Have a Cup Of Joe...

I am a Veteran of the US Army Infantry. This sort of BS really galls me when I know that my friends and family are STILL serving in Iraq and Afghanistan with substandard equipment.

In three out of the last four Congresses, Joe Lieberman has had one of the top seven worst voting attendance records in the entire U.S. Senate. He has skipped hundreds of votes, often times to travel around the country to fundraisers for himself. He has skipped half of all votes on the Iraq War since the invasion began and skipped all votes to fund the inaugural budget of the Department of Homeland Security. But today, as Ned Lamont is endorsed by a major veterans group, the Cup of Joe asks a simple question: Why did Lieberman skip a close vote on legislation by Senator Chris Dodd to improve body armor for our troops in combat?

DETAILS OF LIEBERMAN’S SKIPPED VOTE ON BODY ARMOR: Senator Lieberman skipped a tight vote on legislation sponsored by Connecticut Sen. Chris Dodd that would have provided additional emergency funding for safety equipment such as body armor for troops serving in Iraq. [Source: Senate Roll Call Vote #376,
10/2/03]

DODD PLEADED FOR SUPPORT ON THE SENATE FLOOR: In trying to corral enough votes for this critical amendment, Connecticut Sen. Chris Dodd explained exactly what his amendment would do. “This amendment was designed specifically to see to it that those U.S. troops coming into Iraq, into a theater of war, would receive important equipment they need to perform their missions effectively,” he said. “This equipment includes important high-tech body armor, bullet-proof helmets, special water packs to keep soldiers hydrated, and other survival gear.” He added: “Let us take care of our men and women in uniform going over to Iraq. I do not think any of us want to read a story where one of our young troops has to go out and buy their own equipment to protect themselves. This is the 21st century. And in this day and age, the sole superpower in the world should not have to tell its military personnel to fend for themselves.” Unfortunately, the bill lost on a close vote, with Lieberman nowhere to be found. [Source: Congressional record page S12352, 10/2/03]

NEWSWEEK SAID TROOPS UNECESSARILY DIED OR WERE INJURED BECAUSE OF POOR BODY ARMOR: A year after Lieberman skipped the vote on Dodd’s amendment and the amendment subsequently went down to defeat, Newsweek reported that a study by one defense consultant circulating throughout the Army noted that up to “one in four of those killed in combat in Iraq might be alive if they had had stronger armor around them” and “thousands more who were unprotected have suffered grievous wounds, such as the loss of limbs.” [Source: Newsweek, 4/25/04]

It is pretty sad that Senator Dodd could not count on his "junior Senator" from Connecticut to help deliver a vote that could have saved many Veterans' lives.

Since you have whole-heartedly supported "Bush's endless war failure", AND you have failed to even try to help adequately equip Connecticut's and other American soldiers' lives, please hang this weight around your neck Lieberman:

Connecticut's War Dead

I hope this weight is at least enough to drag you down on election day.