Rumsfeld----Cut "combat pay" for soldiers by $75 a month!

[Gimpy]

Want MORE "evidence" of just how much "help is on the way" from the Bush administration for our military?? Check THIS out!

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"To all of our men and women in uniform, and to their parents and families: Help is on the way!" ?- Dick Cheney campaigning in the 2000 presidential elections.

Never forget that arrogant pledge. Because first of all, the Clinton-Gore military, as it turns out, was in perfectly fine shape -- fine enough to handle the Taliban in Afghanistan and topple Saddam Hussein. (Though it's had predictable trouble with the peace-keeping side of the coin -- in part because Donald Rumsfeld has moved to close the US Army War College's Peacekeeping Institute and has generally short-shrifted training in that area, in part because even the bravest and most cunning of military outfits can't do much with a stupid mission.)

Now, incredibly, the Help-Is-On-the-Way Pentagon wants to cut the imminent-danger pay of troops in Iraq! Maybe they need to free up cash for bottled water.

When Congress returns after Labor Day, it will have to act fast to counter Pentagon plans to cut danger-pay by $75 a month and family-separation allowances of $150 a month. The Pentagon doesn't want to spend money on such trivia; it says these pay cuts will save $25 million a month. For perspective, that's about 0.6% of the war's monthly cost. Or, if you prefer another comparison: The Pentagon says its proposed pay cuts will save about $300 million this year; which is still less than the $324 million Halliburton (Dick Cheneys former employer) listed as second-quarter revenues solely from work in Iraq.

No wonder Army Times is raging at the Administration's nickel-and-dime disdain for its own soldiers. (Team Bush only likes to dress up like soldiers, it doesn't like to pay them.) After news of the Pentagon's pay-cut was broken by the San Francisco Chronicle, an unnamed White House official rushed to tell The New York Times that, while it was true, the president solemnly hopes Congress will overrule the Pentagon. As if the president can't overrule his own executive-branch agency.

What I'm curious about now is whatever happened to that other brilliant Republican idea: the call on patriotic New York police and fire fighters to sacrifice overtime pay so that there'd be enough free cash out there, in a very vague sort of way, for military danger-pay.

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Kinda makes you sick to your stomach, huh?

[HARDCORE]

Truly Unfortunate, as $75.00 a month is a lot of $$$$ to many of our men and women in uniform! And this at a time when their services and dedication are sorely needed!!

VERITAS

[BLUEHAWK]

Gimpy and HC -
It'd be very informative to see the actual words that were used to rationalize this proposed pay cut... No?

[HARDCORE]

BLUEHAWK -

This pay cut to the military can "NOT" be rationalized, not even by our masters of spin!! (opinion)

To cut military pay, and at a time when these American kids are laying their lives on the line, is an act of insanity! (opinion) Is the President going to cut the price of those $2000 a plate political fundraisers too?

VERITAS

[SuperScout]

We need to talk. WHAT THE PHUCK ARE YOU THINKING? ARE OR YOU THINKING? I know you're a bright man, a very good person who has made enormous contributions to this world in several different decades. But that begs the question: WHAT THE PHUCK ARE YOU THINKING, by wanting to cut ANY pay from ANY Grunt, Jarhead, Zoomie, Coastie or Harbor Duck?

Call me, and if necessary, call collect, you cheap Asshole, and I'll accept the charges.

Very respectfully yours,

Brice H. Barnes

[MORTARDUDE]

AMEN !!

LARRY


DEO VINDICE

[BLUEHAWK]

HC -

What you and Scout said...

a coupla times more.

[Gimpy]

It wouldn't hurt to drop a little "note" (e-mail---letter--phone call, etc.) to your respective Representative & Senator as WELL as an E-mail to GEE-DUBYA to voice our outrage over this happy-horse-shit being proposed by Dummy-Rummy.

Brice---I'm ESPECIALLY proud of you. I know it must be awfully difficult for you to offer up protestations against old Rummy---even though he has REALLY showed his ASS this time! My thanks!

[SuperScout]

As a matter of fact, and quite offline, I've been beating this drum for sometime. Just because I don't it an hourly habit of publicly displaying my ire on certain issues doens't mean I'm not engaged in a meaningful pursuit of changes. The Army's War College Peacekeeping Institute was not closed, contrary to your report, and the interjection of how much $$ Halliburton is or is not making in reconstruction efforts is nothing but a classless class-warfare-baiting game, your way of inviting people to your verbal ambushes.

[Gimpy]

I thought you may be finally coming to your senses, evidently I was wrong!

So, when an individual offers up accurate & timely & truthful information about the current leadership of the GOP administration and/or Congressional inepitude and deceitful behavior----that is" nothing but a classless class-warfare-baiting game",or "a way of inviting people to your verbal ambushes".

And yet, you (and others of your political persuasion) can offer up any outrageous comment you care to "verbalize" against the so-called "leberals"----and that's OK huh?

You are absolutely the MOST clueless, or in the most severe case of denial of any person I have ever come in contact with! For some reason you WILL NOT see the truth if it jumped up and bit you in the ASS!

If you'll GO BACK and reread what thev post actually SAID---"Though it's had predictable trouble with the peace-keeping side of the coin -- in part because Donald Rumsfeld has moved to close the US Army War College's Peacekeeping Institute and has generally short-shrifted training in that area, in part because even the bravest and most cunning of military outfits can't do much with a stupid mission.)" It didn't SAY he HAD closed it---only he has MOVED to close it---AND---here's the MAIN POINT----"he has generally short-shifted training in that area"---something that even the ARMY TIMES has concluded!

The part about Halliburon was not "baiting"---it WAS an effort to show how this administration (specifically Dick(head)Cheney) has used his nefarious political influence and position of power to unscrupulously "install" his old employer (Halliburton) as the sole "provider" of services rendered with regards to the "rebuilding" of Iraq---without so much as a single offer to any other firm to reap the "profits" of this ambitious endeavor!

Talk about "crooked" politics & "politicians"---makes me sick to my stomach!

As well it should you!