WHO WOULD YOU BET YOUR LIFE ON IF YOU HAD TO GO INTO BATTLE?

Americans are being given a choice between a photo-op stay-at-home jet
jockey or a bona fide Vietnam combat hero (Silver Star, Bronze Star, 3
Purple Hearts) to be commander-in-chief of our armed forces and to
protect our nation from terrorism...
If you had to go into battle in earnest yourself, which of the two
would you bet your life on?

KERRY: BUSH SHORTCHANGES TROOPS ON GEAR

By DAVID ESPO, AP Special Correspondent

WASHINGTON - John Kerry, the Democratic presidential
nominee-in-waiting, challenged the Bush administration Saturday to
reimburse the families of U.S. troops "who had to buy the body armor"
needed for protection in Iraq.

"If I am president, I will be prepared to use military force to
protect our security, our people and our vital interests," the
Massachusetts senator said in the Democrats' weekly radio address.

"But I will never send our troops into harm's way without enough
firepower and support."

The five-minute speech gave Kerry an opportunity to speak to a
nationwide audience five days after wrapping up his party's nomination
with a string of primary and caucus victories.

The choice of topics underscored his intention to challenge President
Bush's conduct of the war on terror, and he accused the president of
shortchanging the troops on items needed for their own protection.

Kerry said tens of thousands of troops arrived in Iraq "to find that —
with danger around every corner — there wasn't enough body armor to
protect them." Many families purchased the equipment and had it sent
overseas, he added.

"Families should be sending pictures and care packages to Iraq — and
the Department of Defense (news - web sites) should be sending the
body armor," Kerry said.

He called on the president to support a bill he has introduced in the
Senate to reimburse families for their purchase of body armor. Similar
legislation is pending in the House.

Kerry said acting Army Secretary Les Brownlee had testified before
Congress that U.S. forces were "not prepared" for the present conflict
in Iraq and they didn't have the preparation and hardware they needed
to fight as effectively as they could.

In testimony before the Senate Armed Services Committee on Tuesday,
Brownlee was asked why the Army took so long to produce adequate
numbers of upgraded body armor and Humvees with extra armor plating.

"I also regret that we were not more farsighted here. We simply were
not prepared for that kind of a counterinsurgency that attacked our
convoys and our soldiers in the rear, as it has proven to be," he
said.

In addition, Kerry said, "We hear reports that — in dangerous parts of
Iraq — our helicopters are flying missions without the best available
anti-missile system."

"At the same time, unarmored Humvees are falling victim to roadside
bombs and small-arms fire. The Bush administration waited through
month after month of ambushes and only acted to start manufacturing
armored kits three months ago," he added.

Scott Stanzel, press secretary for the Bush-Cheney re-election
campaign, responded Saturday, "If John Kerry's policies had been
adopted, our troops would not have the support and protection they
need to win the war on terror."