Kerry Voted against defense funding

Well, that's what the ad says which I've seen about a gazillion times in the past week. The one which claims he voted down all funding for our troops, I'm sure you've all seen it? Where is this coming from? Is there a counterpunch?

Some of that comes from the fact that he voted against the $87 billion that didn't have any measures to track where the money was spent, once it was clear the actual funding could pass without his vote. So, he voted for the funding, then it changed, then he voted against it. Which is being hugely misrepresented.

Here's a start on his records:
http://blog.johnkerry.com/dbunker/archives/001594.html#001594

http://blog.johnkerry.com/dbunker/archives/001594.html

there is more besides what I am posting here:

snip

A CLOSER LOOK AT THE PROGRAMS JOHN KERRY IS BEING ATTACKED ON





APACHE HELICOPTER: The Kerry Record


Kerry has supported $13 billion in defense authorizations for the Apache





THE CHENEY RECORD: Terminate The Apache; According to the RNC, AH-64 Apache Helicopters Were Crucial to Operation Iraqi Freedom.In testimony before the Senate Appropriations Committee, Defense Subcommittee, Cheney said, “This is just a list of some of the programs that I've recommended termination: the V-22 Osprey, the F-14D, the Army Helicopter Improvement Program, Phoenix missile, F-15E, the Apache helicopter, the M1 tank, et cetera.” In testimony before the House Armed Services Committee, Cheney said, “The Army, as I indicated in my earlier testimony, recommended to me that we keep a robust Apache helicopter program going forward, AH-64…I forced the Army to make choices…So I recommended that we cancel the AH-64 program two years out.”





AEGIS SHIPS: The Kerry Record


Kerry has supported at least $53 billion defense authorizations for the Aegis program


THE CHENEY RECORD: Cheney Cut Program, Costing Jobs. Cheney plan cut 9 of original 25 ships planned, putting shipyard in jeopardy





BRADLEY FIGHTING VEHICLES: The Kerry Record


Kerry has supported at least $8.5 billion in defense authorizations for the Bradley program


THE CHENEY RECORD: Bush-Cheney Budget Terminated The Bradley. “Major weapons killed include the Army's M-2 Bradley Fighting Vehicle, the Navy's Trident submarine and F-14 aircraft, and the Air Force's F-16 airplane. Cheney decided the military already has enough of these weapons.”





BLACKHAWK HELICOPTERS: The Kerry Record


Kerry has supported at least $13 billion in defense authorizations on versions of the Blackhawk.


THE CHENEY RECORD: Terminate The Black Hawk. The Pentagon’s internal budget deliberations recommended termination of the Black Hawk program under Secretary Cheney.”





B-2 BOMBER: The Kerry Record


Kerry has supported over $16.7 billion in defense authorizations for the B-2 program


THE CHENEY RECORD: Cheney Proposed Cuts to B-2 Program, According to the RNC, B-2s Were Crucial to Operation Iraqi Freedom. According to the Boston Globe, in 1990, “Defense Secretary Richard Cheney announced a cutback… of nearly 45 percent in the administration's B-2 Stealth bomber program, from 132 airplanes to 75…”




C-17 CARGO JETS: The Kerry Record


Kerry supported at least $34.5 billion in defense authorizations for the C-17


THE CHENEY RECORD: Cutting C-17 Program. In 1990, Cheney proposed cutting 90 C-17 Air Force cargo transport planes





F/A-18 FIGHTER JETS : The Kerry Record


Kerry supported at least $60 billion in defense authorizations for the F/A-18 and F-18


THE CHENEY RECORD: Cutbacks Hit Industry Hard: Workers and the industry were hit hard by Cheney’s decision for “major cuts” in the F/A-18 program and upgrades to the F-18 in the late 1980s





F-16 FIGHTER JETS: The Kerry Record


Kerry supported at least $25 billion in defense authorizations for the F-16.


THE CHENEY RECORD: Cheney Proposed Cutting F-16 Aircraft, According to the RNC, F-16s Were Crucial to Operation Iraqi Freedom. In testimony before the House Armed Services Committee, Cheney said, “If you're going to have a smaller air force, you don't need as many F-16s…The F-16D we basically continue to buy and close it out because we're not going to have as big a force structure and we won't need as many F-16s.” According to the Boston Globe, Bush’s 1991 defense budget “kill 81 programs for potential savings of $ 11.9 billion…Major weapons killed include….the Air Force's F-16 airplane.”





TOMAHAWK MISSILES: The Kerry Record


Kerry supported at least $6 billion in defense authorizations for the Tomahawk missile program.





THE CHENEY RECORD: No New Missiles Requested Even As Stocks Depleted Before Gulf War, Cutbacks Lead To Layoffs: Cheney’s defense budget was so pared-down that it didn’t include any funds for more Tomahawk missiles in 1991, despite stocks rapidly diminished by the military action in the Persian Gulf. Cuts in 1990 led to layoffs throughout the nation.





C-130 CARGO JETS: The Kerry Record


Kerry supported at least $12 billion in defense authorizations for the C-130


THE CHENEY RECORD: Move Hurricane Plane Out of Dept. of Defense, Move Considered Dangerous. In 1990, Cheney pushed a potentially dangerous move by trying to shift the WC-130 Hurricane Hunter planes from the Department of Defense and into the Department of Commerce. The WC-130 is used to track Hurricanes and warn coastal residents in time to evacuate the area. In July 1990, Cheney ordered that the Air Force halt all WC-130 flights by October 1, 1990 and turn the mission to the Commerce Department. Reed Boatright, a spokesman for the Commerce Department said, “we are not in a position to accept planes either financially or infrastructure wise.” According to Jerry Jarrell, deputy director of the National Hurricane Center, “It would be devastating” if the Commerce Department was unable to pick up the WC-130 after Cheney released it from Defense. Today, the WC-130 remains at Defense.





PATRIOT MISSILE SYSTEM: The Kerry Record


Kerry supported at least $10 billion in defense authorizations for the Patriot program.





SOURCES ON KERRY SPENDING: Congressional Quarterly Almanacs, 1986-2002; House Armed Service Committee Authorization Conference Report Summaries; Conference Reports for Defense Authorizations, FY1986 – present

bush and cheney's record on defense....Troubling.


failure.

http://blog.johnkerry.com/dbunker/archives/001388.html

:bounce:

It was Cheney who requested that the defense funding, and armed forces be downsized. This was an ancient vote following the end of the cold war. Kerry was one of the many who voted yes.

after the cold war era, and I knew he had a record of voting for defense funding when it was necessary. I'd also like to see the Cheyney cuts on the front page.