VoteVets call Senator George Allen to task.

Body Armor: VoteVets AD


If only all political ads were this straightforward and adhere to the three C's: Clear, Concise, and Concrete. Whatever your views on our current military actions in the Middle East, I think you'll agree that we shouldn't allow politicians to wrap themselves in the flag while sending troops to foreign shores, whilst cutting funding for necessary equipment and promised benefits when noone is looking. If there is a Republican incumbent Senator up for reelection in your district, I urge you to consider these facts.

VoteVet.org's new ad features Peter Granato, a brave American who served in Iraq in 2003. Peter went to war with an obsolete flak jacket from the Vietnam era because the Bush Administration and Republicans in Congress failed to ensure that he -- and thousands of others -- had the right equipment.

Senator Mary Landrieu (D-LA) offered an amendment to give the Guard and Reserve $1 billion to procure additional equipment, including body armor, in April 2003. But every single Republican, including George Allen, voted to kill that amendment.

I cannot overstate the importance of that failure to support the troops. Young men and women continued to go into harm's way in Iraq and Afghanistan without the right protection because the Republicans didn't think it was worth spending the money. Yet George Bush and the Republican Party were all too willing to pass billions of dollars of tax cuts for the wealthy.

This vote is a disgrace, and VoteVets.org has launched the bluntest ad of the entire political season to hold George Allen accountable for his foolish -- and deadly -- vote. Please watch it, and then let's keep it on the air. -- From Gen. Wes Clark at WesPAC