Bush, the failed president

Do you still need evidence this president is one of the worst presidents ever? Read on:

Nearly a year after Congress demanded action, the Pentagon still hasn't figured out a way to reimburse U.S. troops for body armor and equipment they purchased to better protect themselves while serving in Iraq.

Can you believe that our soldiers in the war zone have to spend their own money to buy protective gear, because the military doesn't provide them with it? How screwed up is that? And the GOP is supposed to be the party that cares about the military? And protects us from the enemy? They can't even protect the people who are supposed to protect us!!

He and other soldiers and their parents are still spending hundreds and sometimes thousands of dollars for armor they say the military won't provide. One U.S. senator said yesterday he will try again to force the Pentagon to obey the reimbursement law it opposed from the outset and has so far not implemented.

Sen. Christopher Dodd, D-Conn., said he will offer amendments to the defense appropriations bill working its way through Congress to take the issue out of the hands of Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and give control to military unit commanders in the field.

"Rumsfeld is violating the law," Dodd said. "It's been sitting on the books for over a year. They were opposed to it. It was insulting to them. I'm sorry that's how they felt."

Dodd said men and women in uniform "are serving halfway around the world. And they shouldn't have to rely on bake sales and lemonade stands to raise money" to get them the equipment they need.

This problem has existed for the longest time. Congress acted upon it, passing a law forcing the government to reimburse the soldiers, but the Pentagon still isn't doing it. Who do they think they are? Not even they are above the law. Incredible.

This is what a frustrated father of a soldier had to say:

"I wouldn't have cared if it cost us $10,000 to protect our son, I would do it," said Gordon. "But I think the U.S. has an obligation to make sure they have this equipment and to reimburse for it. I just don't support Donald Rumsfeld's idea of going to war with what you have, not what you want. You go to war prepared, and you don't go to war until you are prepared."

He's so right. The government should equip its soldiers or not go to war at all. Would they send our soldiers to war with sticks if guns were too expensive? Will they stop providing bullets when they become too expensive?

Under the law Congress passed in October, the Defense Department had until Feb. 25 to develop regulations for the reimbursement, which is limited to $1,100 per item. Pentagon officials called it "an unmanageable precedent that will saddle the DOD with an open-ended financial burden."

AN UNMANAGEABLE PRECEDENT THAT WILL SADDLE THE DOD WITH AN OPEN-ENDED FINANCIAL BURDEN!? Are they kidding me? The US military gets more taxpayer money than any other military apparatus in the world by a mile. It's the mightiest military machine on the planet and they are worried about the financial burden of reimbursing the soldiers that are FORCED to buy their own equipment to protect themselves because the government won't provide them with it?

FIRE DONALD RUMSFELD. NOW!