Schumer Perpetuates Urban Myth in Attack on Rumsfeld
       Sen. Chuck Schumer, who can only be compared to a rabid animal with his hostile attacks on Bush and Donald Rumsfeld, went so far yesterday as to repeat an urban myth on the floor of the Senate in his diatribe against the Secretary of Defense. As reported by the New York Times:
       “During more than five hours of back and forth, Mr. Schumer and other Democrats faulted Mr. Rumsfeld and said his failures were illustrated by abuse of detainees and the fact that some Americans had to provide body armor for relatives serving in Iraq. They said the public had lost confidence in the administration’s approach in Iraq.”
       The story that families in the U.S. had to pony up to buy body armor for troops in Iraq is an urban legend that originated with an Al Gore speech during a MoveOn.org rally.
       Gore said, without any substantiation, that it was unfortunate that "the families (of soldiers) have to hold bake sales to buy discarded Kevlar vests to stuff into the floorboards of the Humvees! Bake sales for body armor."
       John Kerry repeated the fictitious story two years ago when he said in a speech that "as president, I will see to it that we don't have to have bake sales...to supply the troops of the United States of America."
       The fact of the matter is that U.S. troops always had Kevlar body armor. When the war in Iraq began, the military was finishing a running change on a new, lighter type of body armor that was reputed to be stronger. The manufacturer of the newer body armor ran three shifts to finish the final orders for the military, which was complete nearly three years ago. Families in the states were not “buying” body armor for troops. Schumer should be ashamed of himself for spreading a lie to malign Donald Rumsfeld.