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Bush hiding a plan to mobilize more National Guard and Reserve troops
(Mary Dalrymple, Associated Press, September 17, 2004)
Democratic Sen. John Kerry (news - web sites) on Friday accused the Bush administration of hiding a plan to mobilize more National Guard and Reserve troops after the election while glossing over a worsening conflict in Iraq . . . "He won't tell us what congressional leaders are now saying, that this administration is planning yet another substantial call-up of reservists and Guard units immediately after the election," Kerry said. "Hide it from people through the election, then make the move." . . . While Bush has been campaigning as the best candidate to deter terrorists and protect the nation, his presidential rival portrayed him as out of touch with a serious and dangerous situation in Iraq. . . . "With all due respect to the president, has he turned on the evening news lately? Does he read the newspapers?" Kerry said. "Does he really know what's happening? Is he talking about the same war that the rest of us are talking about?" . . . Rep. John Murtha of Pennsylvania, top Democrat on the House Appropriations Defense Subcommittee and a former Marine who served in Vietnam, said he had learned through conversations with Pentagon officials that beginning in November, "the Bush administration plans to call up large numbers of the military Guard and Reserves, to include plans that they previously had put off to call up the Individual Ready Reserve." . . . "It's clear that this administration didn't know what it was getting into, or else they grossly misrepresented the facts to the American people," said House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi of California. "In either case, staying the course is not an option." . . . Kerry said the president was avoiding hard truths about casualties, new insurgencies and troop shortages. "He won't tell us that, day by day, we're running out of soldiers and that we're now resorted to a backdoor draft of our reservists and our National Guard." . . . Kerry's campaign also intensified its criticism of Vice President Dick Cheney and defense contractor Halliburton, the company Cheney used to lead, as an aspect of the administration's management of the war. . . . "Dick Cheney's old company, Halliburton, has profited from the mess in Iraq at the expense of American troops and taxpayers," Kerry said. . . . the Democrat suggests that Cheney has conflicts of interest stemming from money he received from Halliburton under a deferred compensation agreement. . . . The ad also contends that Halliburton wasted taxpayer money, in contracts awarded without competitive bidding, that could have been better used at home. Several investigations have found evidence of overcharging or raised questions about the company's performance. . . . A new radio ad running in New Hampshire and Florida says "the Saudi royal family appreciates the support" when Americans fill up their tanks at gas stations. "Who does the royal family support? George W. Bush and Dick Cheney."

posted by Lorenzo 2:41 PM