The GOP Takes Care Of Their Donors Not The Troops

Via AmericaBlog, I read this morning that the NY Times is reporting on a study that:

A secret Pentagon study has found that as many as 80 percent of the marines who have been killed in Iraq from wounds to the upper body could have survived if they had had extra body armor. Such armor has been available since 2003, but until recently the Pentagon has largely declined to supply it to troops despite calls from the field for additional protection, according to military officials.

This is tragic and unacceptable.  The fact that Congress has not stepped up and put an end to this outrage is beyond my comprehension.

The Bush administration may not care enough to get the troops the equipment they need, but they certainly take care of GOP contributors.

Last year, Greg Greene over at Blog for America wrote this post about the Bat Mitvah celebration that defense contractor David H. Brooks threw for his daughter.

According to new accounts, the party cost $10 million, and Brooks sent the corporate jet to pick up Aerosmith's Steven Tyler and others entertainers for their performances at the party.  No word on whether Brooks found a way to bill the government for the cost of the flights.

Brooks owns DHB Industries, which manufactures body armor for the military.

And it will probably come as no surprise to you that Mr. Brooks is also a generous donor to the National Republican Senatorial Committee.  He contributed $25,000 this June.

It's no wonder that the GOP Congress isn't holding these contractors accountable.  And in the meanwhile, soldiers die.

This is just plain shameful.