remarks at "Women's Voices: A Luncheon with John Kerry," Boston, MA, 7/12/04)

Kerry Then Said His Vote Against Body Armor And Supplies For Troops Was "Complicated." (MSNBC's "Imus in the Morning," 7/15/04)

Kerry Even Said His Vote For The War And Against Funding For Our Troops Was "Not A Flip-Flop."(CBS' "Evening News," 7/21/04)

Kerry Adviser On Vote Against The $87 Billion Appropriation: "Off The Record, He Did It Because Of Howard Dean. On The Record, He Has An Elaborate Explanation." "That unease is compounded by the obvious political calculation of Kerry's vote last fall to withhold eighty-seven billion dollars of auxiliary support for the military in Afghanistan and Iraq. As one of his advisers put it to me, 'Off the record, he did it because of Howard Dean. On the record, he has an elaborate explanation.'" (Philip Gourevitch, "Damage Control," The New Yorker, 7/26/04)

Biden Says Kerry's Decision To Vote Against The Iraq Supplemental Was An Attempt "To Prove To Dean's Guys" That He Was "Not A Warmonger." "Kerry originally supported an amendment sponsored by Senator Joseph Biden that would have funded the war by temporarily reducing Bush's tax cuts to the wealthiest one per cent of Americans. But Biden's bill had no chance of passing in a Republican-dominated Senate, and Kerry's absurdly abbreviated account of the matter—'I did vote for the eighty-seven billion before I voted against it'—has left him open to relentless Republican ridicule. Biden himself ultimately voted for the money, and he confirmed that Kerry's decision not to was 'tactical,' an attempt 'to prove to Dean's guys I'm not a warmonger.'" (Philip Gourevitch, "Damage Control," The New Yorker, 7/26/04)

[counterpunch]

Just more proof that Kerry has no intention of winning the war on terrorism or staying the course in Iraq.


Give the LEFT a RIGHT HOOK with CouNTeRPuNcH

Get the Rally Sign and Bumper Sticker Here
www.counterpunch.us

[tomnbeverly]

Well he told all of the Democratic press that he would not be at war and that they could stake their votes on it.

It is on his website right now here is the link.

http://www.johnkerry.com/pressroom/news/news_2003_1210b.html