Kerry didn't object to giving the troops $87 million, he disagreed with the way it was going to be paid for. It happens all the time. The President should know, he's done it any number of times.

I'd also like to know just how much of that $87 million went straight to the soldies in terms of payment and equipment. Wouldn't it make more sense to pay for things like personal body armor before doing other things?

I think it's despicable that this President can talk about supporting the troops while cutting their funeral and imminent danger pay and claiming he raised military pay when he absolutely did not (see quote).


President Bush's Department of Defense (DOD) budget increase of $14.2 billion (4.8%) over FY 2001 levels is essentially identical to the increase proposed by President Clinton in January. Although President Bush's DOD budget of $310.5 is $100 million above President Clinton's January budget, it includes the transfer of the Maritime Security Program - a program authorized at $100 million a year - from the Maritime Administration to the DOD. As a result, the net "increase" above the Clinton budget is zero.