A group of Iraq war veterans have launched an ad campaign against several vulnerable Republicans, including Sen. Jim Talent.
VoteVets.org PAC’s ad features Peter Granato, an Army Reservist who reportedly served in Iraq in 2003. In the ad, Granato fires an AK-47 into the type of vest many U.S. troops are wearing in Iraq. Bullets clearly pierce right through the flak jacket. Granato then shoots modern body armor, which stops the bullets.
Granato then points out that Talent voted against an amendment in 2003 to add $1 billion to the budget of the National Guard and Reserves for procurement of such equipment. The ad also says Talent later voted against another amendment which would have appropriated more than $300 million for body armor.
Almost identical ads are being ran against Republican Senators George Allen in Virginia, Rick Santorum in Pennsylvania, and Conrad Burns in Montana.
UPDATE:Rich Chrismer, a spokesman for the Talent campaign, sent over this response:
“Senator Talent has been endorsed by the Veterans of Foreign Wars, the Vietnam Veterans of America gave him the Lifetime Achievement Award and the Association for Service Disabled Veterans gave him their 2006 Patriot Legislator Award. These veteran groups don’t endorse or give awards to people who don’t support veterans.”
The McCaskill campaign has not replied to our requests for comment on this (or any other) story.
