Bush, Rumsfeld Try to Soothe Angry U.S. Troops

[Champ]

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Bush (news - web sites) said on Thursday U.S. troop concerns about inadequate equipment for Iraq (news - web sites) combat are being addressed and he did not blame soldiers for raising the issue with Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld.

A day after he was bombarded with criticism from U.S. soldiers based in Kuwait, Rumsfeld promised more would be done to protect forces. He also said steps were being taken to deal with explosive devices, a leading cause of death in Iraq, where more than 1,000 American soldiers have been killed in action.

Since invading Iraq last year, administration critics have accused it of failing to send adequate forces and armor to stabilize the country, allowing the current bloody insurgency to develop.

The latest complaints put the administration further on the defensive. Bush had rejected charges from Democratic challenger Sen. John Kerry (news - web sites) in the campaign for last month's election that military forces in Iraq did not have sufficient protection.

"The concerns expressed are being addressed, and that is, we expect our troops to have the best possible equipment. And if I were a soldier overseas, wanting to defend my country, I'd want to ask the secretary of defense the same question," Bush said.

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=564&e=8&u=/nm/iraq_usa_rumsfeld_dc

[samwisefoxburr]

1. They shouldn't HAVE to ask for it!

[Old and In the Way]

2. Hey Dimson, I gotta reality check for you.

Our troops would be asking their pResident those same questions if he had the guts to show up in Iraq today.

[physioex]

3. You kinda feel sorry for them....

But then again a majority of them probably voted for this...

[Old and In the Way]

7. I don't believe that.

I'd bet the farm that a majority voted Kerry.

[molly]

4. Some wrote in to C-Span this morning saying it

was Clinton's fault.

[Florida_Geek]

5. No way is it Clinton's fault ,,,,, freepers,,,, he has been out of

office how many years........

[Sara Beverley]

6. That proves just how low these people are.

Bush and his administration are never responsible for anything. Clinton didn't order our troops to invade Iraq. That is the bottom line.

[Pirate Smile]

8. That is their current talking point. I heard that multiple times from

multiple people last night on news shows.

Pathetic!

I'm really liking Dean's line about us being the party of responsibility because this group REFUSES to take responsibility for anything. It is their POLICY.

Dickerson (reporter) was on Al Franken's show today talking about this with regard to his "what mistakes have you made since 9/11" question to Bush. This Administration has decided to never admit any mistakes because they would rather look stubborn then deal with the follow up questions after admitting a mistake.

[JoFerret]

9. The tide is turning

...you can't fool most people with the mythic nonsense of war after they have been there long enough to get a reality check.

[eauclaireliberal]

10. RE:"Bush, Rumsfeld Try to Soothe Angry U.S. Troops"

Yeah, but if I'm not mistaken, Cheney (R-Gambino) and Bush (R-J.R. Ewing) yapped some horseshit about Kerry during the debates about how JFK voted on a bill to cut funds for troop armor.

Someone please clue me in (link) on those accusations-true or not.

[physioex]

11. Typical Rovian Strategy....

Take your own weakness and faults and accuse your enemy. Kinda like the child who kills his parents yet asks for pity being newly orphaned.

[Divernan]

12. "Concerns are being addressed?!?!" Gimme a break!

This is just the kind of public demand that Bush responds to by employing his BIG LIE technique.
You note that his response that "concerns are being addressed" doesn't commit him to ANY time frame, and could simply mean that he's told some grunt to "look into this matter." He's a friend to the cannon fodder he sends to Iraq in the same destructive way he pollutes while yapping about the Clean Air and Healthy Forest initiatives; or that he slashes educational funding while simpering about his No Child Left Behind program.

[Moderator]

13. Duplicate topic--Please continue discussion here:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=102&topic_id=1057730&mesg_id=1057730