To a few of my friends

I spent five years in the Navy and have been lucky to keep in touch with some of my friends from then. A few of them told me they voted for George W (some even twice - *shudder*) because of one issue: the perception that Republican administrations look out for military members (i.e. they pay them more and give them better stuff, not 'they keep them from dying for no discernible reason').

I debate this and even started an analysis of military pay that I wanted to match up with the corresponding administrations and Congresses, but the project's complexities quickly convinced me to put it off. Doesn't matter. Congress approved on Sunday a $460B Pentagon budget (that doesn't include Iraq spending), and one fact being reported by multiple news outlets across the media sums reveals the tremendously craven attitude of our present administration (italics mine):

The bill would provide $2.2 billion to cover a 3.5 percent pay raise for service members. The administration objects and says its recommended 3 percent pay increase is sufficient.

If my math is right, that works out to a difference of $400M in a budget a thousand times larger than that. So if you're in the military and actually voted for this guy based on how he was going to look out for you, how do you like him now that he's quibbling over a half of one percent that could be going into your pocket?