September 21, 2006
Lying About Body Armor
We saw the availability of modern body for our troops raised several times by both parties as an issue in the 2004 elections, and Factcheck.org shows that the half-truths and lies are being raised once more, particularly by a 501(c) PAC called VoteVets.org, that claims to represent military veterans. These veterans should know about the body armor they are issued, and therefore is almost certainly lying on purpose, not from a position of ignorance. Interestingly and perhaps tellingly, the candidates supported by VoteVets.org seem to take stands on issues that would identify them as Democrats, and the one stated Republican candidate is the only one with an active web site to which the VoteVets have not activated the link. Make of that what you will.
Factcheck.org provides the content of the ad in sidebar:
VoteVets Ad: "Armor"Granato: AK-47, the rifle of choice for terrorists in Iraq and Afghanistan.
This is a vest left over from the Vietnam War. It's the protection we were given when we deployed to Iraq.(Granato shoots AK-47 at vest)
Granato: This is modern body armor, made for today's weapons.
(Granato shoots AK-47 at vest)
Granato: The difference is life or death.
(Mannequins underneath show that modern vest stops bullets but Vietnam-era vest does not.)
Granato: Senator George Allen voted against giving our troops this. Now it's time for us to vote against him.
On Screen: Source: Vote #116, 108th Congress, 1st Session.
Announcer: Vote Vets is responsible for the content of this advertisement.
The problem is that Granato is categorically lying. The vest in question is not left over from the Vietnam War, but was of the PASGAT type issued from the 1980s until the Army began phasing in in the next-generation Interceptor body armor—the first wide-spread issue of military body armor designed to stop bullets, not just shrapnel—in 1999.
I advise you to read the entire Factcheck.org article to educate yourself on the body armor issue in general, and the very dishonest ad being promoted by Votevets.org in specific. This new group should be closely watched.
I'd like to point out that blogs on both ends of the political spectrum are pointing out the lies being spread by VoteVets.org. TPMMuckraker played the issue honestly, even though voteVets seems to be functioning as a Democratic front group.
On the other hand, some folks will never let a little thing like facts get in their way.
Calling themselves VoteVet's means nothing. Almost every traitor in history has been a vet. Hanoi John Kerry is a vet, a traitor, a phony and a liar, not much of an american, but a vet.
From: A 22 year vet and still an American patroit which very few, if any democrats can say with a streight face.
Just to give my personal story. I deployed with a Reserve unit to Kuwait in Feb 2004. We were issued Interceptor vests without SAPI plates. There was a shortage of them at the time and our unit clearly was not priority as we were staying in relatively peaceful Kuwait. It was about October when we were finally issued the plates. I am confident in saying that by that time, everyone north of us would have already received the new vests and plates. the VoteVets.org claim might have been somewhat creditable over two years ago. Now, its just wrong.
Posted by: BohicaTwentyTwo at September 21, 2006 11:54 AMIf there had been a big air battle and some of the old F14's had gotten shot down, they'd be whining about why the Navy wasn't fully converted to F18's or frigging star wars Tie fighters ;->
Posted by: Purple Avenger at September 21, 2006 11:28 PM
